Jackson Wu - Page 2 of 59 - Doing Theology. Thinking Mission.

Adam, Israel, and Union with Christ in Romans

September 12, 2018 By Jackson Wu

Wendel Sun says “union with Christ” is central to New Testament theology. To make that assertion, one had better defend it from the Bible. Otherwise, we should dismiss it such claims as being mere personal preference, a theologian’s “pet doctrine.” Read more

Union with Christ creates a new people in Christ

September 5, 2018 By Jackson Wu

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whenever I heard phrases like “union with Christ,” I inwardly rolled my eyes. I thought it referred to a mystical concept with little relationship to the Bible and no practical importance for the Christian life. I was so wrong. Thankfully, Wendel Sun has just published a game changing book on the subject. Read more

Is honor significant for society?

August 28, 2018 By Jackson Wu

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Why does honor matter at a social level? Tamler Sommers’ Why Honor Matters offers several answers worth our consideration. Whatever your views on various social issues, there’s much to appreciate about Sommers’ comments. Sommers’ integrates the insights of multiple disciplines. Rather than sharping an ideological axe, he acknowledges nuance and recognizes the concerns of different groups. Here are a few issues addressed in the book: responding to refuges handling immigration restorative justice Honor, Crime, and Community The author recognizes advantages to… Read more

Love Lost for the Cause of Christ

August 21, 2018 By Jackson Wu

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“I never made a sacrifice.” It doesn’t always feel like that. In Love Lost for the Cause of Christ, Brooks looks at three missionaries whose lives shunned the idea that finding “true love” was the most important thing in life. In fact, they found love but were willing to sacrifice it. Read more

Have Theologians No Sense of Shame? How the Bible Reconciles Objective and Subjective Shame

August 14, 2018 By Jackson Wu

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Have you noticed how people use the word “shame” in different ways? What is the relationship between these perspectives on shame? These questions motivated me to write a newly published article in Themelios called “Have Theologians No Sense of Shame? How the Bible Reconciles Objective and Subjective Shame.” In it, I hope people will better grasp shame’s theological and practical significance.Everyone agrees that shame is a pervasive problem. Yet, in book and articles, we find writers often talk past one… Read more

Living without Honor is Immoral?

August 8, 2018 By Jackson Wu

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How does honor shape our views of morality? How does not having an honor perspective influence moral behavior? We consider these questions in this third post in a series reviewing Tamler Sommers’ Why Honor Matters. (Click on links for Part 1, Part 2) What are Honor Norms? Sommers explores “norms” commonly found in honor cultures. He first explains, Norms are the rules or principles that govern human behavior within society. Every known society has norms, and human beings have an innate… Read more

How Honor Motives Moral Behavior

August 1, 2018 By Jackson Wu

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When it comes to honor, Tamler Sommers is a realist, not a romantic. He challenges readers to set aside their assumptions about honor and morality. In so doing, we notice the pervasive and inescapable influence of honor on our lives. Honor and Identity In Why Honor Matters, he says, “Honor is social; it cannot exist for individuals in isolation” (p. 17). Sommers notes a distinction between honor and non-honor cultures–– they understand “identity” in different ways. Humans are inherently social… Read more

Why Honor Matters is a must read. Here’s why.

July 25, 2018 By Jackson Wu

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Why Honor Matters will be one of the most significant and controversial books of the year. I waited almost a year to receive my copy of Tamler Sommers’ Why Honor Matters. I was not disappointed. It is now one of my favorite books on honor and shame. And, as you might know, I’ve read a lot of them, having written my dissertation and other publications on the subject. A Practical Perspective The author is a philosophy professor at the University of… Read more

7 Dangers for Missionaries from Guilt-Innocence Cultures

July 18, 2018 By Jackson Wu

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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 Jackson Wu

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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