The beginning of Ichthus Research Centre

The Ichthus Research Centre began with the dream of a farsighted couple who believed that high level biblical and theological studies should be carried out in Asia. Through their generous gift, made in memory of their late parents Mr. Yao Ye Siu and Mrs. Yao Lee Sau Han, the Centre came into existence. The future of the Centre depends upon the contributions of many others who share their dream. We would like to welcome all those who would like to work together to make this dream become a reality.

The reason for the name Ichthus Research Centre

Throughout church history the Greek word ΙΧΘΥΣ (which means "fish"and can be transliterated as ICHTHUS) has had a special meaning to followers of Jesus Christ. For the early church the "sign of the fish" became an important mark of identification. The letters of the word ΙΧΘΥΣ came to stand for the words Ίησους Χριστος Θεου Υιου Σωτηρ- "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Saviour." The Ichthus Research Centre exists in recognition that Jesus Christ is both God's Son and our Saviour.

The basic direction and policies of the Research Centre

The Ichthus Research Centre for Biblical and Theological Studies exists for a number of reasons:

1. To produce contextualized biblical and theological research.
2. To promote interaction among specialists in the areas of biblical studies and theology.
3. To organize seminars for the discussion of biblical and theological issues of contemporary interest.
4. To build up a quality collection of scholarly books and journals on theological and biblical studies for use by Ichthus members.
5. To develop a digital library in order to enhance research in theological and biblical studies.
6. To encourage local and foreign scholars to write biblical and/or theological papers for presentation and/or publication.
7. To encourage members to publish their research and to enable them to do so as far as it is possible