前言
英国历史学家托马斯·白炳顿·马考莱写道: “历史一半是理性，一半是想象……历史开始时更像传奇故事，在不断的补充完善中变得丰满。”在中世纪，历史的作用是向信徒展示上帝的杰作。而在文艺复兴时期，历史揭示被遗忘的事实和古代的智慧。启蒙时期的历史通过对人类本身的研究，创造了一个更好的未来。到19世纪时，历史的作用则变成彰显一个种族、一个民族或者一个国家昔日的成就。在20世纪，历史既是一种娱乐形式，又在批判性思考中扮演重要角色。很多历史都被改写：讲述历史的不仅是胜利者，失败者也获得了发言权。
本书纪录了凯亚拉凯库阿的一座英国国教教堂的历史。书中包括一系列相关的故事、采访和评论。爱玛王后教堂有143年的悠久历史。随着库克船长发现夏威夷，英国国教也首次被传播到夏威夷各岛。在爱玛王后和卡美亚美亚四世国王的大力倡导下，这一支教派再次回归夏威夷。爱玛王后教堂的建造者是一位来自英格兰的牧师，他是来到这个地区的英国先驱者之一。
我们都知道很多关于美国传教士的故事，也知道夏威夷各岛最终被美国归化。美国在独立战争中打败了英国，获得了胜利。从某些方面来说，在这之后，两个国家仍在夏威夷继续进行权力的争夺。虽然最后获胜的还是美国，但是英国的影响仍不容小觑。
当檀香山的宗教和政治斗争进行到白热化的时候，凯亚拉凯库阿却远离争斗和压力。它为我们讲述的是一个更加简单平和的，关于夏威夷的生活和变化的故事。这个小教堂用信件、收据和感谢信为我们记录了这一切。第一位牧师在教堂的横梁上刻下了自己名字的缩写。第二位牧师留下了很多照片和一份小小的月刊。教堂里还有一张爱玛王后捐款的收据，这笔钱是用来购买管风琴的。一张纸上记录着卡拉库阿国王某年复活节时来访。
漫步在墓地中，历史就在我们面前徐徐展开。你最先看到的会是刻在墓碑上的古老英国姓氏，然后是夏威夷人的名字，再接下来是中国人、葡萄牙人的名字，还有日本人的。你会一次又一次看到相同的姓氏。
教堂活动大厅被用作社区中心。一战时期它曾是红十字中心，二战时它被用作联合服务组织中心，之后这里陆续被用作女孩关爱社团、童子军项目、匿名戒酒会、拼布俱乐部、学校、华德福教育、阅读障碍中心的场地。现在这里是一所夏威夷语学校。
这本书在四个方面明显区别于传统历史书。首先我没有试图保持客观和隐形。与此相反的是，我自己也存在于书中，我也邀请读者参与进来。第二点是我不仅展示了发生的史实，更重要的是我为读者提供了一个背景，让读者对发生的史实感同身受。第三点是我努力在过去和现在之间架起一座桥梁。最后，我努力确保这本书扎根于这片土地。有时我会问一些假设性的问题，但最终我还是会把读者带回这片土地，带回这座教堂。
假如我采访143年来在教堂工作过的所有园丁，会得出一个结论。而采访唱诗班指挥，或者是礼拜日学校老师的，我肯定会得出完全不同的结论。我喜欢坐在教堂长凳上，想象普通人在这里受洗、结婚，最终被埋葬在这里的情形。
本书的写作源于一次合作研究项目，这本书的灵感来自于前任教区长卡罗尔·阿尔尼。卡罗尔觉得自己有责任处理和保存在教堂储藏室里渐渐发霉的各种资料，于是向我寻求帮助。我们组成一个团队，采访在这个地区出生和长大的人。我们也飞到檀香山，在那里的天主教堂资料室和主教博物馆收集资料。我的重点放在普通人身上，卡罗尔则提供神职人员的视角。她着重从教堂政治、教堂影响力和财政问题方面入手。她更加关注事实，而我更侧重感情、观点和故事。最终我们意识到这个项目需要两本不同的书。我认为这两本书是相辅相成的。它们一起庆祝我们相聚的这个地方。
Foreward
The English historian Thomas Babington Macaulay wrote that "History falls between Reason and Imagination...History begins in novel and ends in essay." In the Middle Ages history was supposed to reveal the handiwork of God to the faithful. During the Renaissance, history revealed forgotten truths and ancient wisdom. Enlightenment history framed a proper study of mankind to ensure a better future. By the nineteenth century history was written to glorify the past achievements of a race, people, or a nation. In the twentieth century history served both as a form of entertainment, and in the development of critical thinking. Much of history was rewritten: not only the winners told the stories, but the losers were given a legitimate voice as well.
