Chaos, Creation and Corruption

February 25, 2015 By Brad Vaughn

People sometimes prefer to have two nicely divided categories: good or bad, right or wrong, love or hate, . . . . Similarly, in debates or conflicts, we are prone to label others either “for us” or “against us.” The debate over human origins has been plagued with false dichotomies. Some of the ones I hear most often include: conservative/liberal, literal/allegorical, perfect/fallen. In The Lost World of Adam and Eve, John Walton breaks the traditional mold. He interjects fresh terms... Read more

Honor-Shame in Ministry

February 19, 2015 By Brad Vaughn

Over at HonorShame.com, you’ll find two fantastic videos that will equip people very well for doing ministry in an honor-shame context. (In truth, honor and shame are “human” dynamics, so these videos are relevant everywhere.) Honor & Shame 101 In the first video, Jayson gives a summary of ways that honor-shame can influence our ministry. After watching the video, what would you add to the ideas mentioned in the above video? Honor & Shame 201 The second video... Read more

Adam and Eve are Ancient “Archetypes”

February 17, 2015 By Brad Vaughn

I’m in the midst of a review series on John Walton’s The Lost World of Adam and Eve: Genesis 2–3 and the Human Origins Debate. (Click here for Part 1, Part 2) Today, I will specifically look at Walton’s view of Adam and Eve. What is “Adam”? Walton further reminds us that “Adam” is not actually a proper name for a single individual. It is a collective noun, which refers to humanity. On rare occasions, it points to an individual,... Read more

Who's to blame?

February 12, 2015 By Brad Vaughn

Imagine how mission agencies, ministry teams and churches would be different if they took to heart Brene Brown’s words in this video. Read more

The Lost World of Adam and Eve

February 11, 2015 By Brad Vaughn

Previously, I introduced my series reviewing John Walton’s new book The Lost World of Adam and Eve: Genesis 2–3 and the Human Origins Debate. I set the context by explaining what Walton calls a “functional account” of creation (in contrast to a material account). Why tackle this Genesis/creation debate? I’ve been warned by a few people to stay away from this topic on the blog. It’s too much of a lightening rod issue, they say. Certainly so. The truth, however,... Read more

When Did God Make China?

February 4, 2015 By Brad Vaughn

People can’t seem to agree about when God made the world. So, perhaps we can adapt the question a bit. When did God create China? If you stop for a moment, that’s not at all an easier question. Sure, people will say China is somewhere between 3,000–5,000 years old (depending on your source). But to what does that “age” refer? What is “China”? We should clarify what we mean by “China.” Then might we understand what the questions even means... Read more

Nik Ripken on the Chinese Christian Context

January 28, 2015 By Brad Vaughn

Nik Ripken offers a rather succinct but helpful summary of the situation many Chinese Christians either presently face or have faced in recent decades. I thought some people would find it helpful. Some of the claims may only be true in certain places or in a earlier day. Overall, it gives people a good sense for the Chinese context. In The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected, Ripken writes, “What I appreciated most was their description of... Read more

China shames tourists

January 26, 2015 By Brad Vaughn

As my friend put it, you know that honor and shame are important to a culture when they decide to use shame to punish tourists who behave poorly. The Washington Post recently posted an article titled, “Beijing is embarrassed about unruly Chinese tourists and plans to ‘publicly shame’ them.” The article recounts a number of incidents where Chinese tourists have behaved, well, “uncivilized” (as China’s Vice Premiere put it). The government is tired of feeling embarrassed, so they will turn... Read more

A Simple Approach to Honor-Shame Gospel Presentations

January 22, 2015 By Brad Vaughn

A few months ago, I shared two videos that demonstrate what a gospel presentation might look like from an honor-shame perspective. 1. Do you want face? 2. How does God seek “face”? In this post, I want to discuss two questions that particularly shaped the first video (“Do you want face?”). For your convenience, I’ve reposted the video at the bottom so you can see how I used the simple approach discussed in this post. These questions address key themes... Read more

What is "The Global Gospel"?

January 20, 2015 By Brad Vaughn

Here’s a brand new book you will want to know about from my friend Werner Mischke. He serves as Executive Vice President and the Director of Training Ministries for Mission One. The Global Gospel will stretch people’s understanding of the gospel by uncovering a major blind spot in Western theology, namely, honor and shame. You’ll be led on a journey beyond a legal framework of the gospel—to one that is “legal plus regal.” How you communicate the gospel and live... Read more