Christian Souls and Chinese Spirits: A Hakka Community in Hong Kong

How do the people of a village that is both Chinese and Christian reconcile the contradictions between their religious and ethnic identities? This ethnographic study explores the construction and changing meanings of ethnic identity in Hong Kong. Established at the turn of the century by Hakka Christians who sought to escape hardships and discrimination in China, Shung Him Tong was constructed as an "ideal" Chinese and Christian village. The Hakka Christians translate "traditional" Chinese beliefs--such as ancestral worship and death rituals--that are incompatible with their Christian ideals into secular form, providing a crucial link with the past and with a Chinese identity. Despite accusations to the contrary, these villagers maintain that while they are Christian, they are still Chinese.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1994.

Author: Nicole Constable
Publisher: University of California Press
Published: 08/19/2022
Pages: 258
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.88lbs
Size: 9.21h x 6.14w x 0.58d
ISBN13: 9780520338661
ISBN10: 0520338669
BISAC Categories:
- Social Science | Anthropology | Cultural & Social
- Social Science | Ethnic Studies | General

About the Author
Nicole Constable is in the Anthropology Department at the University of Pittsburgh.