The formation of a Chinese Catholic identity in 19th century Singapore

• Main Author: Leow, Leonard
• Other Authors: Nicholas Witkowski
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: DRNTU::Humanities::History::Asia::Singapore::Religion
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/76648
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Catholicism was one of the earliest religions to be introduced to Singapore since the island was established as a trading post by the British in 1819. Since the 1830s, foreign Catholic missionaries, particularly the French missionaries from the Paris Foreign Mission Société (MEP) settled down on the nascent colony to set up a permanent mission in Singapore. The establishment of Singapore as an entrepot and trading hub attracted an influx of immigrants to the island and the majority of these immigrants were the Chinese people who came from the mainland. Thus, they became the main target for the missionaries’ missionizing work. This thesis seeks to examine the growth and development of a distinct Chinese Catholic identity amidst the socio-political environment of nineteenth century Singapore. The utilization of Henri Tajfel’s social identity theory as a guiding framework allows for the analysis of the formation of a unique Chinese Catholic identity through a historical and sociological perspective. By studying contemporary events such as the incessant violence in nineteenth century Singapore and the unorthodox missionizing methods employed by missionaries, links between such factors and identity formation could be extrapolated. This thesis hopes to bring awareness to the origins of Catholicism and its community formation in the Singapore society.