Abstract
Converts to Civil Society is part of the “Baylor Studies in World Christianity” series that seeks to increase awareness of global Christianity for readers in the United States. To see the Christian faith expressed in different cultural contexts can serve to enrich faith and grant readers a wider perspective on the body of Christ.
In her contribution to the series, author Lida Nedilsky takes a sociological approach to chronicle the effect of conversion to Christianity in Hong Kong as it relates to the formation of civil society (i.e., the intellectual and cultural space that exists between the national government and the family unit). The period she covers begins in 1997, when the United Kingdom handed over political control of Hong Kong back to China. Nedilsky spent just over a decade conducting interviews with a number of believers (as well as a few non-believers) in Hong Kong who worked primarily at Christian Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs). She then followed up with the same people repeatedly to see how their viewpoints and positions evolved over time.
The central question hovering in the background of this book asks, “How was Hong Kong was able to form a civil society?” First, a little background suggests why this question bears consideration. Hong Kong was an imperial territory ruled by the British Empire for more than one hundred and fifty years. The British conquered it and took possession during the First Opium War in the nineteenth century. Sovereign control reverted to China in the late twentieth century. Fears over the degree of political freedom Hong Kong citizens could enjoy after the handover to China lingered, despite assurances that they would have fifty years to continue their current economic and political way of life. Two other factors that the author cites as obstacles to the formation of civil society are that public education in Hong Kong is a relatively recent phenomenon and that conformity to family and community expectations are deeply ingrained in the culture.
Nedilsky begins her analysis with the story of a Hong Kong resident who chose to convert to Christianity. Leaving the religion of one’s family for Christianity demonstrates the freedom one has to enter and exit from personal choices. Exposure to Christian faith can lead to the potential to acquire new social skills, individual agency, and a sense of membership in something outside of one’s family. The opportunity for individuals to work for a Christian NGO comes hand-in-hand with conversion to Christianity. Working at an NGO creates conceptual space for an individual in an organization that is neither one’s family nor the government. The Christian Church (both Protestant and Catholic) had a favorable position in the British Colonial government. Church membership, Nedilsky notes, turns one inward, thus creating individual agency; however, those who work for Christian NGOs also develop an outward awareness to consider the broader state of the world. These interactions, concepts, and experiences are the substance of what creates a civil society.
The book consists of six chapters bookended with an introduction and conclusion. The first chapter (“A Question of Competence”) begins in media res on the day of the handover from the UK to China. Nedilsky uses public demonstrations and organized events during the handover as a controlling metaphor. This metaphor serves to introduce the ability to enter and exit from choices and underlines the necessary skill of being an individual while also being a member of a group.
The second chapter (“Conversion to Christianity”) unpacks what conversion means in Hong Kong. It highlights the choice of voluntary association and, through a series of interviews, shows the tangle of additional decisions that follow the initial choice. Through this discussion, Nedilsky maintains an eye on the gradual evolution toward individual agency and what that means for the growth of civil society.
In chapter three (“Conversion to Civil Society”), Nedilsky observes that once the first religious breach of choosing to voluntarily associate with Christianity is made, then individual believers feel freedom to continue on that path of searching and choosing. For example, they must keep deciding whether to stay a Christian, whether to take their quest to a new congregation or denomination, as well as whether to join other events and faith organizations with whom they may align. One of the interviews with a Hong Kong resident compares his own faith struggles to that of Hong Kong itself. Nedilsky draws the comparison between religious selection in a rich market of faith ideas and the collective regional choice of Hong Kong to either fall in line with cultural and political norms of China or to remain a distinct voice.
The fourth chapter (“The Work of Civil Society”) covers the interaction of a Christian convert with the work of NGOs and how that brings about further transformation from private faith expression to public faith expression. Chapter five (“Passing the Torch”) discusses political and religious transition in Hong Kong, highlighting the struggles for sustainability for both individuals and NGOs. A lot of sociological study focuses at a group level, as the author explains, but her interest in this work is to see how that translates at the level of the individual within the groups, as well.
Finally, the sixth chapter (“The Question of Convergence”) pulls back the camera lens from a granular level to a much broader discussion on the effects of a broad set of forces at play in Hong Kong. Nedilsky provides a comparison to anchor the discussion, discussing the United States in the turbulent 1960s as the US moral consensus fragmented and society evolved onward.
Overall, Converts to Civil Society is an academic study with a narrow focus on an evolving portion of the faith community in Hong Kong as it relates to its changing and challenging political environment. Those with a particular interest in the nuances of faith, politics, and culture in China, such as mission agencies and future missionaries, may find this to be a valuable study. Churches and pastors located in cities that have large populations of immigrants from Hong Kong may also find this to be a helpful resource as they seek to interact with and serve people from circumstances different from their own.