Author: HonorShame

resources for Majority World ministry

By Posted on Posted in Communication, Culture, Honor, Shame, Wesetern No Comments Tagged with , , , , ,
Where do these categories of “guilt-shame” or “shame-honor” come from? Like all ideas, the notion of “shame” has developed over time. This post summarizes the main currents of shame research in the 20th century. The Beginning: Ruth Benedict The binary …

The Meaning of ‘Shame’—A Short History Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Communication, Culture, Ministry, Relationships 2 Comments Tagged with , , , , , ,
There are many models that explain how global cultures differ. They all simplify reality in different ways. This post shows how the guilt-shame-fear paradigm compares to other well-known cultural models. 1. Hofstede’s 6 Dimensions An organizational anthropologist named Geert Hoftstede …

Guilt-Shame-Fear & Other Cultural Models Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Culture, Guilt, Honor, Shame 4 Comments Tagged with , , , , ,
People often voice the concern that reducing cultures down to “guilt,” “shame,” or “fear” is oversimplifying reality—“Aren’t cultures a combination of these factors?” Most certainly. Cultures are too complex to be isolated into just three boxes. These are not three …

3 In 1: Integrating Guilt, Shame, and Fear Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Bible, Resources 6 Comments Tagged with ,
Last summer several Cru staff members attended the Honor-Shame conference in Wheaton. After the conference, they began discussing and designing a new honor-shame evangelism tool that could used in a smart-phone app.   Their new tool “Honor Restored” launched in December …

“Honor Restored”—New Evangelism Tool from Cru Read more »

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The latest issue of Asian Journal Pentecostal Studies focuses on “Biblical Refections on Shame and Honor in Asia.” The entire issue can be downloaded for free at http://www.apts.edu/aeimages/File/AJPS_PDF/18-1Rev-Interior-file-vol-21-1.pdf. The articles include: Amanda Shao-Tan, “Spirituality for the Shamed Tsinoys with Disabilities: The Shamed Jesus in …

Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies: Recent Issue on Honor-Shame Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Bible, Theology 1 Comment Tagged with , , ,
John Chrysostom, the archbishop of Constantinople (353–407), was famous for his eloquent preaching (the moniker Chrysostomos means “golden-mouthed”). His eighty-eight exegetical homilies on the Gospel of John read much like a social-science commentary. I will explain a few ways that …

A Hermeneutics of Honor: John Chrysostom Read more »

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The Patronage Symposium will gather people to examine the gospel for patron-client contexts. To learn more, visit www.HonorShame.com/patronage. Here are three related announcements: 1. Registration Ending Soon (Feb 10) The Patronage Symposium will be limited to ~40 people to foster substantive …

The Patronage Symposium: 3 Quick Must-Knows Read more »

By Posted on Posted in ethics, Honor, Resources, Shame, Theology, Wesetern No Comments Tagged with , , ,
Honor and shame are innately social and cooperate realities. For this reason, an honor-centric morality prioritizes relational harmony and communal edification, as seen in Pauline theology. John Barclay says, “Paul’s redefinition of honor thus gives prestige to such traits that …

Paul’s Honor Ethic in 1 Corinthians Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Culture, ethics, Resources, Wesetern 13 Comments Tagged with , , ,
Western theologians and missionaries often assume that “guilt-based” morality is ethically superior. This, I believe, is a dangerous assumption. A guilt-based approach to ethics has several shortcomings that limit its moral effectiveness, particularly in collectivistic contexts. These limitations do not …

4 Problems with Guilt-Based Morality Read more »