In Chung Chi College, the traditions of theological education from the mainland churches and thirteen Christian colleges of Mainland China have been preserved and developed. The historical roots of the Divinity School of Chung Chi College go back as far as 1864 when the Training School of Canton Presbyterian Mission was established at Fati, Guangdong. In 1914, this School joined with the Anglican Church and the Methodist Church to form Canton Union Theological College. During the War, this College had, at various times, affiliated with the University of Central China and with Lingnam University. After the War, the Anglican Church, Wei Li Kung Hui, and Christian Mission to Buddhists joined together to establish Hong Kong Union Theological College. The Church of Christ in China and the Chinese Methodist Church supported Trinity Theological College in Singapore.

Chung Chi College had been having religious education and theological training as part of the academic programme since 1957. Before joining The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1963, the theological training was separately provided by Chung Chi Theological Seminary, with the Hong Kong Theological Institute of the Church of Christ in China as the nucleus. Dr. Chi Tung YUNG, the head of Chung Chi College, was the first President of the Chung Chi Theological Seminary. Chung Chi Theological Seminary continued the affiliation with Chung Chi College.

The Seminary was established as a joint effort by the Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China, the Anglican Church, the Chinese Methodist Church, Wei Li Kung Hui, Swatow Baptist Church and the Tsung Tsin Mission. The Board of the Seminary which was formed by representatives from the supporting churches, planned the construction of the Theology Building on the campus of the Chung Chi College. In 1966, Tsung Tsin Lok Yuk Seminary joined the Chung Chi Theological Seminary. Lok Yuk Seminary had a history which went back to 1864 when it was first established in Lilong of Po On District. After changing locations for several times, it was finally re-established in Sai Kung, Hong Kong in 1955.

In 1968, the Seminary as such ceased to exist and its function was transferred to the Theology Division (the former name of the Divinity School of Chung Chi College) in the reorganized Department of Philosophy and Religion of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, later known as the Department of Religion in 1978 and restructured to be the Department of Cultural and Religious Studies in 2004. The Theology Building was completed and began to function in 1969 and was renovated in 2000. The Divinity School of Chung Chi College, under the Theological Council, is mainly financed independently by Church gifts and funds from the Trustees of Chung Chi College; but academically, it is a recognized part of the University to offer degree programmes in Theology and Christian Studies. In memory of Rev. Pommerenke who donated a piece of land at Siu Tao Fung Shan, the Pommerenke Lectureship of Christianity and Chinese Culture has been set up since 1998 by the Trustees of the College.

To strengthen its current unique identity as the only theological education institution within a Chinese public university and in order to enhance the collaboration with other seminaries in other parts of the world, Theology Division is renamed as Divinity School of Chung Chi College with effect from August 1, 2004.

Divinity School of Chung Chi College is also a full member of the Association for Theological Education in South East Asia (ATESEA) and the Hong Kong Theological Education Association (ATESEA) and offers programmes of the South East Asia Graduate School of Theology (established by ATESEA).

A little more than half of our alumni were ordained ministers and serve in various parishes in Hong Kong and abroad. The rest serve in tertiary institutions, seminaries, Christian organizations, education and social service agencies, industrial, commercial and other professional sectors.

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