A conversation with a young Central Asian Muslim changed my theology forever.We were having a conversation about God, and there was an open door to share the gospel, so I said something like, “Your sins make you guilty before God, …

3 Tips for Evangelism in Honor-Shame Cultures Read more »

Rich (B.Th) has worked in the Arab world for 6 years and is researching patronage in Arabic language, culture and theology.Arabs look to community leaders to help them, including managers, fathers, businessmen, celebrities and teachers. My university students expected me to …

5 Lessons I Learned From Being a Terrible Patron Read more »

The Problem with “Self-Righteousness”The term “self-righteous” is not a biblical term. Yes, the Bible does speak about a type of righteousness that is not of God, but the nature of this false-righteousness is rather different than commonly assumed.Romans 10:3 speaks about this …

How Self-Righteous Judaizers Boasted Read more »

In this Gospel Coalition video, Tim Keller offers some reflections about the role of shame in evangelism.I’m obviously delighted that Keller and TGC discuss honor-shame cultures in their gospel conversation. And Keller and the other folks at TGC are brilliant guys doing great work, for which …

Tim Keller & TGC Video on Shame Read more »

This post is part of the online conversation “Leading and Ministering in Honor-Shame Contexts” in April 2016. Click here to read reflections and insights from mission practioners. How can the gospel change people in honor-shame cultures?Remember, the gospel is not a tool for just making converts out …

A Gospel That Changes Read more »

For a recent training, I developed a two-sided 2″ x 6″ reference bookmark (pictured below). For people training and teaching on the topic of honor-shame, this may be a helpful reminder and tool to offer learners. Having something tangible increases learning and implementation. Side 1 explains the …

Free Reference Bookmark Read more »

The problem is Unfaithfulness. People have broken the relationship with God. Our disloyalty dishonors God. (Ez 36:21; Rom 1:21-23; 2:23; 3:23)The dilemma is Shame. Our dishonor means separation and disunion. We are shameful in God’s eyes, and feel shame. (Gen 3:7-8; Jer 3:8, 25; Rom 1:24)God’s solution …

The Gospel…in 5 words Read more »

The guilt-shame-fear trichotomy serves as a framework for interpreting Scripture and contextualizing theology, not merely understanding global cultures. Examining Scripture from multiple vantage points can help Christians acquire a fuller understanding of the gospel.In The 3D Gospel: Ministry in Guilt, Shame, and …

Guilt, Shame, & Fear in the Bible Read more »