7 Dangers for Missionaries from Guilt-Innocence Cultures

July 18, 2018 By Brad Vaughn

A recent post on TGC warns against the dangers of becoming imbalanced when serving in honor-shame cultures. Jayson Georges’ exceptional response is a must-read. He replies via three main points: He poses the question, “In reality, who is unbalanced?” The imbalance among honor-shame proponents is hypothetical, not real. The reaction against honor-shame misrepresents the topic. If you have not seen Jayson’s post, it’s worth reading just for the sake of the comic he uses. Are Westerners Guilty of Under Correction?... Read more

Train Up a Child …But How?

July 11, 2018 By Brad Vaughn

Unfortunately Proverbs 22:6 is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible. Why “unfortunately”? Because it is routinely translated to say the opposite of its actual meaning. Problematic Translation Here is the translation of Proverbs 22:6 in the ESV and CUV. “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” “教养孩童, 使他走当行的道, 就是到老他也不偏离.” The problematic phrase is “in the way he should go” or, in Chinese, “使…当行的道”.... Read more

We are defined by what we honor and shame

July 3, 2018 By Brad Vaughn

“We are our memories,” so we think. It turns out that’s not true. Various studies indicate the things we honor and shame determine our identity more than do our memories. Morality defines “me” In her book Passing Judgment, Terri Apter summarizes the findings of several empirical studies. She writes, In fact, our judgments are more integral to who we are than our memories. It is widely recognized that brain damage can change one’s personality: those who suffer dementia, for example,... Read more

Integrating Symbol, Story, and Ritual (by Tom Steffen)

June 27, 2018 By Brad Vaughn

If one’s worldview is constructed through the integration of symbol and story rehearsed through ritual on the anchor and master levels, it will be deconstructed the same way so that it can be reconstructed. Rival symbols, stories, and rituals, in an integrative way, must replace ones that formerly gave allegiance to false gods. Transforming one’s worldview is the replacement of formerly held symbols, stories, and rituals with rival ones. This re-symboling, re-storying, and re-ritualing results in much more than changed observable behavior; it results in the deep-level alteration of the heart; it results in a new worldview script, new symbols, all of which are rehearsed through new rituals. Read more

Looking Back on the Orality Movement (Tom Steffen)

June 20, 2018 By Brad Vaughn

“You’re not going to bed until I hear about what you’ve been doing in Palawan,” I impetuously dictated to Trevor McIlwain in 1980. Our conversation went deep into the night. What I heard was something that would change Christian communicators and their recipients around the globe. Read more

ChinaSource looks at denominations in China and its churches

June 14, 2018 By Brad Vaughn

Last week, I wrote a post explaining the structure of many Chinese churches and the influence of patronage in pastoral relationships. By coincidence, ChinaSource Quarterly just published an entire issue discussing denominationalism in China. Read more

The Message of Genesis 1 in a Single Picture

June 13, 2018 By Brad Vaughn

When Moses taught Genesis 1, he wasn’t thinking to himself, “Hmm. What would Darwin say?” Most people will concede, “Yes, I know the purpose of Genesis 1 is not to refute evolution or the Big Bang.” In practice, however, they routinely use the chapter for the sake of apologetics at the expense of its message. The Purpose of Creation In China, like elsewhere, believers and non-believers debate the meaning of the Bible’s opening account. I personally think most of these... Read more

Polity and Patronage in Chinese Churches

June 6, 2018 By Brad Vaughn

How do Chinese house churches organize themselves? How does Chinese culture influence church structure? What are the implications? Read more

Paige Patterson is ousted as seminary president

May 23, 2018 By Brad Vaughn

Many of you read about Paige Patterson’s comments a few weeks ago. Here is the latest in a long sad story from Christianity Today. School trustees announced early Wednesday morning that Patterson, one of the most powerful and influential figures in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), had become the seminary’s president emeritus overnight, appointing theology dean Jeffrey Bingham as interim president. After deliberation that went on past 3 a.m., the board voted him into paid retirement, complete with an on-campus... Read more

China’s Five-Year Plan for Adapting Christianity to Chinese Socialism

May 23, 2018 By Brad Vaughn

Many people have heard about China's plan to "sinicize" Christianity. What does that mean? The government has published its "sinicization" plans online, both in Mandarin and English. Here are some of highlights. Read more