本文旨在探討清代民間宗教發展機制上的一個問題：教派是如何在一個陌生的地方發展起來的，也就是當一位傳教者到了一個陌生的地方傳教，他是憑借什麼方式，能吸引一批人，形成一個以此一教首為核心的教團。這個問題，以往學術界的看法，不外乎從教首所宣揚的教義及其個人的一些特質來論。如果教首會替人治病，或者具有一些特異的功能，就能藉此吸引一批人跟從他。然而廣大的民間宗教教派，並非每一教首都有一些足以吸引人的特異功能。就本文針對民間宗教吃齋問題的研究發現，“吃齋＂可能是大多數清代民間宗教教派吸引信眾，形成教團的一項主要依據。從檔案的記載來看，一位傳教的教首，似乎很清楚的了解，只要改變了一個人吃的內容，就能改變他的人際生活圈，就能堅定的留住這個人，成為自己忠實的信徒。這是從吃的觀點來切入，重新思考這個問題，發現有些不同以往的有趣現象。

The present thesis is mainly intended to probe into an issue in the religious development in the civil sector in the Ching（Manchurian）Dynasty: How did a sect come into being in a completely strange land? To put it in more understandable terms, when a preacher promoted religions in a strange land, how could he lure a crowd of people to form the core religious organization? Previously, scholars used to view such issue by aiming at the doctrines disseminated by the founder and his characteristics. If the founder could cure diseases magically or could exercise extraordinary skills, he must be able to lure huge crowds to follow him. Among numerous religious sects, nevertheless, it would be absolutely impossible for all founders to possess such extraordinary skills. The present study notices that the “practice of abstinence from meat” might be the major grounds to attract followers. Archives indicate that a religion founder seemed to be clearly able to tell that as long as the style of eating was changed, the entire interpersonal relationship circle could be changed and the founder must be able to, in turn, firmly keep such person to stay and to become his disciple. Through such viewpoint, we may put this issue into account afresh and, in turn, notice lots of interesting findings differing from the previous ones.