本文討論西方基督教文化下對異端或不同宗派的處理態度，並以奧古斯丁及洛克 分別代表兩種不同立場的濫觴。本文旨在說明寬容或強行導正都有其政治思想上的背景，前 者因圖謀建立「俗世」的政治領域而生，後者乃以「政治神學」為思考問題之模式。 「政治神學」是奧古斯丁所創建的政治思維模式，它將現世人生視為一個整體，並在來世的 關照下界定此生意義。從「政治神學」的思考中奧古斯丁推衍出了「異端導正」論，也即是 說，信仰秩序的齊一是建立現世秩序的必須基礎。但是「異端」現象自基督教出現後就伴隨 而生，而在宗教改革後教派分歧、衝突更形嚴重，彼此爭相引介政治力量打擊異己。於是奧 古斯丁「政治神學」式的思想遭受嚴重挑戰。以洛克為代表的近代「寬容論」伴隨民族國家 興起，它企圖將「俗世」與「信仰」劃分界線，而將「俗世」之絕對管轄權交給政府，並在 信仰上支持「自由化」。 以上兩種對信仰之態度其緣起均可謂與政治秩序之維繫密切關連，但在不同的時代背景下， 其導向竟然完全相反。這也即是「政治神學」與「俗世化政治」的尖銳對比。「政治神學」 在傳統的王治政治下有其順利出現之邏輯，而「政教分離」在當今民主時代也是理所必然。 然而值得警惕的是，今天我們譴責「異端導正」，卻仍然無法避免在社會事務中杜絕與其類 似之情事，因為現世中仍有諸多爭議其最終根源在於「價值倫理」、「信仰」的「不可共量 」。若其最後之處理淪為彷彿「強凌弱眾暴寡」，則此與千年前何異﹖故如何標定出此類爭 議之範圍、並思考出適合的處理態度，殆為民主社會中必須之課題。

　　　　　This is a study of the origins of political theology and contemporary Erastianism. St. Augustine in the fifth century promulgated such a doctrine as the corretion of heresies, which is the natural corollary of his political theology. Yet John Locke in the seventeenth century offered a view of religious toleration, to mitigate the increasingly harsh sectarian controversies. This essay tries to show that each of them is justifiable with regards to its particular historical context, viz, the age of universal empire and kingship, and the age of democracy. Yet, we are urged to be highly alert on such a matter as the reproduction of the persecution of heresies in this modern era, in which, though, politics and faith have been largely separated. But we can easily see that the separation of the secular and the religious does not eliminate the possibilities of spiritual conflicts in making some of our policies. Today controversies such as gene reproduction and abortion have divided our society, where no easy consensus can yet be made. The gaps are due to some deep differences in the articles of faith; and we are left to contemplate on the scope of such ethico-religiously oriented disputes and the proper attitude in facing them.