宋代の民間信仰研究では、「民間信仰」、「民間宗教」、「祠廟信仰」、「民衆祠神信仰」などの用語が混在しているが、「民衆祠神信仰」の定義に即した場合、宋代人の認識を反映する「祠廟信仰」を使うべきであろう。一般の「祠廟信仰」は発生地に限られて信仰されるが、宋代になって、発生地を越えて他の地域、さらに全国にまで信仰を集める「多地域的祠廟信仰」が次第に現れてゆく。これまで宋代における祠廟信仰に関する研究は、(1)個別の祠廟信仰、とりわけ明清時期に「多地域的祠廟信仰」に演変してゆく祠廟信仰の源流を遡ること、(2)祠廟信仰と国家の関係を探るため、祠廟に対する勅賜制度、正祠・淫祠の認定、祠廟信仰が地域社会に与える影響等の問題を考察すること、(3)祭祀活動の実態、即ち祭祀儀式、組織などの問題を解明すること、という三つの方向で行われている。多地域的祠廟信仰に関しての研究は伝播の媒介、伝播の方式、伝播の担い手、祠廟間の関係などの問題をめぐって進んでいる。今後の課題としては、勅牒、廟記、祝文、地方志の史料としての性格と可能性を検討しながら、「多地域的祠廟信仰」の代表例である、清水祖師、保生大帝、媽祖信仰をケーススタディとして取り上げ、福建地域社会における「多地域的祠廟信仰」の形成と発展について総合的な研究を行う必要性を示している。

Through the previous research on the folk belief of the Song Dynasty, a lot of terms such as "local belief", "popular regilion", "diffuse dreligion", "temple worship", "people's temple worship", have been mixedly used. After analyzing the definition of "people's temple worship" and the recognition system of the Song People, it turns out to be more proper to apply the term "temple worship". Generally, a "temple worship" is restricted among the original area. Nevertheless, during the Song Dynasty more and more temple worships have achieved the expansion crossing over the original area and became multiregional temple worships. The research on this subject is conducted on three respects, including (1)individual case studies, mostly on the multiregional temple worships of Ming and Qing Dynasty for tracing back the originality to Song Dynasty; (2)the relation between the temple worship and the imperial, through the research on the title grant system of temple worship, the distinction between Zhengci (正祠) and Yinci (淫祠) and the role in local society playing by the temple worships; (3)the real conditions of ritual activities, like the ritual ceremony and organization. In addition, the research about the multiregional temple worship is advanced in considering the medium, the method, the infector of the propagation and the relationship between the original temple and the branch temples. As future issue, it is necessary to firstly consider the property and possiblility of the historical materials, such as Chidie (勅牒), Miaoji (廟記), Zhuwen (祝文), local topography (地方志), and then to study on cases of the multiregional temple worship, taking Qingshuizushi (清水祖師), Baoshengdadi (保生大帝), Mazu (媽祖) for instance, finally to make an integrated analysis of the multiregional temple worship among Fujian Area.