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Abstracts of CGST JOURNAL Issue No.25 July 1998

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CGST JOURNAL No. 25 (in Chinese)

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The Indigenization of the Church in Hong Kong after 1949: Two Case Studies
(An abstract)

        Since 1950s, due to the political developments in Mainland China, all the churches were forbidden to maintain any overseas connection, and were virtually cut off from the outside world. The Christian community in Hong Kong could no longer rely on the churches on the mainland to provide a sense of identity. With the rise of Ecumenical Movement and the closing of colonial age after World War II, the Church in Hong Kong was prompted to set off for her journey towards indigenization.

        This present study attempts to give a brief historical account of the indigenization of the Church in Hong Kong in the post-fifties era by tracing the developments of Fellowship of Evangelical Students (FES) and Christian Industrial Committee (CIC). Founded by western missionaries in late fifties, both organizations targeted their ministries on the people of Hong Kong. Although foreign influence was evident in both organizations at the early stage of their development, local Chinese succeeded western missionaries as leaders during the period of late sixties to early seventies. As foreign influence faded out, an indigenous approach was adopted in ministering to the needs of the local community. It can be seen that, in spite of the differences in theological traditions, ministerial objectives, and operational strategies, both FES and CIC demonstrated a similar process of indigenization of the Church in Hong Kong.

Changes in the Concept of Spirituality Reflected in the Sermons of the Hong Kong Bible Conference
(An abstract)

Lawrence K. W. Chan
Assistant Research Officer, China Graduate School of Theology

        The Hong Kong Bible Conference has been held annually since 1928, and has become a proven tradition among Chinese Protestant churches in Hong Kong. By examining Conference sermons collected from between 1961 and 1996, this paper seeks to identify progressive changes in the concept of spirituality reflected in public teachings related to terms such as "the spiritual," "the fleshly" and "the worldly."

        It is found among sermons from the sixties that, underlying the various teachings on "the spiritual" and "the fleshly," the subduing of one's "self" was regarded as essential to spiritual growth, and the "self" was regarded as a hindrance to sanctification. Such a concept, in practice, led to a spirituality that suppresses one's feelings, desires and emotions. In the seventies, however, Conference sermons showed that believers had departed from the practice of laying their "selves" open to be subdued, or pretended to be spiritual men by conforming to certain behavioral models. Instead, the need for accepting and developing one's "self" became more recognized. Along this line, in fact, it was popular Christian publications of that time that provided more profound reflections. A rediscovery of the value of the "self" in the pursuit of spirituality can be seen in the writings of some theologians and professional counselors of those days.

        The dichotomy of "the spiritual" and "the worldly" is another issue to be examined. In the sixties this dichotomy was used in the Conference to alert believers about the danger of being drifted away from God by the mundane. For some believers such a worldview could ironically become an excuse to a way of life that is apathetic or irresponsible. Then, in the seventies, the idea of "vocation" was introduced in Conference sermons, to clarify the spirituality of everyday living. Along with this, some sermons reminded believers that social concern was also part of the Christian mission, though, nevertheless, the dichotomous worldview remains a significant undertone of Conference sermons till recent years.

        These changes, obscure though they may seem, can be found to have taken place in the Hong Kong Bible Conference over the past years. Now, in this ever changing and demanding society, the concept of spirituality is still to be developed, in even more comprehensive ways, to meet both individual and communal Christian needs.

