Category: Theology

posts related to expounding Gods’ word for honor-shame contexts

By Posted on Posted in Bible, Christology, Honor, Jesus, Spirituality, Theology 1 Comment Tagged with , , , , , ,
Dr. Kenneth Bailey (1930-2016) was an MK and New Testament professor who has spent most of his life in the Middle East. His many books (e.g., Jesus in Mediterranean Eyes) explain the cultural and honor-shame elements of the gospels. This explanation of …

Partaking in His Glory (Dr. Ken Bailey) Read more »

By Posted on Posted in OT, Relationships, Shame, Sin, Theology 12 Comments Tagged with , , , , ,
When David slept with Bathsheba (2 Sam 11:1-13), why was that sin? David thought nothing was amiss, “but the thing that David had done displeased Yahweh” (2 Sam 11:27). Exactly why was God displeased? Despite common assumptions, the Bible does not portray David’s …

How David Sinned with Bathsheba Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Communication, Evangelism, Honor, News, Theology 5 Comments Tagged with , , , , ,
Bruce Sidebotham (D.Min., New Geneva Theological Seminary) spent 7 years doing cross-cultural ministry in Indonesia. He directs the ministry called Operation Reveille that helps service personnel with cross-cultural relations. Why do Muslims attempt to defend the honor of Islam against insults? Amidst the …

Why Muslims Defend God’s Honor Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Bible, Culture, Evangelism, Honor, Missiology, Theology 1 Comment Tagged with , , , , ,
Guest Jackson Wu teaches Chinese pastors and blogs at www.JacksonWu.org. His latest book is One Gospel for All Nations: A Practical Approach to Biblical Contextualization. When meeting up recently, he mentioned how our books share some overlap. Here’s the idea. …

One Gospel for Shame, Guilt, & Fear Cultures? Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Communication, Evangelism, Honor, Ministry, Missiology, Theology 5 Comments Tagged with , ,
Christian mission mediates God’s honor into the world. The church is the very means by which people experience and understand the glory of God. We are God’s instrument for overcoming shame. Communicating God’s honor happens relationally, not just verbally. How …

Putting Honor Into Action Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Bible, Culture, Honor, NT, Theology 2 Comments Tagged with , , , , ,
Dr. John Barclay is Lightfoot Professor of Divinity at Durham University. His latest book Paul & The Gift (Eerdmans, 2015) is being hailed as “pioneering” and “ground-breaking.” At the recent Society of Biblical Literature, several people called it “the most important book on Pauline …

The Meaning of God’s Grace Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Evangelism, Ministry, Resources, Shame, Theology No Comments Tagged with , , , ,
This “Field Guide” (at www.ZwemerCenter.com) explains 9 must-knows for ministry in honor-shame societies, especially Muslim contexts. Muslims live (and die) for honor. Guilt and shame are two different cultural/moral systems. Shame is not just an Arab or Asian characteristic. The Bible is …

9 Must-Knows for Muslim Ministry Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Bible, Christology, Honor, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Ministry, NT, Theology 1 Comment Tagged with , , , ,
How is Jesus’ death good news for Muslims? Ten years ago this month EMQ published my article, “A Muslim Theology of Jesus’ Birth and Death.” Though it was well before I began thinking in “honor-shame” terms, I was surprised to see how much my ideas were already …

Jesus’ Death, for Muslims Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Ministry, Theology 9 Comments Tagged with , ,
Ancestors play in a familiar role in African society and religion. Some African theologians have used the category of ancestor to develop an “ancestral Christology.” The notion of Jesus as an ancestor, or brother-ancestor, seems worth exploring as a potential example of …

Is Jesus an “Honored Ancestor” for Africans? Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Bible, Christology, Honor, Jesus, Theology 6 Comments Tagged with , , , ,
Zech Hogan, a student from my class at Eternity Bible College, developed this 3-minute video about Jesus’ healing of the bleeding woman. Zech offers a great example of “Honor Christology.” For being a short video, it is quite amazing. I appreciate his creative and impactful …

Jesus’ Miraculous Healing Honor Read more »