蘭嶼位於台灣東南方的外海，是孤懸於西太平洋邊的島嶼，是達悟族人世居之地。達悟族是南島民族的一支，其語言、文化與菲律賓北方的巴丹島相近，應屬同語、同種而相互分離的族群，達悟族的起源傳說主要以石生、竹生為主，但野銀部落則採巴丹移入的說法，印證蘭嶼與巴丹的密切關係。 達悟族屬海洋文化，其傳統神觀為何？眾說紛紜。但其畏懼anito則是確定的。anito一般被解讀為亡魂，此種說法有窄化anito之嫌，anito更好視之為所有邪惡力量的統稱。無論如何，達悟族的神鬼信仰反應在其傳統的歲時祭儀與生命禮俗中，特別是每年舉辦的meyvanwa(召飛魚祭)、pazos(天神祖靈祭)，以及傳統命名儀式、新屋落成或大船下水儀式和充滿禁忌的喪葬儀式中。 基督宗教的傳入，對達悟人的生活帶來根本的改變，特別是1954年將天主教傳入蘭嶼的紀守常神父。紀神父對蘭嶼的影響是徹底而深遠的，一般人總以為天主教的傳入是靠救濟物資的吸引，這是表象，真正的關鍵因素在於達悟族傳統文化對天主教的理解與調適，天主教本身亦處變遷之中，達悟族對變遷中的天主教的理解與調適尚在持續進行中。 天主教的傳入蘭嶼，除了興建教堂、傳教施洗外，天主教傳教士更具遠見的培植達悟人才，尊重當地文化，天主教對達悟族的民族發展做出貢獻，特別是在建立民族自信、優質文化的復振、族語的傳承、教育、婦女地位的提升以及基督徒合一方面。但在獨身聖召、教會自養、禁止離婚、青少年宗教教育等問題上，天主教與達悟文化正面臨相互的考驗。未來發展如何？值得持續關注。 關鍵字：達悟族、基督信仰、文化復振 / Précis of Thesis Orchid Island is an isolated island southeast of Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean, inhabited by the Tao people (formerly called Yami). The Tao are an Austronesian people. Their language and culture are very similar to those of the Batan Islanders in the north of the Philippines. These two groups are linguistically and anthropologically homogeneous, though they are now politically divided. There are two traditions of their origin: one claims that they originate from rock; the other that they originate from bamboo. But in the village of Ivalino there is a tradition that they came from Batan Island, which is a sign of the close relationship between the Tao of Orchid Island and the Batan Islanders. The Tao are an oceanic people. There is a great controversy over their conception of God. What is certain, however, is their fear of ‘anito’. ‘Anito’ is the collective term for all evil forces and is often interpreted as referring solely to spirits of the deceased, but this usage is overly restricted. The belief of the Tao concerning ghosts is reflected in their traditional celebrations throughout the year, especially the yearly Meyvanwa (Calling the flying fish), Pazos (Offering to God and the ancestors), as well as the traditional name-giving ceremony, the inauguration ceremony of a new house, the launching of a new boat and the burial ritual, which is full of taboos. The advent of Christianity has brought radical changes to the lives of the Tao, especially with the introduction in 1954 of the Catholic Church through Fr. Alfred Giger. The influence of Fr. Giger was thorough and far-reaching. Though generally people believe that the spread of the Catholic Church to Orchid Island was effected through the attraction of the Church’s distribution of relief goods, yet this is only a superficial understanding. The key factor was the way the Tao perceived the Catholic faith and the way they adapted to it. The Catholic Church has also adapted in this process. This ongoing understanding and adaptation of the Tao to the progressing Church is a process that is still going on. While the Catholic missionaries who arrived on Orchid Island built churches and baptized people, they were also men of vision, who formed the Tao whilst respecting their local culture. The Catholic Church contributed towards the development of the tribe, especially by strengthening the self-confidence of the people, encouraging a renaissance of their culture, handing down the tribal language, education, raising the status of women as well as promoting ecumenism between the Christian Churches. However, the Catholic Church’s position on celibate religious vocations, self-support, and opposition to divorce led it to conflict with Tao culture. There are also difficulties in ensuring religious education of the youth. Continued attention should be given to the future of the interaction of the Tao and the Catholic Church to see where it will lead. Key words: Tao people, Christianity, Cultural renaissance.