In Hong Kong’s Last English Bishop, Philip L. Wickeri explores the life and times of John Gilbert Hindley Baker, who served as Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Hong Kong and Macao from 1966 to 1981. Baker lived through exciting times, as a missionary in wartime and revolutionary China, as a priest in America during the early years of the Cold War, and as a mission leader in the Church of England when churches in many parts of the world were becoming independent, before returning to Hong Kong where he was elected bishop. He was a faithful correspondent and a prolific writer throughout his life, offering a personal commentary on the churches and the societies in which he lived. Wickeri has made extensive use of Baker’s writings and other archival materials to provide a vivid picture of his life and work. Bishop Baker was instrumental in working for reconciliation after the 1967 riots, expanding the work of the diocese, and engaging Hong Kong with the wider world. In 1971, he opened a new era in the Anglican Communion by legally ordaining the first women priests. This book is indispensable for understanding the development of the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui (Anglican Church) at a time when the growth of Hong Kong as a vibrant modern city was at its peak. “In this wide-ranging and well-informed book, Philip Wickeri succeeds in telling the story of Gilbert Baker against the backdrop of the huge changes affecting China and Hong Kong through some of the most turbulent years of the twentieth century. At once insightful and sensitive it will be required reading for those seeking to understand the complex move from colonial to post-colonial forms of Anglican mission.” —Mark D. Chapman, University of Oxford “Wickeri masterfully reconstructs the life and times of a central participant in not only Chinese Anglicanism but also Hong Kong’s transformation into a modern metropolis. On China and social change, Bishop Gilbert Baker held nuanced views, many of which remain eminently relevant for our contemporary moment.” —Brian Tsui, Hong Kong Polytechnic University

The Anglican Church in Singapore has a unique place both in the study of World Christianity and in the history of Southeast Asia. From its beginnings as a Church for colonial settlers, to its role as an unlikely agent of change in Singapore’s postcolonial transition, and its reinvention as part of a highly prosperous, hyperglobalized, supercapitalist, aspiration-driven modern state, the extraordinary trajectory of the Anglican Church in Singapore merits considerable attention. This study draws on archival material, incisive scholarship, and candid memoirs to chart the two-hundred-year history of Singapore’s Anglican Church, through world wars and communist insurgency towards hard-won national independence and the unparalleled social transformation of today, but this book goes far beyond mere chronological narrative. The author’s approach is inquisitive, rigorous, and ardently multidisciplinary, providing insights from theological, anthropological, political, and sociolinguistic perspectives. Homing-in on critically important and currently relevant themes, this book subjects the colonial-era Anglican Church’s social, ethnic, and interreligious engagement to scrutiny. The Church’s more recent and controversial commitment to the Anglican Realignment movement and its unexpected reorientation towards Pentecostalism are thoroughly investigated. The remarkable case of Singapore’s Anglican Church is indispensable for a complete understanding of World Christianity and Christianity in Asia today.

This uniquely comprehensive reference work provides a global account of the history, expansion, diversity, and contemporary issues facing the Anglican Communion, the worldwide body that includes all followers of the Anglican faith. An insightful and wide-ranging treatment of this dynamic global faith, offering unrivalled coverage of its historical development, and the religious and ethical questions affecting the church today Explores every aspect of this vibrant religious community – from analyzing its instruments of Unity, to its central role in interfaith communication Spans the Anglican Communion’s long history through to 21st century debates within the church on such issues as sexual-orientation of clergy, and the pastoral role of women Features a substantial articles on the Church’s 44 provinces, including a brief history of each Brings together a distinguished and international team of contributors, including some of the world’s leading Anglican commentators

As the longest serving and the most influential bishop of Hong Kong during one of the most tumultuous periods in China’s history, Bishop R. O. Hall played a crucial role in the reconstruction of the Anglican Church and Hong Kong after the Second World War. Born in England, the bishop committed his life to building bridges: between China and England; between Hong Kong workers and company management; between the government and the Hong Kong people; and, of course, between the Hong Kong people he loved and the Divine he worshipped. His single-mindedness in pursuing and translating the social theology of F. D. Maurice into practical terms resulted in his enormous contributions to the development of social welfare, low-cost housing, and education in postwar Hong Kong and helped spur its economic and social evolution into a global city. This book highlights the two major controversies during his episcopacy: the ordination of a woman priest during the war and his visit to China during the “Hundred Flowers Campaign.” Based on primary archival and private materials, this book shows that Bishop Hall, whole-hearted in pursuit of his goals for Hong Kong through “love-in-action,” was also multifaceted, with longings, questions, and inner contradictions we all share.