This article aims at investigating local developmental trajectories of Pentecostalism, a rapidly growing Christian movement with an emphasis on the ecstatic religious experiences of the Holy Spirit and practices of spiritual gifts, since the late twentieth century and the phenomena of its recent socio- political engagements in Hong Kong. However, it has received insufficient academic attention. The research question of this article is: how have different Pentecostal churches and Christians interacted with the socio- political sphere in today’s Hong Kong? This article argues that in today’s Hong Kong, Pentecostal communities have been phenomenally and theologically kaleidoscopic in their socio-political engagements, in which no single Pentecostal theory can fully depict and interpret their complex realities. An analysis of Pentecostalism and its socio-political dynamics in context needs to take the local context into consideration.

The Chinese white dolphin is not only the most loved animal in Hong Kong but also the flagship species of the city, mobilized by conservationists to publicize environmental issues and drum up support for the conservation of the species’ habitat. In addition, the cetacean has also been instrumentalized to convey political messages. This article aims to make sense of the social prominence of the Chinese white dolphin in Hong Kong by revisiting the cetacean’s trajectory with the city while examining the efficacy and the potential negative impacts of the symbol in relation to conservation. Historically, public awareness of the species first surged due to the construction plan for Hong Kong International Airport, followed by the 1997 Handover, during which the dolphin was turned into a mascot to call for a more intimate relationship between China and Hong Kong, although some citizens professed their pessimism over the change of sovereignty by reading their misery into the mammal. The two events have offered fecund resources for conservationists to build up the flagship species. However, while citizens show general awareness and concern over the dolphins, the efficacy of the flagship species is low when leveraged against reclamation initiatives. The Chinese white dolphin can also be a double-sided sword for Hong Kong’s conservation, given their absence in specific sites was used to justify various ecologically disruptive development plans. An additional observation is that there has been a resurgence among Hong Kong people to draw parallels to the plights of the cetacean after the political turmoil unveiled in 2019.

The Hong Kong government has administered new public management in the public sector to address the impact of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Guided by the principles of efficiency, effectiveness, and economy, the Government re-examined its expenditures across different sectors. Higher education encountered financial strain after the Government adjusted its funding for education. Meanwhile, many young people were unemployed or failed to pursue further studies. The Government thus launched Project Yi Jin in 2000, authorizing qualified higher education providers to offer an unprecedented and self-financed study path for young people to meet their educational needs. Despite the project’s implementation spanning over two decades, studies focusing on it were outdated and inadequate. Therefore, we proposed a study to revisit the project in the aforementioned context, aiming to bridge the academic gaps. This article argued that by offering young people hope for their futures, the project has enhanced society, especially young people, to respect law and order. The project has also helped higher education to survive and exercise its function by alleviating the financial stress attributed to new public management in the public sector. This article will become one of the significant references for higher education and education policymakers, particularly regarding sustainability and governance.

In an attempt to de-Westernize film studies, this article first compares the different literary precursors, cultural references, and developments of horror as a film genre in Hong Kong and Hollywood to highlight their difference in cultural provenances. It then illustrates how the film evokes nostalgia for the “golden past” of Hong Kong horror through nostalgia casting and slipshod cinematography and extrapolates how the local spectators’ criticisms of Coffin Homes reflect a cinematic amnesia and detachment from Hong Kong horror as the result of the Westernization and modernization of movie theaters. By inventing a new subgenre called “slipshod horror,” I separate this de- Westernizing local subgenre from other horror-related subgenres, such as B films, exploitation films, and cult films. This distinction highlights its unique combination of cultness, low budget, cultural specificity, genre hybridity, and political awareness. Additionally, I explain how the film employs both cinematic and meta-cinematic techniques to practice a de-Westernizing approach that seeks to problematize, recalibrate, and reimagine the horror genre through a local, non-Westernized perspective.

Public opinion in Hong Kong has been moving toward a narrative that diminishes the value of the humanities both within its society and in the broader context of Mainland China. This influences how theology is understood in Hong Kong. Theological education in Hong Kong often uses Western Enlightenment paradigms, theories, and materials, but what if Hongkongers were to ground their understanding of contextual theology in their experiences? What does it mean to value local theological knowledge in Hong Kong? The practices of Hong Kong’s laity could be important to local theologians’ theorization of Hong Kong theology.
What do Christian lay people in Hong Kong consider theology to be? In what ways does theology grow out of their lives? Questions like these must be understood and analyzed to enable Hong Kong theology to develop based on the lived theologies of its people, reflecting theological lessons learned from post-Handover socio-politics.
First, I argue for the public value of theological education in Hong Kong. Second, in a culture where theological education is largely seen as vocational training for ministers, I explore why Hong Kong lay Christians wish to study theology, and I suggest the necessity of lifting local, lay knowledge. Finally, I propose rethinking theological education in a comprehensive, liberal arts style to stimulate the laity’s critical thinking about their faith. Working out one’s theology in community with others is crucial, because it is in communities that the emotional and affective dimensions of religion have their place and where theologies are cross-checked with lived experience.