Chan Sze Chi (Chinese: 陳士齊; pinyin: Chén Shìqí; born 1957) is a Hong Kong religious scholar and one of the founders of the League of Social Democrats.

Chan Sze Chi
陳士齊
Born1957 (age 66–67)
Other names齋sir; Sai Sir
EducationUniversity of Hong Kong, University of Aberdeen, King's College London[1]

Biography

edit

Born in 1957, Chan took up Christianity as a boy following the early death of a sister.[2] He attended Queen's College, Hong Kong and obtained his Bachelor of Divinity at the University of Aberdeen in 1985. After returning to Hong Kong in 1992, he taught in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Hong Kong Baptist University and earned his PhD in Systematic theology from King's College London in 1997.[3] In 2001, along with Leung Man-tao and Chan Koonchung, he co-founded the Niupeng Academy (牛棚書院),[4] an independent publisher of free works on philosophical and artistic topics, which also acted as a community college within the Niupeng Arts Village (牛棚藝術村) in To Kwa Wan.[5]

Chan is one of the founders of League of Social Democrats[6] although he withdrew after disagreements with Wong Yuk-man. As an activist, he has published numerous research articles on LGBT and sociology,[2] and claims to have been the first Christian theologian in Hong Kong advocating for LGBT rights.[6] He participated in multiple public debates on Christianity in Hong Kong in the 1990s and 2000s,[7] and in 2007 published two critiques of the religious right[8] that led to his characterisation as "one of the most prominent intellec­tuals within the Christian church opposing the religious right."[9] Chan has advocated for Christians to use the influence of the church to engage in dialogue with the government, including through confrontation.[10] He has also participated as a lecturer in public convocations called "Raising the Bar", where aca­demics give free lectures to the public in bars, with the goal of bringing education into normal social life and inviting the general public into the conversation on academic topics.[11]

During a 26-year career at Hong Kong Baptist University, where he was a popular instructor, Chan often came into conflict with management over university policies, especially language requirements and cash cow General Studies courses. The university opted not to renew his contract after the 2014–15 academic year, and he left their employ in 2018.[6] In the interim, his profile increased as a vocal supporter of students opposed to unpopular university policies, including partici­pation in student protests, where he was the only faculty member joining in.[6] His presence in a 2018 "Occupy HKBU" student protest led to an open letter signed by 150 other faculty members, which accused Chan of betrayal, and alleged that faculty present at the occupied Language Center were subject to harassment.[12]

Selected publications

edit
  • Chan Sze Chi; Fok Juk-lin (霍玉蓮) (1993). 思想列車 [The Train of Thought]. Hong Kong: Syundou. ISBN 9789622443563.
  • Chan San-hing (陳慎慶), ed. (2008). 香港基督教右派的意識形態 [The Ideology of Hong Kong Christian Rightists]. 衝突與融合:後九七的香港教會與社會 [Conflict and Integration: The Church and Society of Hong Kong in the Post 1997 Era]. Hong Kong Christian Institute (香港基督徒學院). pp. 31–40. ISBN 9789627471691.
  • 基督徒關社的真純實踐 (Authentic Practice) [Authentic Practice of Christian Care in Hong Kong]. 關社廿載情—基督徒關懷香港學會二十週年紀念文集 [Collected Works on the 20th Anniversary of the Christian Care for Hong Kong Society]. Hong Kong: 基督徒關懷香港學會. October 2007. pp. 28–31.
  • Ziu Sung-ming (趙崇明), ed. (2006). 憶吾師 [Remembering My Teacher]. 三一、創造、文化—根頓神學的詮釋 [Trinity, Creation, and Culture: An Interpretation of Gunton's Theology]. Hong Kong: 基道出版社. pp. 14–25. ISBN 9789624573220.
  • Zang Gu-daat (曾家達); Leong Juk-kei (梁玉麒), eds. (2014) [2006]. 助人者的無助與自助 [Helplessness and Self Help of Helpers]. 微光處處 [Points of Light Everywhere]. 香港社會工作者總工會. pp. 238–248. ISBN 9789881591593.
  • 福音派教會將自己與同性戀者深陷斷背山. Sze . 香港基督徒學院 (Hong Kong Christian Institute). May 2006. No. 99, pp. 28–38 – via Official archives at Google drive.
  • 南亞海嘯的進一步反思 [Further Reflection on the South Asian Tsunami]. 念集,香港浸會大學學生關懷南亞海嘯出版委員會 [Reading Collection, Hong Kong Baptist University Student Care South Asian Tsunami Publishing Committee]. May 2006. pp. 31–36.

