Everyone but the All Nations missions organization seems to agree that John Chau was not prepared for his trip to the North Sentinelese people. Most writers do not give a lot of specifics, though Ed Stetzer and others stress that Chau at least should have gone with a team. In this post, we will look at how the church views missionary training and then offer a few specific suggestions I’d have given Chau and All Nations. The most undertrained people... Read more
People associated with The Gospel Coalition (TGC) tend to emphasize "guilt" over honor and shame. More than a few writers seem wary of stressing honor-shame for fear of minimizing the importance of guilt. So, I was surprised and delighted to see D. A. Carson's comments about shame in this month's issue of Themelios. Read more
Sadly, missionary John Chau’s death to the North Sentinelese people will set back the effort to mobilize missionaries. That’s not entirely John Chau’s fault. It’s one natural consequence of “outcome bias.” Outcome Bias is a Plague among Missionaries Everyone who hears about John Chau’s fateful trip to North Sentinel Island has an opinion. The range of reactions is predictable. Rather than ascribe praise or blame to Chau’s efforts, let’s consider what we can learn and identify potential confusion that surrounds... Read more
At the Patronage Symposium in October, some of the participants discussed the meaning of pistis (i.e., faith) and its relationship to patronage, reciprocity, etc. This subject has several layers to it. In the process, I had what felt like an epiphany, a possible breakthrough about a highly debated issue. Read more
In the first post, I gave an overview of reciprocity in China. We then considered why the practice of reciprocity differs across cultures. These two posts highlight key ideas from my recent talk given at the Patronage Symposium. The video is available here. Click here for the PDF. We tend to classify Western cultures as “individualistic” and most non-Western cultures as “collectivistic.” In reality, even so-called “individualistic” (sub)cultures have “collectivist” tendencies. Why? Because humans are social beings. All people simultaneously... Read more
I’ve said before that patronage might be the most misunderstood and overlooked aspect of traditional cultures. This is why I’m thrilled that the talks from the recent Patronage Symposium in Beirut have now been released. Accordingly, for the next few posts will make up a mini-series touching on various aspects of the topic. Today’s post gives an overview of the talk I gave at the Patronage Symposium. FYI–– a video of my talk is now available on YouTube! It is... Read more
For some reason, few people seriously consider how honor and shame influence the biblical doctrine of atonement. Most scholarly writings are cursory theological treatments, not rigorous exegetical treatments. Fortunately, the tide is slowly changing. Read more
Why has America grown more individualistic? Many people describe American culture (and the West more generally) as individualistic. Elsewhere, I’ve explained why such individualism is detrimental to the church. If so, a question is worth asking, “Why has America grown more individualistic?” The answer no doubt is multi-faceted. For instance, we might point to increased wealth, philosophical shifts, abuses in power, or Christianity’s emphasis on individual dignity. In light of the upcoming mid-term election in the States, I will focus... Read more
A previous post noted four ways that Paul challenges the fear and shame that potentially grew in Timothy’s heart. In 2 Timothy 1, he appeals to Timothy’s identity, the gospel, his hope, and others’ positive and negative examples. This post highlights two more strategies in 2 Timothy 2 for combatting shame. Reinforce and Reframe Paul begins chapter 2 by reinforcing his prior comments. For example, he makes a series of identity statements in vv. 1–6, linking identities with their practical implications.... Read more
Shame has significant theological and practical importance. Paul spends the entire letter of 2 Timothy attempting to preclude Timothy’s own growing sense of shame. By examining Paul’s approach, we'll be better equipped to strengthen others and overcome any fear and shame that linger within our hearts. Read more
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