本研究的主要目的，在基於當前台灣社會的需要，探討宗教教育的重要性，一方面對於西方當代的宗教教育理論進行評析，另方面則企圖在我國宗教文化傳統的脈絡下，尋繹出一些適合台灣社會的宗教教育理論的線索。為了達成研究目的，本研究主要使用了理論分析法 與文獻詮釋法。在研究的順序上，研究者首先分析了宗教教育在人類歷史上的發展及各種類型，以了解其歷史演變及各類型宗教教育的特色；其次著手分析宗教教育的基本概念，研究者分別先對宗教與教育的意義作一番剖析與擴大後，再討論宗教與教育間的關係，提出研究者對於宗教教育的界定、包含的內容及其在多元社會下的本質等論述；在界定了宗教教育的基本概念後，建立了評析的基礎後，本研究再進行西方當代宗教教育理論的評析；最後並依照台灣社會傳統及宗教的特性，嘗試提出適合台灣實施宗教教育的理論架構。在考察了許多學者關於宗教及宗教教育的定義後，研究者認為田立克(P. Tillich)、費尼克斯(P. H. Phenix)所主張之注重「終極關懷」(ultimate concern)的宗教教育理論以及格瑞米特(M. Grimmitt) 之重視「人性發展」的宗教教育理論對於台灣實施宗教教育頗有啟發性。除了嘗試提出適合台灣社會之宗教教育的理論架構外，研究者並分別對宗教工作者、教育工作者及後續的相關研究提出了建議。這些建議主要包括了下列：關於宗教的本質方面，各宗派人士允宜擺脫成 見，進行對話與會通；教育當局應考慮將宗教教育列入公立學校的課程中，特別是宗教知識的傳授在當今的社會中尤顯重要，惟必須避免流於灌輸；教育學術研究應加強關於宗教教育的研究等。

Taiwan, as a newly democratic and open society, has been faced more seriousproblems that religious conflicts bring about. The main aims of this thesis are to analyze the contemporary western theories of religious education, and to evaluate the importance of religious education to Taiwan society. Along with the tradition of Chinese culture, the religious tradition of Taiwan is not monotheistic, there is not any dogmatic institutionalized religion that exists in the society of Taiwan, and at the same time the folk and vernacular religion has the deepest influences that affect the ordinary lives of Taiwanese. Considering the different definitions about religions, the author of this thesissuggests that the definition "ultimate concern" of religion proposed by Paul Tillich be the most appropriate definition of religion. And when we expand the concept ofeducation as the same as P.H. Phenix's definition about education-"penultimateconcerns, the "ultimacy " concept of religion would provide a larger framework foreducation, and the concept of education would contain more heuristic possibilities. Besides the "ultimacy" of religious education, the author also thinks that the main functions of religious education focus on the development of human nature, and not on the conversion of believers. As M.Grimmitt proposes, the emphasis on functional aspect of religious education could avoid the deficits that the religiousabsolutism and religious neutrality have, and could help us aware of the dilemma in life and actual human situation. In sum, the author of this thesis claims that religious education should concentrate on the ultimate concerns and the development of human nature, and only by way of religious education(not denominational education) including mainly the initiation of religious knowledge to students, the people could improve their cognition about religion, and the tensions of religious conflicts might be reduced to the minimal level..