Tag: Honor
After Constantine converted to Christianity in AD 312, every Roman emperor was Christian (at least nominally). This fact is remarkable, considering both the great pride Romans had long placed in worshiping their Gods and the fact the (Eastern) Roman Empire …
“Honor” in the New Testament
The main New Testament word for honor is timē. The word refers to the value of an object. In material transactions, the word means “price” or “a sum (of money).” For example The tomb that Abraham had bought for a …
Honor in the Old Testament
“How heavy are you?” In Western contexts, this question can be offensive. But in honor-shame cultures, the very question can be a gesture of respect because their mindset often assumes “weight=honor.” Here are a few examples from Central Asia. The …
7 Problems with Defining “Honor” & “Shame”
What do the words “honor” and “shame” mean? What is their theological meaning? These questions are surprisingly complex, for the several reasons listed here. This post explains 7 challenges with defining “honor” and “shame.” Honor and shame are invisible. The terms …
Crucifixion as “Exaltation” in the Gospels
Jesus was “lifted up” onto the cross. This phrase refers to the physical act of raising the person so that everyone could see. However, the term also has royal/status connotations. Crucifixion was a moment of exaltation. On this topic, Joel Marcus …
Crucifixion as Exaltation in Mark
When was Jesus exalted and gloried? In the Gospel of John, Jesus is gloried at the cross. The fourth gospel plays off the double meaning of “lifted up” (3:14; 8:28; 12:31-34; 13:18). When the Romans lift up the crucified Jesus …
Honor Is Not One Dimensional
Rich Y. (B.Th) has worked in the Arab world for eight years. When I was new to the Arab world, I used to have a one-dimensional view of “honor” and a stock approach to discipleship with Arabs—“Those who exalt themselves …
CAUTION: Honor-Shame is “Unbalanced” and “Extreme”!!
“Watch out! Honor and shame can lead to unbalanced extremes!” At least this is the concern of some people when they hear about honor-shame. They worry that emphasizing honor-shame might lead Christians to neglect essential tenets of orthodox, biblical theology. …
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3 In 1: Integrating Guilt, Shame, and Fear
People often voice the concern that reducing cultures down to “guilt,” “shame,” or “fear” is oversimplifying reality—“Aren’t cultures a combination of these factors?” Most certainly. Cultures are too complex to be isolated into just three boxes. These are not three …
The Honor-Shame Paraphrase
Reading the Bible across cultures can be difficult; however, the task is certainly not impossible. With cultural awareness, people today can accurately interpret the Bible by bridging the cultural gap between our world and the biblical world. The Honor-Shame Paraphrase …
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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Shame & Honor—Are They “New” Ideas?
Sandra Freeman has served with her husband in Botswana since 2001 doing discipleship and business mentoring. She blogs at “Edge of the Kalahari.”Someone recently expressed concern about honor and shame, saying they are normally cautious about new ideas. I agree it …
Honor & Patronage Among Church Leaders
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. …
The 3 Kinds of Honor
The three types of honor are bad honor, good honor, and eternal honor. People use the same word “honor” for all three, and this causes confusion. Failing to note the three kinds of honor affects our discipleship and theology. So here …
The 3 Sources of Honor
Please help with improving HonorShame.com. Take this super-short survey so we can learn more about readers and your preferences. The survey takes just 77 seconds. Thanks! ~JaysonHonor is like vitamin C—you know where it comes from (oranges) and what is produces (a stronger immune …
The 3 Dimensions of Honor
I have been writing about honor for three years now. So, I guess it’s time to define the word honor.Defining honor is like catching the wind—it is all around you, but you can’t get your hands on it. Honor is …
5 Lessons I Learned From Being a Terrible Patron
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 …
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How Honor Baffled (& Awed) C. S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis preached “The Weight of Glory” in 1942. In this sermon he speaks personally about his understanding of the biblical promises of honor and glory. Here are 4 phases of his theology.1. C.S. Lewis saw honorOne can hardly read the …
How Trump Thinks Like Jesus
Jesus Christ and Donald Trump share a remarkable similarity—they both promise honor. What is “honor”?Honor is essentially status or respect in a community. Such honor comes about in two ways—inclusion and exaltation. The campaign of Donald Trump and gospel of Jesus Christ …
How Do “Lives Matter”?
“Black lives matter.” “All lives matter.” “Blue lives matter.”These activist slogans are causing a stir. What is the matter with “lives matter”? How can such affirming statements be so divisive?Lives Do Matter. But How?Each slogan claims worth and value for …