Beyond Individualist Approach? A Christian Pursuit of Chinese Students in Britain

The link between immigrants and religion remains strong, if not stronger, despite the Census data showing a de-Christianised UK. This paper explores the link by questioning how differences are constructed through the economic optical of ‘othering’ in a multicultural society. Empirically, it examines the phenomenon of Chinese students exploring religion and converting in multi-ethnic Christian churches around British campuses. Bypassing the ‘hotter’ debate on whether or not international students shall be excluded from net immigration, this study takes potential integration as a given process simultaneous to their migrating experience. Their partial/ inactive citizenship embedded in their transnational identities will then demonstrate the importance of support and the source of support. It is also demonstrated that with effective mechanisms that provided both active and passive channels, evangelicals successfully fostered value changes and identities that transcend boundaries of nationality, language, and culture. This affected not only their intention to leave or stay in the future, but an onset of their social inclusion and exclusions as individuals and as groups. An interactive structure further shapes their socio-political, interpersonal and world views. Moreover, data also suggest that fundamental ideas of a religion could not be secularised and they formed the core cohesion of the religious groups in attracting converts, minorities and marginalised populations. Such implications raise questions as to what extend religious mechanisms can be transformed into civic coping with the challenge of immigration and accommodation, especially at the institutional level.