The Development of Christian Social Services in Hong Kong
(An abstract)

Shun-hing Chan
Assistant Professor, Department of Religion and Philosophy, Hong Kong Baptist University

        The social welfare services run by Christian churches have been the key voluntary organizations in Hong Kong. This paper examines the historical processes of how Christian organizations developed and became the most significant social welfare organizations from the 1950s to 1980s. In the 1950s, the influx of refugees from Mainland China induced the provision of food and clothing to the needy by various international agencies and churches. These emergent services paved the way for the establishment of the latter social welfare organizations. In the 1960s, the withdrawal of funds and resources provided by international agencies and churches triggered the localization process of social welfare services. The riot broke out in 1966 prompted the Hong Kong government to take actions in remedying the deteriorating relationship between the colonial government and local Chinese people. Social welfare services were considered a means to overcome the crisis of the authority and governability of the government. In the 1970s, the emergence of local Chinese elites, who gradually became church leaders in various denominations, began to take over the leadership of social welfare organizations initially led by foreign hands. It was not until 1980s that the Hong Kong government decided to provide financial support to most of the voluntary organizations, of which the majority were closely related to Christian churches. The rise of Christian social-concerned groups and Christian social movement further promoted social criticisms and social protests in response to various social issues. In summary, the achievement of Christian social welfare services gained in the 1990s is both the results of historical incidents and organizational efforts initiated by the churches in the past 40 years.

Theological Education in Hong Kong:
A Sketch of Its Development in the Last Forty Years
(An abstract)

Centre for the Research on Chinese Culture, China Graduate School of Theology

        There have been very few studies made on the development of theological education in Hong Kong. However, theological education has been an important factor in the growth of the church. Our study of the history of the church would be incomplete without a note on theological education. Therefore, this article attempts to make a historical sketch of the development of theological education in Hong Kong in the last 40 years.

        The fifties and sixties was a period of relocation and consolidation. Bible colleges, one after another, moved to Hong Kong from Mainland China to avoid undesirable political changes of the late forties. Invaluable experiences that came with them became a foundation for the development of theological education in Hong Kong. These colleges, after moving to Hong Kong, began to upgrade their programs and some of them eventually became seminaries.

        A period of indigenization followed in the seventies. The leadership of missionary run seminaries was handed over to the Chinese elite. A growing concern of theological education for the laity and for the contextualization of theology were on the agenda of most church leaders. The emergence of Theological Education by Extension ( TEE ) and the inauguration of China Graduate School of Theology were pioneering efforts in this direction. The formation of the new Lutheran Theological Seminary as a result of church cooperation was also a mark growth of theological education in this decade.

        The eighties and the nineties mark a period of rapid development. Interests in post-graduate theological studies increased significantly, and theological seminaries began to offer Masters and Doctorate programs to encourage the pursuit of higher education. On the other hand, TEE programs mushroomed, offering certificates and featuring a variety of emphases. Institutions other than seminaries began to provide full time training for special ministries such as grass-root evangelism and cell-group dynamics.

        We hope that this historical sketch will arouse more interest and stimulate others to conduct further research in this area.

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CGST JOURNAL No. 25 (in Chinese)

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Theological Development of the Hong Kong Christian Community in the Last Forty Years
(An abstract)

Carver T. Yu
Vice President, China Graduate School of Theology

        Hong Kong may not have a grand theological vision like that of Minjung Theology in Korea or Homeland Theology in Taiwan, but in the last 40 years, theological reflection in Hong Kong has been highly vigorous and very much up to the task of pointing the way for the church in response to the rapid socio-political changes in Hong Kong. This article gives a brief survey of the theological development of the Hong Kong Christian community in the last 40 years.

        In the fifties and sixties, the main focus of theological discussions was very much on the problem of indigenization, of how the Christian message may relate to the Chinese culture and build a harmonious, mutually affirmative relation. The intellectual climate of the day was dominated by the concern to revitalize and modernize the Chinese humanistic tradition.

        Owing to the Cultural Revolution in China as well as student movements in Hong Kong in the late sixties and early seventies, Christians were compelled to reflect on and respond to the socio-political situation in China. Ecumenical theologians were ready to idealize the revolution in China. They saw Mao's achievement as a secular version of Salvation History. Evangelicals were critical of this interpretation. On the other hand, they were awakened to the socio-political relevance of the Gospel. The theological basis for social concern and political involvement began to appear on the evangelical theological agenda.

