Honor, Shame, and the Gospel-Reframing Our Message and Ministry

HONOR, SHAME, AND THE GOSPEL ENDORSEMENTS When I was in seminary, learning about honor, shame, and the impact of social values on culture and religion was transformative for my understanding of Scripture, theology, and the world. I am delighted to see this interdisciplinary contribution to honor-shame studies bring together influential scholars and practitioners from many backgrounds and contexts. I highly recommend for pastors and students, but also for all who care about the whole church bringing the whole gospel to the whole world. N K. G, PhD professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary Honor, Shame, and the Gospel brings afresh an important message and teaching to the attention of the global Church and mission. While in many ways the topic is not new, its renewed attention to the nexus of theology and mission practice today is timely. The richness of this book is in the conversation between different voices as they wrestle with reading scripture and its honor and shame perspective and apply it in a multiplicity of ministry contexts. While the reader can focus on individual chapters, the book is more than individual perspectives and is richer when read in the light of the dialogues that are happening between the individual understandings. It provides an excellent foundation for a much needed, broader, and deeper conversation that gives attention to the differing gendered, religious, and community experiences of honor and shame. C H, PhD co-founder of When Women Speak: Angelina Noble Women’s Mission Research Centre, Australian College of Theology I am completely convinced that it is high time for a major reframing of the gospel in the West. This is not only because our prevailing articulation of it is indexed to a completely different historic, religious, and cultural era, but also because the culture/s in which we now serve are immeasurably more complex and require a deeper understanding of honor-shame and how the gospel addresses this ubiquitous human experience. A H author of numerous award-winning books andfounder of Movement Leaders Collective and Forge Missional Training Network Written by leaders and practitioners with diverse missiological experiences, these essays and stories focus on the convergence of honor, shame, and the gospel, at both the theoretical and practical level. This timely volume will further your sensitivity towards honor-shame motifs in Scripture. Additionally, the stories that are drawn from nations as varied as Cambodia, Croatia, and Syria will surely challenge you to consider the strategic importance of such motifs for advancing the gospel in a global context. T-L L, PhD associate professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School We are in an era when we need to rethink how we are sharing the Gospel. What worked in earlier decades, or with previous generations, very often is no longer effective. Given the scope of global migration patterns, prior thinking that honor and shame cultures were for “others in a different part of the world” is no longer accurate. In almost any city or context that is not ethnically homogeneous, we now need to understand the concepts in this book if we want to be more effective in leading people to Christ and aiding them in their discipleship journeys. M L, PhD author of Women in God’s Mission managing director of the Church Evangelism Institute at the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center Missiologists have argued for decades that biblical interpretation and theologies emerge from the unarticulated experiences, presuppositions, values, and worldview of theologians and pastor/missionaries engaging scripture. This volume, with its focus on honor-shame, provides substantive documentation of that phenomena, but much more. In Part 1, seven essays explore diverse theological interpretations of scripture, all framed around general and specific questions of honor-shame and the gospel of Jesus Christ. In Part 2, eight essays provide case studies of ministry to persons who face honor/shame dilemmas in life and challenges for those who seek to share Christ or make disciples in these communities. The power of this volume lies in its diversity of perspectives—Kärkkäinen with an interdisciplinary reflection on honor, guilt, shame, face, and forgiveness; Georges on historic theology, Steffen with a clothesline theology for the world—which, with the other essays in the volume, embrace the whole of scripture, the diversity of theologies, and a sampling of the broadest range of missional engagement of humanity. This material overflows with rich insight, and provocative application for today’s global mission force, providing resources for theological and missiological reflection regardless of one’s culture of origin or one’s engagement in ministry. S G. L, PhD senior professor of Anthropology and provost emeritus, Fuller Theological Seminary This compendium highlights an exceptional collection of essays in the ongoing conversation about honor-shame dynamics in biblical, theological, and missiological studies. The wide range of essays contained in this volume will help enrich cross-cultural practice while also equipping the Church to grow as a global family. It is a welcome addition in facilitating