In China, people will simply tell you, “You’re fat,” as a way of showing affection. For them, making such comments (including “You’re too skinny”) expresses their concern for your health. Most Americans can’t “hear” the love. I think something similar goes on in the social media exchanges, as typified by Jonathan Leeman’s recent 9Mark editorial and the flurry of reactions it spurred. For me, this is a painful post to write. My flesh wants to “pick a side” and spout... Read more
Last year, Werner Mischke and I teamed up to offer training that addresses honor and shame issues for women from Middle Eastern, Persian, and South Asian backgrounds. In partnership with the Middle East Women’s Leadership Network, we sponsored a contest among participants. We challenged the women to produce media projects that apply what they learn within their ministry context. The linked video below was chosen as the winner! Enjoy and share your thoughts. Here are a few questions to get... Read more
We are all stereotypical in some way. Not only do we all fit into a box; we fit into several of them. And guess what–– that’s ok! Read more
China is now considering a new law where parents could be punished for their children’s bad behavior. Let's look at the law's logic. Read more
In this post, we examine possible honor and shame implications of vertical and horizontal individualism and collectivism. Read more
Not all individualist cultures are the same; neither are all collective contexts the same. We know that. But what makes them different? Read more
Did you know that honor even affects how people respond to Covid? While you might have guessed as much, explaining how is more difficult. Read more
Does the Bible clearly present a distinct, normative vision of masculinity and femininity, one that transcends every culture and age? Read more
Toxic gendering is when we embrace some fruit of the Spirit as primarily masculine or primarily feminine rather than being fully human. Read more
This post prepares us to answer the question, “When do masculinity and femininity become toxic?” (discussed in part 2). It highlights some challenges we face in defining masculinity and femininity. Among them is the tendency to confuse what is cultural normal with what is biblical normative Read more
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