本文將三百餘年的臺灣佛教史分為四個時期加以考察，這四個時期是清代、日據 時代、民國戒嚴時代與解嚴時代。本文也指出這四個時期的主要發展內容。其次，本文也嘗 試指出臺灣佛教的主要發展特質，此即「歷史發展的複雜性」、「佛教文化的枝末性」與「 主體不穩固」三項。本文的第三部份是當代臺灣佛教現勢的分析。文中將當代臺灣佛教分「 地方性寺院」、「全臺性寺院」、「藏傳南傳與日本佛教」三方面來考察。此外，文中還提 出佛教文化發展的「世代說」，並提出「佛教文化型態學」的構想，以及臺灣佛教發展主體 等問題，以供學界思考。

　　　　　This analysis of Taiwan's 300-plus year history is divided into four periods: the Ching dynasty; the Japanese era; the ROC's martial law period; and the post-martial law period. Major developments in each of these four phases are also examined. Next, the following three characteristics of Buddhism in Taiwan are also pointed out: complexity of the historical development; the peripheral nature of Buddhist culture in Taiwan; and fundamental instability. The third part of this paper analyzes the status of contemporary Buddhism in Taiwan, again in three parts: local monastic institutions; national monastic institutions; and "Tibetan, Southern, and Japanese Buddhism". The paper also puts forward the concepts of "generational theory" in Buddhist cultural development and "Buddhist cultural morphology". Essential elements in the development of Buddhism in Taiwan are also discussed.