臺灣寺廟碑碣與村莊社會(1683-1945)

Temple Tablet Inscription and Village Society (1683-1945)

王志宇(Chih-Yu Wang)

《通識研究集刊》 15期 (2009/06) Pp. 1-23

https://doi.org/10.6488/JCGE.200906.0001

摘要

本文以臺灣寺廟碑記為對象，從寺廟碑碣的類型及內容進行分析，以此來觀察臺灣鄉村社會的權力運作情況。作者透過各類寺廟碑記內容的解讀，指出寺廟碑文所呈現的寺廟管理結構。此種管理結構除了由寺廟的總理、董事等進行支配管理之外，透過鄉村社會長期以來所發展出來具有歷史性及文化性的「社會文化空間」場域，鄉村居民對於寺廟所具有的公共事務性格已是一種共同認知，故寺廟與鄉村住民之間有著一種集體制約力量的存在，寺廟也成為各類碑文設置的處所。透過此種架構，筆者指出寺廟碑文的敘述內容及列明捐題人姓名都具有強烈的道德教化色彩，此種教化作用，乃因中國神祇的具有強烈道德實踐的封神觀，故寺廟碑文對於神明形象的塑造不僅有著教化的作用，官紳庶民的捐獻及捐題碑刻等，也形成一種具有教化意涵的氛圍，對鄉村社會有著潛移默化的作用。此外，碑碣在寺廟管理方面上也發揮其作用，透過寺廟碑碣的公開傳布性質，發揮了公眾的制裁力，也成為村莊社會內部運作的重要方式之一。

關鍵字

臺灣 ； 碑記 ； 村莊社會 ； 教化 ； 權力 ； 寺廟管理

並列摘要

This paper is intended to study Taiwan's temple steles to observe political manipulation of Taiwan's village society. By interpreting contents of various steles, the author indicates managerial structure of temples which covers the management of temples, the involvement of members of the board of trustees. Traditionally, village dwellers have a consensus seeing temples a social and historical sphere characterized with public affairs. Consequently, there is a collective confining power between temples and village dwellers, and thus temples have become an appropriate place for steles. From this framework, the author points out that the contents of steles and inscribed donating names both carry some moral education purposes. This indoctrination has been influenced by traditional Chinese belief of deifying deities through strong moral actualization. The inscriptions on steles of describing deities as well as of naming donators from the gentry and the populace have also created an atmosphere with educational purposes. In addition, temples steles have been used to promulgate sanctions and have become one of the important interior arrangements for the village.

並列關鍵字

Taiwan ； Steles ； Village Society ； Indoctrination ； Power ； Temple management