References

edit
  1. ^ "Chan Sze Chi". Department of Religion and Philosophy (staff bio). Hong Kong Baptist University. 2005.
  2. ^ a b Chen Yuanlan (陳願藍) (2 November 2009). "『新世紀福音戰士』神學家陳士齊 :主子不可怕,奴才不可怕,奴才的奴才才可怕" ["New era gospel warrior" theologian Chan Sze Chi: Masters are not scary, slaves are not scary, but slaves' slaves are scary]. Fridae Asia (in Chinese). Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  3. ^ Wong Aa-ting (黃雅婷) (12 April 2016). 59歲「齋sir」 學生眼中好老師 熱血講師 睥睨一生 [59-year-old "Sai Sir": a good teacher to his students and firebrand lecturer, yet disdained his whole life]. Mingpao Daily News 明報新聞網 - 每日明報 (in Chinese). No. 12 April, Supplement. Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  4. ^ Leggieri, Antonio (2012). L'epoca d'oro: traduzione e commento di "Shengshi: Zhongguo, 2013 Nian" (Magistrale thesis) (in Italian). Venice: Università Ca' Foscari Venezia. hdl:10579/1666.
  5. ^ Ho Cui-fung (何翠峰) (4 August 2001). 城市專題:牛棚書院 [City Special Topic: Niupeng Academy]. Radio Television Hong Kong (in Chinese).
  6. ^ a b c d Chan Ping-ting (陳娉婷) (26 July 2018). 陳士齊離開浸大:浸大視我為眼中釘,普通話風波遺恨未了 [Chan Sze Chi leaves Hong Kong Baptist University: "HKBU regarded me as a thorn in its side, and the Mandarin incident is still regrettable"]. The News Lens 關鍵評論網 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  7. ^
  8. ^
    • Chan Sze Chi (September 2007). 香港基督教右派的意識形態 [Hong Kong Christian right-wing ideology]. Sze (in Chinese). No. 106 pp. 19–25 – via Official archives at Google drive.
    • Chan Sze Chi (November 2007 – January 2008). 不寬容是最大的黑暗──論教會在世上的寬容文化使命 [Intolerance is the greatest ignorance: On the Church's present-day cultural tolerance doctrines]. Sze (in Chinese). No. 107 pp. 27–30 ; No. 108 pp. 27–31 – via Official archives at Google drive.
  9. ^ Kwan, Kai-man [in Chinese] (2012). 香港宗教右派的傳說──「宗教右派」的論述 (PDF). In Kwan Kai-man (關啟文); Choi Chi-sum; Law Wing-kwan (羅穎君) (eds.). 基督教與現代社會的爭論: 道德、政治與「宗教右派」 [Christianity and the Debates in Modern Society: Morality, Politics, and the "Religious Right"] (in Chinese). Saratoga: Tien Dao Christian Media. p. 1. ISBN 9789622089167.
  10. ^ 陳士齊博士勾畫政治參與: 基督徒應「企硬」對抗不公義 [Dr Chan Sze Chi outlines political participation: Christians should "stand strong" against injustice]. Christian Weekly (in Chinese). No. 2496. 15 July 2012. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  11. ^ Ling Lui (May 2015). "Raising the bar". C² Magazine. No. 5.
  12. ^ 【佔領浸大】150浸大港大教職員響應聯署 不點名指責陳士齊 「背叛」 [[Occupy HKBU] 150 HKBU staff sign petition accusing Chan Sze Chi of "betrayal" without naming names]. Singdao Times (in Chinese). 30 January 2018.