Communion, from an Honor-Shame Perspective
God is the “King of Glory.” God does not have honor. He is honor. Glory radiates from his very being. He is the One who bestows and grants honor upon us. God is the only source of honor. David says, …
Category: Honor
Raising Support in Honor-Shame Cultures: 5 Tips
As the global Church expands, there is a growing need for money to fund ministry. The Church in Asia, Africa, and Latin America has a vision for global missions, and this vision requires financial resources. Traditional fund-raising models are often …
1 Peter 2:1–12 (HSP)
Here is an honor-shame paraphrase of 1 Peter 2:1–12. This is excerpted from the new book 1 Peter: An Honor-Shame Paraphrase, available as Kindle or PDF for $2.99. Put away the habits of your shameful past: degrading speech, manipulation, wearing a mask, status …
1 Peter: An Honor-Shame Paraphrase
My newest book is now available—1 Peter: An Honor-Shame Paraphrase ($2.99). Previous posts explain the cultural problem of all translations and how an Honor-Shame Paraphrase helps overcome the cultural gap. The epistle of 1 Peter explains the gospel in terms of honor …
“Silence” and the Shame of the Cross
Dr. Philip D. Jamieson is President of the United Methodist Foundation (Memphis and Tennessee Conferences) and author of The Face of Forgiveness: A Pastoral Theology of Shame and Redemption (IVP, 2016). I recently saw Martin Scorsese’s new movie, Silence (based …
Teaching in Honor-Shame Cultures: 5 Must Knows
In 2001 I taught American literature at a university in Central Asia. It was my first year living overseas, and the experience of teaching cross-culturally caused many instances of culture shock. I enjoyed the friendships with students, but I resented …
Exposing the Truth about Honor and Shame: The 4 Dimensions Christians Must Understand
This article, co-authored with Jackson Wu, was originally posted at Christianity Today on Ed Stetzer’s blog (Feb 16). Shame is getting exposed, finally. Commentators now observe how Western culture, especially the millennial generation, is becoming more shame-prone. Consequently, more Westerners are …
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Improving Anselm’s Atonement Theory
Anselm’s satisfaction theory (explanation here) has shaped Western atonement theory. Unfortunately, Anselm’s theology “went wrong” in two ways: (1) Anselm himself overlooked key parts of biblical theology, and (2) then latter theologians misinterpreted Anselm. Making Anselm More Biblical Anselm’s Cur …
Atonement for Honor-Shame Cultures
In terms of honor and shame, how does Christ’s death atone for sin? This question got answered 1,000 years ago by Anselm, a Benedictine monk and archbishop of Canterbury who developed the “satisfaction” atonement theory. Anselm’s work Cur Deus Homo …
Does God Shame Christians?
God’s salvation causes shame. After God atones for your sins, then you will have shame. God wants his people to feel shame. In Ezekiel 16, God denounces Israel for becoming vile sluts and shameless whores. Then he says to them: …
Can You Shame God?
Can you shame God? The biblical answer is yes. Though this may initially sound sacrilegious, the fact that people shame God pervades scripture and profoundly impacts your relationship with God. People despise and scorn God. In other words, we fail to …
Lausanne Article: “Honor & Shame in God’s Mission”
The latest issue of the Lausanne Global Analysis includes my article “Honor & Shame in God’s Mission.” This short primer (1,600 words) is available online for free, so functions as a 5-minute introduction to honor-shame. The article explains: (1) the meaning of honor & shame, …
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A Better Definition of Honor-Shame Cultures—”Connection”
How might we define “honor-shame cultures”? Many people implicitly associate “honor-shame culture” with “violence.” Westerners perceive honor-shame cultures as aggressive and combative. This reason (proposed in my prior post) is because the Western mind perceives honor-based violence as “senseless” and “incomprehensible,” unlike the …
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A Western Bias: “Honor-Shame Cultures are Violent”
“Cultures of honor and shame are violent.” This common assumption is a myth rooted in a pejorative cultural bias. Westerners often define honor-shame cultures by their violent retaliation against personal slights. People in honor-shame cultures are sensitive about their reputation, …
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New Training Video about Ethics and Discipleship
“Transforming Honor” is a new training video about biblical ethics, morality, and discipleship in honor-shame cultures. My aim with this video is to (1) transform Western misconceptions about honor cultures and (2) transform honor into a positive source for moral change. The 33-minute resource is …
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5 Reasons the West is Becoming More Shame Based
“Young people these days are becoming more shame based.” The previous post showed how data from TheCultureTest.com collaborates this common observation. But this observation naturally evokes the “why?” question. Why is Western culture becoming more shame based? Here I identify are …
The Rise of Shame in America
Younger people in the West are becoming more sensitive to shame.Western culture as a whole, not just particular segments, appears to be shifting from guilt and toward shame. The Christianity Today cover article “The Return of Shame” noted how “shame is …
Microaggressions and “Reverse Honor”: America’s Latest Moral System
A new moral system has emerged in America. It is shaped by the language of privilege, class, bias, inequality, tolerance, and inclusion. This new moral system has taken definitive expression in the issue of microaggressions.Microaggressions are “brief, everyday exchanges that …
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4 Benefits of Learning about Honor & Shame
Why learn about honor and shame? Here are four benefits.1. HermeneuticsI once saw a Turkish person read Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son (Lk 15). He read the opening verse about the son asking for his inheritance, closed the Bible, and declared, “That …
Unthankfulness = Sin. So, Happy Thanksgiving!
The English word “thanksgiving” means food and football. The biblical concept is far different. In honor-shame cultures, the ideology of patronage structures most relationships. This means clients are morally obligated to express thankfulness and gratitude to patrons. The failure to properly reciprocate …