Back to "Annual Reports" Main Page
2. Education Program
2.1 Courses and Seminars
In the past year, to commemorate the anniversary of the Sept. 11 tragedy and the issue of religion and peace at the international level, the Hong Kong Christian Institute (HKCI) organised the conference A Year after 9-11: The Prospects for Religion and Peace and the Workshop for Religion and Peace. These activities sought to enhance the mutual understanding, communication and respect among people of different faiths and to raise the awareness and respect for different religious faiths and practices in everyday life. Priests and members from the Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish and Christian communities were invited to share how to make peace in the wake of Sept. 11 from their own religious perspectives.
Similarly, to enhance better understanding and further contact, HKCI organised the Workshop on Religion and Peace through which participants were able to visit each other's religious communities (Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Taoist and Orthodox) and have face-to-face exchanges and dialogue.
Each of the above activities had their own emphasis. The conference, for example, was held to share opinions while the workshop was conducted to enrich people's personal experiences. Both activities were unique in that they were otherwise not available elsewhere in Hong Kong.
In the area of pastoral education, HKCI coordinated the workshop A Caring Ministry for the Bereaved led by the Rev. Leung Kwok-tung. Participants found the programme beneficial to both their personal needs and their ministry.
To reflect on the role and mission of HKCI during the present stormy period in Hong Kong, a series of salons was organised whose theme was "Walking in the Rain." Guest speakers examined specific issues with a period for discussion afterwards. The topic titles included "The Myth of Hong Kong Society and the Deficiency of Governance" (Dr. Chan Sze-chi), "The Unity and Contradiction of ‘One Country, Two Systems’ " (Dr. Kung Lap-yan) and "The Collapse and Transformation of the Middle Class" (Dr. Lui Tai-lok).
Members and friends from overseas were also invited to share their thoughts during their visits to Hong Kong. Prof. Kwok Pui-lan from the Episcopal Divinity School in Boston offered a presentation entitled "Postcolonial Theology," and "Vision for a Spiritual Quest in Mid-life" was presented by Dr. Tsang Ka-tat from Canada. Both gatherings attracted quite a number of members and friends. They were also occasions to exchange thoughts and experiences as well as to have fellowship.
2.2 Publications
HKCI's publication provide a platform for contextual analysis and theological reflection. Publishing is a record of words as well as a way of practice. For the past 15 years, HKCI's publications have been characterised by their responsiveness to the times, critical thinking and multidimensional, or alternative, viewpoints. HKCI endeavours to cultivate a critical and committed faith in Hong Kong society at large and in local churches. We encourage Christians to take a critical stance on various issues and commit to practice. A critical stance implies rejection of the status quo. It does not conform to the views of the majority but seeks an ideal beyond the present situation. A critical stance stems from the notion of the Kingdom of God that is present but only partially fulfilled. Practice is a sign of commitment. To realise the coming of the Kingdom of God, both a critique of the mainstream and the commitment to change it are needed. Publishing, as part of education, seeks to cultivate or nurture such a critical and committed faith. HKCI's publishing is thus a small stream among the dominant market-oriented current.
Among HKCI's publications are its Chinese and English newsletters and theological journal Reflection. To ease the heavy workload from Christmas to Chinese New Year, the journal has been rescheduled so that five issues will be produced per year instead of six issues. The topics for Reflection in the past year were "Community Economy" (No. 81), "Religion and Peace" (No. 82), "Aspects of Popular Culture" (No. 83), "Article 23 and National Security" (No. 84) and "Death: Taboo and Transcendence" (No. 85).
During the year, HKCI published Vol. 2 of Theology for the New Century edited by Kwok Hung-biu and Too Kin-wai with Dr. Philip Shen as the consultant, which completes the project that commenced fours years ago. Authors from various seminaries and backgrounds were involved in the project. A Caring Ministry to the Bereaved by the Rev. Leung Kwok-tung was published as a practical handbook for pastors and counsellors. In addition, Enneagram and Pastoral Care by the Rev. Yung Chuen-hung was widely welcomed by readers and was reprinted within a year.
TOO Kin-wai
|