understanding and love of neighbor between those in Western and Majority World contexts. G M, PhD Assistant Professor of Global Studies, Associate Director of International Missions for the Center for Great Commission Studies, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary In this single volume, God has brought together some of the world’s brightest crosscultural gospel communicators and thinkers to share with us the wisdom they have gleaned about worldview and how it is influenced by guilt, shame, and fear. Armed with this knowledge, missionaries are much better equipped for incarnational ministry than they were a few decades ago. R M WEC International, author of Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door It’s impossible to think about and practice mission today and bypass an honor-shame framework. This new resource offers a deep dive—theological, anthropological, and with case studies––into honor-shame missiological reflection. This will serve as a great resource for colleges, seminaries, and mission training centers equipping God’s people for twentyfirst-century mission. E S, PhD president, Evangelical Missiological Society dean, College of Intercultural Studies, Columbia International University Christopher Flanders and Werner Mischke in Honor, Shame, and the Gospel have brought together an astonishingly diverse selection of essays illuminating the long-neglected dynamics of shame and honor in our understanding of the Christian message. The result is nothing less than a tour de force in exposing the narrow frame of guilt-innocence which has dominated theological and ecclesial discourse for centuries, and, in the process, opening fresh avenues for a deepened understanding of the far-reaching power of the gospel for all peoples. These essays will stir your theological imagination to new heights! T C. T, PhD president, professor of World Christianity, Asbury Theological Seminary This book presents a collection of presentations of the 2017 Honor-Shame Conference. I recommend the book for reflective practitioners in biblical theology and missions. H W, PhD professor of Missiology, French-Speaking World HONOR, SHAME, AND THE GOSPEL Reframing Our Message and Ministry CHRISTOPHER FLANDERS & WERNER MISCHKE EDITORS Available at missionbooks.org Honor, Shame, and the Gospel: Reframing Our Message and Ministry © 2020 by William Carey Publishing All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except brief quotations used in connection with reviews in magazines or newspapers. For permission, email permissions@wclbooks.com. For corrections, email editor@ wclbooks.com. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked “ESV” are taken from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked “NASB” are taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org” Scripture quotations marked “CEB” are taken from the Common English Bible. © Copyright 2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved. Used by permission. (www.CommonEnglishBible.com). Scripture quotations marked “NRSV” are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked “CEB” are taken from the The Voice™. Copyright © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Published by William Carey Publishing 10 W. Dry Creek Cir Littleton, CO 80120 | www.missionbooks.org William Carey Publishing is a ministry of Frontier Ventures Pasadena, CA 91104 | www.frontierventures.org Werner Mischke and Mike Riester, cover design Mike Riester, interior design Andrew Sloan, copyeditor Rory Clark, indexer Melissa Hicks, managing editor ISBNs: 978-1-64508-280-4 (paperback), 978-1-64508-282-8 (mobi), 978-1-64508-283-5 (epub) Printed Worldwide 24 23 22 21 20 1 2 3 4 5 Library of Congress data on file with publisher. for his lively and influential scholarship in making honor-shame dynamics a part of New Testament studies, and his encouragement to many for an honor-bearing gospel in our lost and broken world, for the glory of Jesus Christ. dedication DR. DAVID A. DESILVA, Epigraph “We must start with the basic fact that there is no such thing as a pure gospel if by that is meant something which is not embodied in a culture … . Every interpretation of the gospel is embodied in some cultural form.” —L N Introduction Section 1: Honor and Shame in General Contexts S H: “The Honor and Glory of Jesus Christ: Heart of the Gospel and the Mission of God.” The glorious person of Jesus Christ is the crux and destiny of mission. The beauty of Christ includes this astounding reality: He who suffered great shame and rose in exalted honor shares his glory with all who call him Lord. Accordingly, believers endure hardship and suffer gladly for his name’s sake among the nations. J G: “Honor and Shame in Historical Theology: Listening to Eight Voices.” Significant theologians, from Ignatius to Anselm to Edwards to C. S. Lewis, have explained biblical truth in honor-shame terms. Honorshame theology is in continuity with Christian orthodoxy. T S: “A Clothesline Theology for the World: How a Value-Driven Grand Narrative of Scripture Can Frame the Gospel.” A unifying story of Scripture is an antidote to fragmentist and specialist tendencies in theology—and vital for ministry among all of story-oriented humanity. The value system of honorshame functions as a major theme in the Bible’s grand