Eschatology and Mysticism in Sebastian Frank: An Analysis of the Thought Structure of Protestant Spiritualism

本研究旨在分析塞巴斯蒂安·弗兰克思想中末世论与神秘主义的关系，从而厘清以弗兰克为代表的新教唯心主义的思想结构。研究是通过压缩Chronica的两个文本进行的，Zeytbuch和Geschychtbibel(第一版。1531；第二版。1536)和悖论(第1版)。2003-2004学年几乎整个学年的时间都花在了精读和解读用Fruhneuhochdeutsche Sprache(新高德语早期)写成的原文上，这真的很难破译。2004年9月初，我去德国进行了实地考察和现场研究。在慕尼黑暂住期间，我走访了多瑙沃斯堡、奥格斯堡、斯特拉斯堡和巴塞尔，弗兰克曾在这些城市生活过。在慕尼黑逗留期间，我还充分利用慕尼黑大学的图书馆进行了书目研究。研究结果已被编入两篇期刊论文：《塞巴斯蒂安·弗兰克的基本思想》(《日本神学》，第42卷，2003年9月，第36-57页)和《塞巴斯蒂安·弗兰克的末世论和神秘主义》(《人文科学杂志》，第30卷，2005年3月，第35-70页)研究结果的主要观点是，弗兰克的精神主义，尽管它使用了类似于斯多葛派泛神论和/或新柏拉图二元论的思想，但与这些不同；这是一种基于圣经末世论历史观的基督教神秘主义。

The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between eschatology and mysticism in the thought of Sebastian Franck, and thereby to clarify the thought structure of Protestant spiritualism represented by Franck. Research was conducted by compacting the two texts of Chronica, Zeytbuch vnd Geschychtbibel(1st ed. 1531; 2nd ed. 1536) and those of Paradoxa (1st ed. 1534; 2nd ed.1542), so as to shed light on the subtle and significant shift in Franck's attitude toward eschatological expectations.Almost the entirety of the academic year 2003-2004 was spent on the intensive reading and interpretation of the original texts written in the fruhneuhochdeutsche Sprache (Early New High German), which were really hard to decipher In the early September of 2004, I went to Germany to carry out field trips and on-site research. While settling a temporary residence in the city of Munich, I paid visits to Donauworthm Augsburg, Ulm, Strasbourg, and Basel, cities where Frank had lived once. During my stay in Munich, I also conducted a bibliographical research by making full use of the library of the University of MunichThe results of research have been worked out into two journal articles: "The Basic Thought of Sebastian Franck" (Theology in Japan, vol. 42, September 2003, pp. 36-57) and "Eschatology and Mysticism in Sebastian Franck" (Journal of Humanities, vol.30, March 2005, pp. 35-70)The main point of the findings of research is that Frank's spiritualism, though it uses such ideas as resembling Stoic pantheism and/or Neo-Platonic dualism, is distinct from these; it is rather a special kind of Christian mysticism that is based on the Biblical eschatological view of history.