明代中葉以後，喪俗的漸趨違禮與奢僭引起士紳高度的關切，也促使他們積極從事革除喪俗弊端的工作。其中家族、鄉約、喪葬會社三種組織在當時尤擔負喪俗改革的重任。本文以這三種組織為核心，論述晚明士紳透過喪俗改革推行儒禮於民間，並期望建立一個儒家禮教社會的企圖。就士紳改革的理念而言，他們承繼了宋儒「禮下庶人」的傳統。在改革的方式上，他們與清儒將關懷點轉向嚴肅的經典研究，並主要由國家來帶動改革不同，晚明士紳在注重禮的實踐性的前提下，選擇直接面對庶民大眾，在鄉里社會從事化鄉正俗的工作。因此，可以看出他們的改革實踐其實是一種由家到鄉的過程。家族、鄉約、喪葬會社三種組織在改革行動中往往重疊而交互應用。士紳主要利用較通俗的集會宣講方式來宣揚儒家的倫理德目，以求改善喪葬風俗，其中最具體的要項是規勸、禁止民間違禮的喪俗，及宣導儒家正統的喪禮。而在組織的成員上，士紳更將禮儀規範的對象擴大到一般庶民，也因此士紳所推行的儒禮，其實相當程度融合了庶民的觀念與作法，並不純然是恢復古禮。此種調和「禮」與「俗」的態度，在當時的喪俗改革中有著極為重要的意義。

After the middle period of Ming dynasty the intellectuals were very concerned about the luxury of funeral customs among the ordinary people, which urged them to devote themselves to eliminating the abuses of current funeral customs. Three organizations which were the clan, hsiang-yüeh (鄉約), and funeral societies took the responsibility of reform. 

I attempt to explain the intellectuals’ intention to build up a Confucian society by means of carrying out Confucian rites during reform. The intellectuals succeeded the tradition of prescription of the ordinary people by li which starting from Sung dynasty. Their ways of reforming were different from the Confucians in Ch’ing period that showed great concern in studying classics and advocated that government led the reform. 

Instead, they cared much about putting the rites into practice and chose to face the ordinary people directly. Therefore, the process of their reforming was actually through the family to the local society. These three organizations mentioned in this article often worked together and could sometimes take over each other’s part in the reforming action. 

The intellectuals mainly used popular meetings to publicize Confucian ethics to improve social customs. One of the most concrete principles was to admonish and prohibit the customs, which were against the funeral rites in the Confucian orthodox. Not only the intellectuals but also the ordinary people should do as the rites allowed. Consequently, the Confucian rites advocated in the late Ming period mixed with some of the ordinary people’s opinions and customs instead of restoring the traditional rites totally. This blend played an important role in funeral rite reform.

禮; 喪俗; 宗族; 鄉約; 喪葬會社

Li; funeral customs; clan; hsiang-yüeh; funeral societies