narrative. J W: “Saving Us from Me: Cultivating Honor and Shame in a Collectivist Church.” Scripture depicts the church as a collectivist body, which yields a particular Christian way of living based on honor-shame dynamics. This counters the self-centered, lonely individualism of much of Western Christianity. E. R R: “The Shaming of Jesus in John.” Understanding honorshame dynamics in the social world of the New Testament clarifies the meaning and integrates various stories in John’s Gospel—for example, Jesus cleansing the temple. M A. N: “Empowering Personal Healing through the “Medical Substitutionary Atonement.’” Christians throughout history have articulated different views of the atonement of Christ. An early Christian approach to the atonement and resurrection (namely, recapitulation) connects to modern concerns of identity, sacrifice, and justice—along with sin and shame. S T: “Abuse and Shame: How the Cross Transforms Shame.” Sexual abuse and wartime rape horribly defile millions in our world. Early church fathers addressed the problem of rape and sexual-abuse shame. Jesus Christ—in his scandalous crucifixion and honorific resurrection—absorbs and conquers the subjective and objective dimensions of sexual-abuse victimhood and shame. | xxiii | HONOR, SHAME, GOSPEL Section 2—Honor-Shame in Various Mission Contexts L T: “The Dark Side of Orality.” Christian workers can unwittingly marginalize “adults with limited formal education” (ALFE). Billions of people in the world are oral-preference learners. Many ALFE suffer from toxic shame. Cross-cultural workers must acquire new skills and develop learner-centered, dignity-enhancing ministry among non-readers. A L: “Must Honor Clash with Humility? Transformed Honor within the Emerging Church in Muslim Societies.” Honor competition was common in the early church; it is common today for Christian leaders around the world—including those in Muslim societies. Leaders can move toward a servant-based honor willing to relinquish position—by experiencing Christ as their unlimited source of honor. S H: “Sharing God’s Love in an Urban, Pluralistic Context.” The practices of vulnerability, listening, creativity, inclusion—and intentionally dignifying others—lead to deep relationships with secular moderns. They awaken to the gospel of the kingdom whose King is Jesus. C D: “Discipleship in Asian Honor Cultures.” Making disciples is not a culturally neutral endeavor. In the Asian context, attention to honorshame issues is critical for effective discipling. R J: “An Honor-Shame Gospel for Syrians Displaced by War: Jesus Christ as Good Shepherd and Honorable Patron.” A culturally relevant and biblically faithful gospel for Syrian refugees involves not just a morally good Shepherd but the honorable Shepherd and Patron who gives his life for the good of the flock. K R: “A Gospel That Reconciles: Teaching about Honor-Shame to Advance Racial and Ethnic Reconciliation.” Attention to honor-shame issues and terminology can have a profound impact upon efforts to mend relational rupture and bring about reconciliation in contexts of conflict. N S: “The Book of Samuel: A Reconciling Narrative.” Cycles of blood violence, nationalism, even ethnic cleansing—as was the case in the wars of Yugoslav succession (1991–95)—are often driven by honor and shame. The stories of Saul and David in 1 and 2 Samuel are a fountain of insights to help reconcile peoples, tribes, or nations in honor-bound conflicts. A F: “The Muslim Woman’s Journey from Shame to Honor.” For women from Muslim backgrounds, barrenness or abuse can be sources of shame, exclusion, and defilement. The gospel of Christ covers the shamed and cleanses the defiled—thereby restoring honor. | xxiv | Introduction CHRISTOPHER FLANDERS AND WERNER MISCHKE xi xvii SECTION 1: Honor-Shame in General Contexts 1. The Honor and Glory of Jesus Christ: Heart of the Gospel and the Mission of God STEVEN C. HAWTHORNE 3 2. Honor and Shame in Historical Theology: Listening to Eight Voices JAYSON GEORGES 21 3. A Clothesline Theology for the World: How A Value-Driven Grand Narrative of Scripture Can Frame the Gospel TOM STEFFEN 37 4. Saving Us from Me: Cultivating Honor and Shame in a Collectivist Church JACKSON WU 57 5. The Shaming of Jesus in John E. RANDOLPH RICHARDS 73 6. Empowering Personal Healing: Through the “MedicalSubstitutionary Atonement” MAKO A. NAGASAWA 87 7. Abuse and Shame: How the Cross Transforms Shame STEVE TRACY CONTENTS continued on the next page. 101 Contents Foreword VELI-MATTI KÄRKKÄINEN Contents SECTION 2: Honor-Shame in Various Mission Contexts 8. The Dark Side of Orality LYNN THIGPEN 117 9. Must Honor Clash with Humility?: Transformed Honor within the Emerging Church in Muslim Societies ARLEY LOEWEN 127 10. Sharing God’s Love in an Urban, Pluralistic Context STEVE HONG 141 11. Discipleship in Asian Honor Cultures CRISTIAN DUMITRESCU 155 12. An Honor-Shame Gospel for Syrians Displaced by War: Jesus Christ as Good Shepherdand Honorable Patron RICH JAMES 165 13. A Gospel That Reconciles: Teaching about Honor-Shame to Advance Racial and Ethnic Reconciliation KATIE J. RAWSON 175 14. The Book of Samuel: A Reconciling Narrative NOLAN SHARP 183 15. The Muslim Woman’s Journey from Shame to Honor AUDREY FRANK 193 Bibliography 203 Contributors 210 Topical Index 213 Scripture Index 217