This is a collection of stories, interviews and commentary concerning the history of a little Anglican church in Kealakekua, 143 years old. The denomination first came to the islands with Captain Cook(1), and returned officially at the urging of Queen Emma and Kamehameha IV(2). This church was started by a young vicar from England for the British pioneers in the area.
We know a great deal about the American missionaries and the eventual Americanization of these Hawaiian Islands. Americans won the Revolutionary War against England, and in some ways, continued to fight it out here in these spheres of power. Although America won again, the British influence has not been insignificant.
Kealakekua, far from the religious and political battles carried on in Honolulu and the press, offers a simpler, quieter story of life and change and aloha(3) in Hawaii. The little church tells its story through letters, receipts and thank you notes left behind. The first vicar left his initials on the beams he used to build the foundation. The second vicar left photographs and a small monthly publication. There is a receipt for a donation Queen Emma made toward the purchase of the organ. There is a note about King Kalakaua's visit at Easter.
Just walking through the cemetery we see history unfold: first we see the old British names on the tombstones, the Hawaiian, then the Chinese and the Portuguese, then the Japanese. We see the same family names, again and again.
The parish hall has served as home an community center in many ways. To list a few: a Red Cross center during WWI, a USO center in WWII, Girl's Friendly Society, Scouting Programs, Alcoholics Anonymous, Quilting Club, schools including boarding schools, Waldorf, dyslexia center, and currently, a Hawaiian Immersion School.
We can also trace the technological change in society with the first electric light at the church, the first telephone, the first automobile, the first computer.
"Interdisciplinary humanities" looks at life as multifaceted and interconnected rather than as neatly separate disciplines. History is not treated as a subject by itself, but tangled up with literature, music, philosophy, attitudes, trends, conflicts, opinions. This book is my interpretation based on he facts, colored by my own values, the stories and opinions of the people I interviewed, and, the authors I read.
It is not like a traditional history in four significant ways. First, I don't try to stay objective and invisible; instead I am very much in the story and I invite the reader into it too. Second, I try to show what happened, but more importantly, I try to give the reader a context for caring about it. Third, I try to build bridges between the past and the present. I try to keep it all grounded; I may ask hypothetical questions, but I bring the reader back to the earth literally, the cemetery, or the actual church building.
If I could interview every gardener that cared for the land at Christ Church for the past 143 years, I would have a very different view of its history than if I interviewed every choir director...or every Sunday School teacher. I like the view from the pew---imaging what it was like for the ordinary person who was baptized, married and buried here.
This project started out as a joint venture. The original desire to write the book came from our previous rector, Carol Arney. She felt a call to preserve the papers moldering away inside the old boxes in storage at CCE. She asked me to help her. As a team we interviewed people who had been born and/or raised here. We flew to Honolulu to work in the archives of the Cathedral, and at the Bishop Museum. While I focused on the view from the pew, Carol represented the view from the pulpit. She holds a broader view that encompasses church politics, church dynamics, and financial issues. She looked for facts, while I concentrated on feelings, options and stories. Eventually we realized that our project needed to be two different books. I imagine them as companion pieces; together they celebrate this place where we gather.
注释
（1）Captain Cook 库克船长
英国海军军官、航海家和探险家。他虽然不是第一个发现夏威夷的西方人，却是帮助西方打开夏威夷大门的人。在他之后大批西方人涌入夏威夷。库克船长在和夏威夷人的冲突中被杀死。夏威夷岛上仍保留着库克船长的纪念碑。纪念碑所在的地方是浮潜圣地。依然叫Captain Cook。
（2)Queen Emma and Kamehameha IV 爱玛王后和卡美亚美亚四世国王
卡美亚美亚四世是夏威夷王国的第四任统治者。他和王后爱玛都是由hānai 父母养大的。hānai 是夏威夷的一种收养传统。高级首领之间为加强联系，会交换收养各自的孩子。这些被收养的孩子被一视同仁，和养父母的孩子一样拥有继承养父母职位和财产的权利。卡美亚美亚四世就是继承了养父也就是他的叔叔的王位。爱玛王后则是被自己的阿姨收养。
（3）现代英语中经常用aloha表示你好和再见。但在夏威夷语中aloha的意思更为广泛，除了你好和再见以外，它的含义还有喜欢、仁慈、安宁等等。
（图文均为原创，如无授权，请勿转载。）
