湯用彤佛學研究的問題意識是追問中國文化的走向。他將漢以後中國佛學的發展看作外來文化與本土文化衝突融合的已有案例來研究。總體上，湯用彤的佛學研究呼應其文化主張，他佛學研究的諸多特點都折射出他反對文化研究的淺與隘、文化研究不應脫離本土語境、關注文化發展的地域性和研究方法的複雜性等文化主張。

Tang Yongtong paid a lot of attention to the future of Chinese culture. Buddhism in China was treated as a case of the cultural interaction by Tang Yongtong. Tang’s study of Buddhism was in full accord with his cultural proposition. His study of Buddhism had many cultural Traits which include paying attention to geographic differences, methodology, relationships among Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism and so on.