本文以宋代科舉考生與地方神祇的互動為探究的重心，討論兩個長久以來被忽視的議題：即宋代士人的神靈崇拜行為，和他們在民間信仰中扮演的角色。首先，科舉考生的宗教祈拜雖然和面對的競爭壓力有著明顯的關連，但宋代士人的既有神靈信仰，以及這種信仰對考生所造成的影響，也是一個必須被考慮的問題。這個穿透宋代士人生活的巨大力量，讓試子的神靈祈拜不再是一個隨性和主觀的選擇。因為地方神祇的靈異力量和聲名，往往讓考生不得不對他們產生特殊的期待和注意。再者，隨著造訪次數的頻繁與崇拜行為的持續發生，士人在民間神靈信仰的場域裡面也佔據愈來愈重要的角色。他們的崇拜行為不但增強平民百姓對於宗教靈力的信仰，同時也讓民間神靈信仰以更活躍的角色存活在宋代的社會中，相對產生的則是地方神祇的威望、普及性、和信奉者的增加，以及諸多科舉守護神的誕生。透過這些面向的勾劃，我們將清楚看到宋代民間信仰的發展，除了受惠於商業網絡的建立與新興商人的虔誠外，也明顯受到士人儒生熱情崇拜的影響。

This study explores the complex interactions between the Confucian-educated elite and popular religion during the Song period. First, I argue that the examinees’ resort to local deities not only revealed the pressures resulting from the increasingly competitive examinations, but it also demonstrated the power of popular religion in infiltrating the mental universe of the Song elite. In contrast to prevailing views, I suggest that the examinees’ appeals to local deities were not entirely subjective choices. The divine power of local deities and reputation for efficacy also helped convince examinees to pay close attention to them. Second, I maintain that through their appeals to local deities, examinees not only became major worshipers and patrons of certain local cults, but they also played an important role in the evolution of popular religion. Their worship of local deities suggests that popular cults were not confined to commoners, but open to and recognized by the literati as well. As well, literati patronage of local deities significantly contributed to the growth of popular religion in many respects. This growth manifested itself in the enlargement of the divine territory of certain deities, the dissemination of the lore of the gods and their miracles, the increase in the number of worshipers, and the genesis of cults specifically devoted to patronage of literary pursuits and examination success. By stressing the impact of examinees on the evolution of popular religion, this argument modifies the current consensus that the nationwide commercial network and increasingly mobile merchants were the keys to the proliferation of popular religion during the Song.

科舉；地方神祇；求夢；宋代士人；民間信仰

Civil Service Examinations; local cults; praying for dreams; Song elite; popular beliefs