        The eighties was dominated by the issue of 1997. Beginning from 1983, the church in Hong Kong can be said to be overwhelmed by discussions on how she should respond to the issue. As a result, statements on Christian commitment to the community and one's nation were formulated. Declarations in regard to religious freedom and the socio-political expectation for Hong Kong were issued. The eighties can be regarded as a fruitful formative decade for the development of political theology in Hong Kong. A clear Christian understanding of the nature of political power, freedom, democracy and civic responsibility gradually emerged. The church in Hong Kong also became a major voice in demanding that the people of Hong Kong should be treated as subjects rather than objects at the expedient disposal by Britain and China as bargaining chips.

        The June 4 Incident was a real shock. Yet with the foundation in political theology, the church in Hong Kong, instead of becoming cynical, has become politically positive. Theological reflection on human rights and theological critique of power was high on the theological agenda.

        The vitality of theological reflection is a correlate to the vitality of the church as a whole. In the last 40 years, the church in Hong Kong can be said to be full of vitality. So is her theological reflection.

Declarations of Faith Drafted by the Church in Hong Kong in the Last Decade of the Twentieth Century
(An abstract)

Chee-kong Lee
Chairman, The Hong Kong Chinese Christian Churches Union

        As the year 1990 began, Christian pastors and leaders in Hong Kong became fully aware that the last decade of the century has commenced, and that it was going to be a significant decade that announces the twenty-first century. During these ten years, as the turn of the century approaches, the church has desired to cope with prospective changes¡Xof the world, the nation and the society, and so there have been an attempt to define or clarify the mission of the church so as to provide guidelines for ministry. As a result, declarations, strategy statements, and pastoral letters have been drafted or published by church groups, denominations, Christian organizations and pastors' associations. This paper examines thirteen of these documents, giving accounts of their various historical origins and exploring their essential ideologies.

        We may observe that the efforts behind these documents came only from a small sector of the church. The effects of these documents upon ministry are also limited, for they contain mainly conceptual statements but lack in practical suggestions. The declarations and strategy statements, in particular, appear to have been steered in their aspirations by the political ethos of 1997, for they show favour towards the handing over of Hong Kong to China but neglect to contemplate on the church's move towards twenty-first century mission. Thus they fail to provide clear-minded reflections for the church to perform her prophetic function.

        In a positive sense, however, these documents demonstrate a response of the Chinese church to the change of times¡Xa response that was swifter than before. The concerns shown were also broader than before. At the same time, the documents testify the respect of human rights and the freedom of religion and of speech we have in Hong Kong, which allow small groups of or even independent churches to express their views. These declarations of faith can, in any case, be a testimony for the society and the church and a guide for the believing community. Their worth and significance should be affirmed.

Christianized Village in China:
A Study of Two Different Responses to Christianity
(An Abstract)

Hing-sang Tse
Honorary Assistant Research Officer, China Graduate School of Theology

        This article is a study of the "Christianized village" phenomenon in China. It examines two lineages of identical historical and cultural origins. Despite their common ethnical background, the cultural difference between these two lineages has resulted in their entirely different response to Christianity. While a great majority of one lineage gave up their ancestor-worship and became converts to a foreign deity, Christ, members of the other simply rejected Christianity to the utmost. Such a different response is probably due to certain ethnical conflicts between the two clans in the past, the effect of hierarchical structure of human relations, and the limitation of the roles of women in China's rural society. Moreover, the different references in worship: Creator-worship for Christians and Ancestor-worship for most non-Christian Chinese, may also explain why Christianity was devalued as an ancestor religion and labeled as a lineage's religion by one of the clans. The rejection of Christianity, therefore, may arise plainly as an outcome of cultural discrepancy and doctrinal distortions in certain cases.

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CGST JOURNAL No. 25 (in Chinese)

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Last Modified:  April 16,1999.