Christian Witness and Resistance in Hong Kong: Faith-based Activism from the Umbrella Movement to the Anti-Extradition Struggle

Joseph Tse-Hei Lee

《Tamkang Journal of International Affairs》 24卷3期 (2021/01) Pp. 95-140

https://doi.org/10.6185/TJIA.V.202101_24(3).0003

摘要

This article investigates the resilience of Christian faith-based activism in Hong Kong from the Umbrella Movement (2014) to the protests against the China extradition bill (April-September 2019). The anti-extradition struggle became part of an intense moment of local upheavals against the Chinese Communist state. This study defines ＂Christian faith-based activism＂ as a variety of nonviolent faith practices and socio-political activities inside a house of worship and in the surrounding environment, intended for church members, and ＂civic engagement＂ as private actions taken by conscientious citizens who seek to influence governmental decision-making. In Hong Kong, the analytical boundary between ＂Christian activism＂ and ＂civic engagement＂ has blurred, when Catholics and Protestants marched into the public square to fight for their civic rights since 2014. Even when the Hong Kong Police Force resorted to excessive violence against civilians in 2019 and when China pursued policies of non-negotiation and securitization through the imposition of a national security law in 2020, Christian citizens, out of their deep religious conscience and their concern for universal values, remain committed to bringing about conflict resolution and systematic change. This example highlights a wide range of innovative strategies for faith-based activism among Christian activists against a Chinese authoritarian state.

關鍵字

Christianity ； Faith-based Activism ； Hong Kong ； Umbrella Movement ； China Extradition Bill

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