Category: Ministry

ministry exploring a practical missiology for honor-shame contexts

By Posted on Posted in leadership, Ministry, Missiology, patronage, Relationships 1 Comment Tagged with , ,
Let’s start with the obvious—patronage has a P.R. problem. For many people, patronage seems like nepotism, corruption, colonialism, and the mafia! The phrase “biblical patronage” sounds like an oxymoron. Although patron-client relationships are often corrupted and broken, I propose that …

How to Make Patronage “Biblical” Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Communication, Culture, Ministry, Resources No Comments Tagged with , , , , ,
Since being released in late 2014, people have found creative and strategic uses for The Culture Test. The following four stories shows areas where an awareness of guilt-shame-fear dynamics can be beneficial. 1. Theological Apologetics Martin was a Kenyan Christian …

4 Practical Ways To Use The Culture Test Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Culture, Honor, Ministry, Missiology, Shame 4 Comments Tagged with , ,
People often assume Africa is a “fear-power” culture. The animistic and magical practices of African Traditional Religions (ATRs) reflect the values of fear-power. Although Africa ranks higher in the fear-power category than other regions of the world according to The …

Is Africa ‘Power-Fear’ or ‘Honor-Shame’? 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 Communication, Culture, Honor, Ministry, Relationships, Shame 6 Comments Tagged with , , ,
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 …

Raising Support in Honor-Shame Cultures: 5 Tips Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Communication, Culture, ethics, Honor, Ministry, Missiology, Resources, Spirituality, Wesetern 2 Comments Tagged with , , , ,
“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 …

New Training Video about Ethics and Discipleship Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Bible, Communication, Evangelism, Ministry, Missiology, Resources 4 Comments Tagged with , , , , ,
Biblical writers communicated God’s honor for the shamed through stories. Narratives recount how God saves his people from disgrace and displays honor.Here is a story set of 30 biblical narratives that address honor and shame. For a more complete list , …

Set of 30 Bible Stories about Honor & Shame Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Communication, Culture, leadership, Ministry 1 Comment Tagged with , , , ,
Patricia Toland (Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies, Biola University) has served in Africa and Latin America since 1990 mobilizing the Latino church and training Latino Missionaries. She also lectures, trains, and ministers internationally to missionaries on the field and in universities.Church …

Honor & Patronage Among Church Leaders Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Communication, Culture, ethics, Ministry, Relationships, Resources 1 Comment Tagged with , , ,
For people to understand, you must speak their language. Obvious, huh?But most Westerners ignore this basic rule of communication in their cross-cultural relationships. To meaningfully communicate love and honor to people, we must use the cultural “grammar” of honor-shame in …

6 Keys for Relationships in Honor-Shame Cultures Read more »