The Political Influence of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong

This research project seeks to examine the political influence of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong. Specifically, this research will use Paul Djupe and Christopher Gilbert’s theory of religious influence on political behavior to investigate how the social context of the Catholic Church shapes the way people react to one another, the bonds they form with others, and how they approach society. This study will use both survey and interview as research methods for a full test of the effects of the Catholic Church on the political behavior of their members. The research findings will provide a clearer understanding of the contributions of the Catholic Church to sustaining civil society in Hong Kong. The theoretical significance of this research project is that, it will explicate a theory of church-centered influences on political behavior based on contextual analysis, which will advance the study of religion and politics in Hong Kong. Regarding the practical significance, it will provide a specified model of how voluntary associations expose individuals to political information and norms, which will help us to understand how public opinion is formed and why people participate in politics.