In the third major section of Saving God’s Face, I try to grasp the inner logic of face, honor, and shame. Here are some of the questions I explore: How do honor and shame shape what one thinks is moral and immoral? Should “honor-shame” be contrasted with “law”? Is honor-shame an “Eastern” idea? Does honor-shame thinking reduce to relativism, as is commonly supposed? Can we treat “glory” and “honor” as synonyms? What role do honor and shame have in the... Read more
Check out Werner Mischke’s post “What does it mean to contextualize the gospel?“ http://www.slideshare.net/WernerMischke/contextualizing-the-gospel [UPDATE: Werner left a comment letting us know that the above link is not downloadable. Instead, you can click here for the same presentation with some added details.] He opens with a question posed by the late missionary-theologian Lesslie Newbigin, How can the gospel “come alive” in all these different cultural contexts, and still be the same authentic gospel? That is the problem... Read more
There is a subtle but serious distinction between faith and face. Consider John 7:1–24. I’ve pasted the entire text at the bottom of this post. For now, I’ll set the scene with vv. 3–5, “So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the... Read more
This is week 3 of my series introducing my book Saving God’s Face. And I’m still giving away books! This weeks theme and the books are all about honor, shame, and “face.” Someone is going to win a copy of my book plus a choice of 2 out of three books 1. Lost Letters of Pergamum, The: A Story from the New Testament World 2. The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently…and Why 3. Misreading Scripture with... Read more
What does Beijing have to do with Jerusalem? Well, imagine you live in the following setting. Your two primary concerns have always been family and nation. Your most basic identity was decided at birth. Your ethnic identity and sense of belonging are inextricably tied together. Even at the governmental level, other countries would say you are very “nationalistic.” Your countrymen seem to divide the world in two––insiders and foreigners. History is not a thing of the past. Rather, everything centers... Read more
What’s the difference between “theology” & “Chinese theology”? This video makes me think of contextualizing theology (as pretty much everything does). Have you ever noticed that when people talk about theology from around the world, they tend to say things like “African theology,” “Chinese theology,” “Indian theology,” or something like that. However, Westerners don’t tend to add adjectives like “Western” or “American” in front of their own “theology.” Many people will simply say they want to be “biblical.” According to... Read more
Would you use a tradition presentation to preach the gospel to a “Tiger Mom“? In the last point, I suggested that traditional formulations and methods may not address Eastern questions and problems. For example, in my first point, I noted that the Tiger mom’s rigorous and self disciplined zeal for perfection is not like that of Luther, who worried how God would accept him as an imperfect sinner. As with other Chinese people, Chua is not thinking about God at... Read more
How would you preach the gospel to someone like a “Tiger Mom”? Amy Chua, who wrote Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, characterizes a contrast between Chinese and Western parents. Chinese parents believe that their kids owe them everything. . . . [T]he understanding is that Chinese children must spend their lives repaying their parents by obeying them and making them proud. By contrast, I don’t think most Westerners have the same view of children being permanently indebted to their... Read more
This is week 2 of a 4 week series introducing my book Saving God’s Face, where I’m giving my book away along with other books related to the week’s topic. This week’s theme is China. Since I know some people may not have an interest in China exactly, I’m offering the choice of two packages of free books. Someone will get my book and one of the following two book packages: #1) China Saving Face in China: A First-Hand Guide... Read more
How do we define contextualization? Judging from the books and articles I’ve read on the subject, it might be easier to explain the Trinity than contextualization. One person’s “contextualization” is another person’s “compromise.” How can we do contextualization if we can’t explain what it is? In this post, I want to suggest a way of organizing the most common evangelical views on contextualization. By clarifying our categories, I think the following taxonomy can help us to stop talking past each... Read more
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