本文的依據是2004年9月19日至芯日，在馬來西亞柔佛州、[(Jahor)昔加挽鎮(Segamat)實地考察的一場靈寶九幽拔度法事和日連戲演出。本文首先描述目連戲演出的脈絡，即靈寶九幽拔度法事的道場結構與法事程序。其次介紹演出目連戲的劇團和劇情大要，再透過自連戲與道教齋法的關係探索日連戲在拔度法事中的角色。最後，本文透過這次的觀察和文獻的輔助，試圖從學理和實際的表演，瞭解怎樣的演出才是所謂的宗教儀式劇。本文的結論是:就個人田野調查的經驗而言，比較典型的宗教儀式劇是出現在宗教場合、儀式性質濃厚，強調儀式功效如超度、驅邪、折福的一種戲劇。

The writing of this essay is based on a LingboaSoul Salvation Ritual(靈寶九幽拔度法事) and a Mulian drama I have personally witnessed from 19th to 23th September， 2004. The ritual and the drama took place in Segament， a little town situated in Johor， Malaysia. I will first describe the performance context of the drama， followed by a brief description of the drama， and the role it plays in the Soul Salvation Ritual. Using the results of my fieldwork， supplemented by certain documentation， I shall then move on to discuss the significance of a performance featuring religious rituals from both the view of its theorγand practice. To me， the essence of a religious ritual opera is determined by certain religious rituals such as "the soul salvation" (超度)or "warding off the evil spirits" (驅邪)it actually carries out dur ing the performance