本文由聖嚴法師之《明末中國佛教之研究》一書所引發的蕅益智旭研究為中心，以蕅益之註解《四書》為案例，較細緻地探究了蕅益儒佛關係的思想。全文共分三部分，第一部分從學界有關明末佛教史之研究來分析與闡釋聖嚴法師《明末中國佛教之研究》一書之特色與貢獻，並由此而引出新的研究議題。第二部分把蕅益《四書解》的思想形成，放到晚明儒家朱子學為一統的脈絡中來加以分析，闡明其作《四書解》乃是出於護教的目的，而意欲消解朱子學思想中的反佛論影響。第三部分詳細分析了蕅益一方面藉陽明以及陽明後學之思想資源來與朱學相抗衡，成為晚明佛學思想中之陽明學法流；同時又把對《四書》的疏解巧妙地安置在佛教思想的系統中來加以融合，試圖以儒佛互釋的方式建立佛教法流的正統性與合法性。

Based on the study of Ouyi Zhixu (蕅益智旭) aroused by Master Sheng yen’s Study of Late Ming Chinese Buddhism, by studying Ouyi’s commenting on the Four Books as a sample, this research explores profoundly Ouyi’s thoughts on the relation of Confucianism and Buddhism. The research consists of three parts: in the first part, it analyzes the characteristics and the merits of Master Sheng yen’s Study of Late Ming Chinese Buddhism in the background of general study of late Ming Chinese Buddhism; in the second part, by tracing the origin and motive of Ouyi’s interpretation of the Four Books in the culture background of late Ming which is dominated by the Neo-Confucianism of Zhuxi (朱熹), it concludes that Ouyi’s Comments on the Four Books is in fact an apologetics for the Buddhism, aiming for the elimination of anti- Buddhism trends of Neo-Confucianism of Zhuxi; in the third part, it studies in details how Ouyi on one hand fights for the Buddhism against the Neo-Confucianism of Zhuxi by the shield of doctrines of Yangming school, creating a “Yangming-Buddhism school” in late Ming, and on the other hand implants his interpretations of the Four Books into the frame of Buddhism thoughts, in order to establish a orthodoxy and legitimacy of Buddhism in way of making an inter-reference between Confucianism and Buddhism.