1920년 중국 상하이에서 성립한 상하이불교거사림은 민국시기 대표 적인 불교 거사단체이다. 그것은 이후 세계불교거사림과 상하이불교정 업사로 분리됐다. 이 단체는 특정한 사원에 속하지도 않았고, 특정한 승려에게 지도 받지도 않았다. 순수한 재가 신중이 주체였다. 사원이 아닌 곳에 독자적인 공간을 마련했고, 그곳에 불전(佛殿)과 염불당을 갖추어서 독자적인 신앙생활을 했다. 또한 이사회를 조직하여 이사장과 운영진을 선출하는 등 현대의 재단 운영과 비슷한 근대적인 조직 운영 체계를 구축했다. 뿐만 아니라 불교 수행이나 경전 공부와 같은 전통적 인 활동을 했을 뿐만 아니라 포교, 자선, 출판, 교육 등 다양한 방면의 사업을 진행했다. 이런 사업은 전근대시기와 분명히 다른 불교도의 역할이었다. 이는 사회사적으로 보면 근대사회에서 불교가 자리를 잡는 과정이었다. 달리 말하면, 그것은 근대적인 시민권을 확보하기 위한 노 력이었다. 이것이 근대시기 재가불교운동의 내용을 만들었다. 불교에 한정해서 보자면 재가불교운동은 불교계 내에 ‘불교거사’라는 분명한 불교 주체를 탄생시키기도 했다. 이때 불교거사는 근대적인 개념이다.

Seowon(書院) is a representing institution in Choseon Dynasty not only educationally but also politically and economically. Due to the artificial crackdown by Daewon-gun in 1871 and destruction by wars, it is difficult to restore and interpret the Seowon accurately at present. It is well known that the 'Basic Form' of the Seowon consists of an inner court, enclosed by the rear gangdang (lecture hall), dongseo-jae (east and west dormitory), and the front munlu (gate pavilion or upper story bower for relaxation), represented by so called 'front-dormitory rear-lecture-hall type', that is, 'jeonjae hudang(前齋後堂) type'. However, it is overlooked that this Basic Form is a product of Youngnam School located only in Youngnam area. A different form, of 'front-lecture-hall rear-dormitory type', or 'jeonndang hujae(前堂後 齋) type' is located only in Gyeonggi, Hoseo and Honam area. It has been wrongly analyzed that the type is a result of the later period, emphasizing the memorial service rather than the lecture itself, and worshipping loyalists than Confucian scholars. Analysis encompassing each Seowon architecture has been mistakenly made by historians as "deterioration" of the original educational purpose of the Seowon from the early period to the later period. This paper raises the fact that the form of jeondang hujae type has been established since the early period of Seowon in the 16th Century. It has a unique order of space itself. Here, the lecture hall faces toward sadang (shrine). The inner court, enclosed by east and west jae and the lecture hall, becomes the outer yard of the shrine, and as a result two main spaces of the shrine and lecture area is merged into one. While the munlu of the basic type encloses the inner court of the main area, the munlu of jeondang hujae type is located at the vicinity area. This paper reinterprets the jeondang hujae type not as a form coming out of degenerated period but as a type that belongs to a different Confucian school, the area of Kiho, and concludes that the Seowon is a product of political struggles between the two schools and of the local economical situation. Each school has maintained his own type of form, therefore the remaining Kiho Seowon architecture can be reevaluated.