廟宇的形成與地方聚落發展是息息相關的，廟宇可謂一聚落之信仰中心，亦係地方社會活動之場域。臺灣為一移民社會，先民們冒險渡海來台拓墾，同時亦帶來了原鄉之宗教信仰，此些宗教信仰除了係移民精神上之慰藉與寄託，更轉化為移民凝聚共同意識之根本，舉凡經濟、教育、娛樂等，皆是透過廟宇推行，一部臺灣史可謂濃縮於廟宇歷史中。 又廟宇經常形成一地方聚落之市集中心，當廟宇舉辦重大慶典活動時，更能活絡地方經濟，帶動地方經濟發展。另外，民主時代選舉競爭激烈，政治人物深知廟宇及其信眾對選情的影響力，參與當地廟宇宗教活動能獲得選民認同，使寺廟具有政治影響力。再加上廟宇本身建築及雕刻壁畫裝飾皆為忠孝節義之事蹟，廟外之戲台，於節慶酬神還願時亦演出勸人向善、教化人心之故事，廟內也不時有信徒贈閱之善書，有社會教化和文化傳承之功能。 三官大帝信仰為客家民間信仰之一，其廟宇的重要性乃在於其為客家聚落中之信仰中心，與地方聚落發展更是密不可分，地方居民亦透過三官大帝信仰聯繫著彼此之族群情感。又桃園縣平鎮市共有六間重要之三官大帝廟宇，此些廟宇之歷史背景及發展沿革均呈現不同之樣貌。故本文即以平鎮市三官信仰對地方政治、經濟及社會教育發展之關係作為論述重點，並強化其宗教信仰的地位。The birth of a temple is inseparably tied to development of human settlements.Temples not only serve as religious centers for human settlements, they also provide avenue for local social activities. Taiwan is an immigrant society. The immigrants took adventures and sailed across the sea to come to Taiwan for exploration. They also brought original religious belief. This religious belief is not only the spiritual consolation of migrants , but also transformed into a place where immigrants become united and help each other. Almost every activity such as public economy, education and entertainment is promoted by temples. It can be concluded that the history of a temple is the miniature of the history of Taiwan. Markets and fairs are usually formed aroud temples. It helps to vitalize local commerce and promote economic development whenever major religious activities take place. Also, in the wake of political deregulation, intense electoral campaigns drew politicians, who were aware of the impact that temples and local believers had on the elections, participated in religious activities fervently. San Guan Da Di Belief has melted into the culture of the Hakka. The temple is inseparably tied to development of human settlements. The Pingjen City has six San Guan Da Di temples. This paper focuses on relations between San Guan Da Di Temples of Pingjen City and local politics as well as development of economy and social culture, with discussions covering how it strengthens its status as the core of local residents’ religious belief.
