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Adults learn best by practicing and engaging with material. So, when I teach honor-shame, I strive to incorporate non-lecture activities at least 30% of the time. Last week, I led a 10-hour training on honor-shame. Usually, I would use various …

Discussion Questions for Honor-Shame Read more »

People approach honor-shame in five different ways. These can be organized as stages people progress through as their understanding grows. The five phases are painted with a broad brush, and each person has their own learning journey. Yet, here is …

5 Levels of Honor-Shame Understanding Read more »

On Thursday, November 7, Dr. Te-Li Lau Trinity Evangelical Divinity School will present research about emotion and shame in Paul. You may join us in Abilene, Texas, or register for free to join online. To stream the lectures, register at https://acu-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8z0mpw_SS5WoxWzUhJ03eA#/registration …

Lectures by Dr. Te-Li Lau Read more »

This post is an short excerpt from Mark Baker’s new book, Freedom From Religiosity and Judgmentalism: Studies in Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. The book interprets Galatians through the lens of charis (grace/gift), honor-shame, and centered-church theory, all topics he …

New Honor-Shame Book on Galatians Read more »

The Singapore Bible College is hosting the conference “Contextual Issues of Honor & Shame in Spiritual Formation” September 11–13, 2023, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm (GMT + 8:00). The conference can be attended in person or online for free. Click here …

Free Online Honor-Shame Conference (Sept 11–13) Read more »

If you’re looking for a sermon that will grow your understanding of honor (especially in American culture), I recommend “A Community of Honor in a Culture of Contempt” by John Mark Comer.  In the sermon, Comer explores the idea of …

A Sermon about Honor Read more »

David deSilva’s book Honor, Patronage, Kinship, and Purity is a sort of cult classic in terms of honor-shame and NT backgrounds. I still remember reading the book on a camping trip in 2006 and thinking on each page, “This makes so …

deSilva’s Classic Book, 2nd Ed. Read more »

  Jackson Wu and Ryan Jensen have authored a new book, Seeking God’s Face: Practical Reflections on Honor and Shame in Scripture. Many people will enjoy the devotional and challenging content. This post is one of the 101 practical reflections.    …

Seeking God’s Face—A New HS Book with Practical Reflections Read more »

Mark Baker’s new book, Centered-Set Church: Discipleship and Community without Judgementalism, will be helpful for anyone interested in developing healthy church communities. The problem is that many churches are really good at drawing lines. As a result, some people learn …

Developing Communities with Redefined Honor & Shame Read more »

Guest Dr. Te-Li Lau is an Associate Professor of New Testament at TEDS and author of Defending Shame: Its Formative Power in Paul’s Letters (Baker Academic, 2020), from which this post draws. We live in an age where many consider shame …

Defending Shame Read more »

Ajith Fernando has published a recent article titled “Confronting Lying Biblically in Honour- and Shame-Oriented Cultures” (Evangelical Review of Theology, 2022) This a topic many people struggle to address with truth, wisdom, and love. As he has for decades, Ajith …

Confronting Lying in HS Cultures Read more »

The 17th-century English Puritans had an intense commitment to biblical teaching on sin, salvation, and genuine conversion. They brought their attention to both the guilt-innocence and honor-shame themes in Scripture. Just as for the guilty sinner in the hands of …

John Owen on Salvation from Shame Read more »

Charles R. Harle (MS, Oregon State University) lived and taught ESL for a year in China then for 18 years worked with colleges and universities in China to recruit, train and place native English speaking ESL teachers. The Oxford Languages …

Mercy in Honor-Shame Contexts Read more »

Hospitality—the welcome and provision of guests and strangers—was important in the ancient world. It remains an important aspect of honor-shame cultures. The previous post explained what hospitality accomplishes at a social level. This post introduces the NT teaching on hospitality.  …

Hospitality: The Theological Meaning Read more »

Hospitality is a significant aspect of honor-shame cultures. Many people know this through personal experience. When you visit someone from a Majority World culture, you receive a lavish and generous welcome. Besides the quality of hospitality, the quantity is also …

Hospitality: The Social Meaning Read more »