Social Media as Tools of Social Activism: Public Theology of the Umbrella City Cyberchurch

Chu, Calida

Abstract

With the rise of digital media as a tools to exchange information in the Umbrella Movement, Umbrella Cyberchurch (UCC) established as a way to facilitate theological dialogue. This chapter will start with the definitions of social activism and public theology. The next section will discuss how the Umbrella Movement shapes the dialogue of public theology and social activism via social media, in light of the sociopolitical apathy of Hong Kong churches. The second half of this chapter will analyze how UCC can act as a catalyst to enrich the discussion of social activism in digital media. This section will examine UCC’s characteristics as a parachurch and an alternative church, and the public theologies it embodies through its online platform. It will investigate how its Facebook page can represent the collective identity of Umbrella citizens, through their interaction with the social media users and the offline participants, with the use of images and symbols.

Citation

Chu, C. (2021). Social Media as Tools of Social Activism: Public Theology of the Umbrella City Cyberchurch. In F. Yang, & C. White (Eds.), Christian Social Activism and the Rule of Law in China. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield

• Publication Date: 2021-06
• Deposit Date: Sep 26, 2022
• Series Title: Studies in Christianity in China
• Book Title: Christian Social Activism and the Rule of Law in China
• Chapter Number: 8
• ISBN: 978-1-61146-323-1
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/11745690
• Publisher URL: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781611463231/Christian-Social-Activism-and-Rule-of-Law-in-Chinese-Societies#:~:text=Summary-,Although%20Christianity%20has%20been%20a%20minority%20religion%20in%20Chinese%20societies,Hong%20Kong%2C%20and%20diasporic%20communities.