The 2020s has been a traumatising era for Hong Kongese. Pro-democratic activists face imprisonment and prosecution, while more than 100 non-governmental organisations have closed to avoid violating the law. Freedom from fear seems to be a luxury in this new era, as Hong Kongese struggle to process the trauma brought on by the rapidly changing culture of the city. This article outlines the history of the quest for freedom in Hong Kong from the 2010s onwards and discusses how trauma has shaped the struggle for freedom from fear. Using the notion of positive freedom, this article explores possibilities for how public theologians can assist Hong Kongese in envisioning a future that brings the common good for society, mindful of the restrictions in place in the public sphere. Employing theories from trauma-informed care (TIC), this article aims to construct a trauma-informed public theology that seeks to serve traumatised individuals, who may have lost hope after the end of the Hong Kong protests, and incorporates TIC into public actions and theological practices. As a type of constructive theology, trauma-informed public theology concerns public issues and the interaction between the Christian communities and the wider public, acknowledging the reality of trauma and its effects on our public actions.
Calida Chu (2026) studied this question.