Abstract: From the academic perspective of research on the Old Text Confucian Classics,HUAN Tan made a criticism of the theology on the basis of prophecy,interpretation,images and tokens,and showed his choice on politics.He cooperated at first but ruptured with WANG Mang,and he criticized WANG Mang in his Xin Lun(New Comments).In the early period of the Eastern Han Dynasty(25-220),HUAN Tan publicly objected to the Emperor Guangwu's concept that ‘all events can be predicted by the prophecy,interpretation,and image and token reading’.All he did originated from his academic perspective and negative attitude to the theology on the basis of prophecy,interpretation,images and tokens.The academic stance decided his political personalities.Compared with other scholars of his times such as LIU Xin and JIA Kui,HUAN Tan pursued and persisted the academic truth,which was rare at that time.In the age dominated by imperial right,HUAN Tan kept his academic stance unremittedly even under the powers of the autocrat,which proves his worshipful personality.

Key words: HUAN Tan, LIU Xin, WANG Mang, JIA Kui, the Old Text Confucian Classics, the New Text Confucian Classics, the theology on the basis of prophecy,interpretation,images and tokens