Same God but Different? Politico-Religious Dynamics and the New Hong Kong Christian Diaspora in the United Kingdom

Abstract

This article examines the impacts of new Christian immigrants from Hong Kong on Chinese Christian churches in the United Kingdom. While the new arrivals have helped boost the vitality of Chinese immigrant churches, they also pose new challenges to the established Chinese Christian communities. Drawing on qualitative data from our fieldwork in different locations in the United Kingdom, we seek to delineate the intra-ethnic dynamics and dilemmas within the Chinese Christian communities formed by new and old Hong Kong immigrants, and immigrants from mainland China. While new immigrants from Hong Kong manifest a strong dedication to their Christian identity, many of them are also resolute in their uncompromising political stance and identity, which puts them at odds with other Chinese Christians in the United Kingdom. We argue that Christian immigrants from Hong Kong are creating a new landscape of Christianity and a distinctive religious diaspora in the United Kingdom.