This post highlights a few observations that will help the church use honor & shame to engage social issues. (In Part 1, I showed how LGBT advocates effectively use shame to propel their agenda.) Engaging a “Fame-Shame” Culture These observations do not mean the church should simply increase its own use of shame in order to win cultural battles. I’ll offer two reasons. 1. The church is a relatively weak social group. Shame as a tool is generally employed by... Read more
If the LGBT movement has anything, it’s an ironic sense of shame. I’m not talking about sexual morality. I refer to a major reason for the success of LGBT efforts to spur political and social change. They demonstrate uncanny unity in using shame to achieve their goals. This is one reason people do not listen to the church. Therefore, we ask, “What can the church learn from LGBT about shame?” The Power of Shame LGBT supporters effectively utilize the power... Read more
In order to teach the Bible and share the gospel, we do best to understand both how stories work and how people learn. If we lack sufficient knowledge of either, we might create unnecessary challenges to our ministry. In mission circles, “story” is often linked with orality and UPG work. Among theologians, the entire Bible is frequently described as one grand “Story.” Whoever we are, all people both enjoy but think in terms of story. Story is the brain’s most... Read more
Contextualization requires character more than competence. Too few people talk about this. As a result, all discussion focuses on (important) intellectual issues but rarely is consideration given to the character that yields good contextualization. Yes, contextualization often requires a bit of creativity and experimentation. But what else goes into it? The Character of Biblical Contextualization You might be surprised to see what character attributes I emphasize and I how think they apply to ministry. 1. Humility Nothing is more essential... Read more
As I’ve said many times before, the Chinese church needs more teaching in the original biblical languages of Hebrew and Greek. For those who engage in this ministry, this is the post for you. Recently, Scott Callaham, a professor at Baptist Theological Seminary (Singapore), published an insightful article titled: Biblical Hebrew in Chinese: Fostering the Rethinking of Teaching Method through Language Defamiliarization Even if you teaching the Hebrew and Greek in other languages, I think you’ll find the article helpful.... Read more
Previously, I described the distress I felt at a recent SABS conference. No doubt, hearing presenters so radically misuse Scripture was the low point, especially since those scholars call their work “contextual interpretation.” (Their terminology gives people wrong impressions about genuine contextualization) Now, I’ll share a high point from the week. Athalya Brenner-Idan (University of Amsterdam-Tel Aviv University), gave one of the most concise and significant rebuttals to so-called “contextual interpretations” I’ve ever seen. (She was the opening speaker for... Read more
Embed from Getty Images Working in strong honor-shame cultures should make us rethink assumptions about leading others. For example, here are a few quotes from this BBC article: “If you don’t hear from your Japanese manager, you’re doing well.” “If you go around and keep telling your employees ‘terrific job,’ they’re going to wonder what’s wrong. Because, they’ll think, what’s terrific about doing your job? That’s what you’re supposed to do.” For foreign managers, the temptation may be to reply... Read more
Here’s the 4th installment in my ongoing video series. This training video explains various ways that honor and shame shape the message of the Bible. It particularly looks at key doctrines such sin, salvation and others. Part One explained the “what” and “why” of contextualization. Part Two gave an overview about “how” we contextualize the gospel in any culture. Part Three clarified the meaning of honor and shame. For these and various other videos, check out my media page.... Read more
Two recent articles well illustrate some important dynamics within contemporary Chinese culture. They further show how how honor-shame (e.g. an emphasis on relationships, concern for reputation, etc.) shape various aspects of daily life. These snapshots should alert us to the need to approach ministry in China in different ways that are used in the West. 1. TV Show Spotlights Middle Class Anxieties in China (Wall Street Journal) A hit Chinese TV drama that tells the story of three families who... Read more
Being a pastor is hard. Crossing a culture as a missionary is hard. Being a parent and a Christian in this world feels impossible some days. Theology and missiology concern more than the mind. They require a lot of heart if we are to grasp the significance of God’s calling for his people. This is why I sometimes show videos like these. The lesson this teacher shares with the student and his father have significance for us as well. It’s... Read more
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