An Update about HonorShame.com
The tagline for HonorShame.com is “resources for Majority World ministry.” The aim of the website and blog has been to equip people with ideas and resources to better understand the pivotal roles of honor-shame in culture, theology, and ministry.
From 2014 through 2020, weekly blogs generated new insights and global conversations about honor and shame. For that season, I (Jayson Georges) am exceedingly grateful. But, as you have perhaps noticed, blogposts in 2021 have become sparse.
I will continue supporting the honor-shame conversation, maintaining this website, and publishing periodic blogposts. However, I will not be developing new resources and advancing the conversation at the same rate. There are several reasons for this change.
One, I am a doctoral candidate at Durham University and this has become my research priority. My dissertation topic is “early Christian travel: a socio-theological analysis” Considering the enormous costs and risks of ancient travel, the extensive travel among early Christians reflected and created their new estimations of honor and social worth. In short, how did physical movement enact honor? I suspect that I will publish some posts about travel and hospitality, as these two social practices reflected and conveyed honor.
Two, my ministry focus has changed to providing biblical training through study tours to biblical sites. I am developing opportunities for Christians from the Majority World to study and research New Testament culture, theology, and missiology on site. I will share more information in due time, as I suspect some readers of this blog may be interested in such learning opportunities.
Three, my understanding of honor-shame has somewhat changed. Perhaps like most people who encounter the topic, I long viewed honor-shame as a “ministry tool.” The concept helped me to understand and reach “them,” the unreached, or non-Christian peoples. But over time, I have become much more curious about the dynamics of honor-shame within “me” and “us.” These days, my thoughts gravitate towards the spiritual and contemplative aspects of honor-shame. I’m more interested in exploring the heart-level impulses of honor and shame than in producing materials that analyze the concepts.
That is the short note explaining some of the changes here at HonorShame.com. To repeat, the website will be actively maintained and I remain engaged with the topic, but from new angles. As always, I’m glad to publish guest posts for the benefit of others.
On a final note, in the spring of 2021, technical issues with the website prevented the delivery of new blogsposts. Here are the links for those interested:
- “Honor” in the Old Testament
- “Shame” in the Old Testament
- “Honor” in the New Testament
- “Shame” in the New Testament
resources for Majority World ministry
Thank you for your writing and research that has made many of us aware of the honor shame culture and widened our view of God’s grace. God be with you as you continue your academic pursuit.
Thanks for sharing these very useful insights! I look forward to more, though from your more mature perspective. Very helpful!
Hi Jayson, I’ve greatly appreciated all the work you’ve done on this project. And I’m interested in the new angles you’ll be exploring as well. I have found honor-shame as critical in my theology as a former youth pastor and as a therapist.
On my YouTube channel, PsychoBible, I’ve done several videos over the years that explore honor-shame dynamics, particularly in understanding aspects of our own culture.
When you mention hosting some guest posts, would that happen to include videos, or just articles?
Thank you Jayson for this web page and your message of shame/honor. I found you via rabbit trail while exploring a fuller understanding of shame from Romans 1:16-17. My family of origins mastered in shaming females. I was shamed as rejected by God because of His Sovereignty to take pleasure in assigning reprobation status to me. The dirty window you have cleaned. Thank you.