User:France Marcel/sandbox

This page is about Honor and Shame, which is one of the groups of cultures that existed in the world. It is about how someone views and understands himself, or herself, his or her family, his or her group, and his or her environment.

Introduction
Honor and Shame is a type of culture that has to do with the way one is viewed or represents his or her family and the status that it maintains within the community. Honor and Shame in the anthropological viewpoint refers to a culture where the members of a community base their own behavior and control other’s behavior by attempting to avoid shame and gain honor. (Christine King) It normally is found in the East, Near East, or Middle East, and in Africa, (Britton VanBuskirk) describing collectivistic cultures. In fact, honor-shame cultures most often exist within the 10/40 window AD1  (in reference to the world regions falling between 10 and 40 degrees north of the equator), which "is home to some of the largest unreached people groups in the world such as the Shaikh, Yadava, Turks, Moroccan Arabs, Pashtun, Jat and Burmese." AD2 (Anna Dellinger) Honor and shame cultures often compel individuals to forego their own desires in order to maintain the honor and social status of a defined group. "Honor and shame function like a social credit rating measuring one's reputation." mbc4 (Mary Beth Cavner) Consequently, "the group enforces morality externally."BV1 People do not think about morality for themselves, but consider questions like, "what will others think?"BV2 This is not to say that personal morality is inconsequential. Rather, such cultures, "define morality relationally, not legally or abstractly. What is best for relationships is morally right" (Britton VanBuskirk).BV3 Due to the collectivistic nature of these cultures, honor and shame are typically related to, 'something greater than the individual,' such as one's family and tribe (Britton VanBuskirk).BV4 Within this group identity, children are taught that "[their] actions reflect on the whole group," and that they "must behave in a way that brings honor, not shame, to the family name." AD3 (Anna Dellinger) Shame is avoided at all costs, while honor is sought out and amassed (Britton VanBuskirk).BV5  "The critical factor is not to bring shame upon oneself, upon one's family, one's tribe or even one's country." ck 13 The pressure to conform to your group's norms and to uphold your group honor is great. (Christine King) These people are shamed into living up to a certain social code and group expectation that restores honor among the greater community. If shame is brought on the individual and therefore the group, it must be hidden if possible and avenged if it is not possible to hide. (Mary Beth Cavner) The two ideas are opposites yet connected as anthropologist Fuehr-Lobban explains ‘Honor is understood in a complex way as the absence of shame, for honor and shame are bound to one another as complementary, yet contradictory ideas.’ ck1 (Christine King) All cultures have elements of shame to varying degrees. "What makes shame-based culture unique is that its people relate almost everything to the shame-honor paradigm."mbc1 This, of course, includes religious choices. (Mary Beth Cavner) While Western society is still not a predominantly honor/shame based culture, there is a growing, "shift towards the shame/honor paradigm" since 1960 to the present time (Britton VanBuskirk).BV6 In the Western world, most people do not like to be embarrassed or to feel shame, however it does not carry the severe consequences as it does in the cultures which are largely shame based. Elmer writes, "In the Two-Thirds world, nothing worse could happen to you. To cause someone else shame strains, if not breaks, the relationship." ck 14 (Christine King) ”In collectivist cultures, conversion to Christianity may shame one’s biological family and neighboring community.”JC4 Georges goes on to say that it is not always theology that prevents conversion, but the shame one might bring to the community. There are a lot of factors someone in a shame-honor culture must weigh as they consider coming to Christ because of how they will be treated as an outsider as well as how they will shame their family or neighborhood. (Jonathan Chambers) The good news is that when someone from an honor-shame culture comes to Christ, they now have a new community where shame has been erased and honor comes through the blood of Jesus on the cross. “A community encounter redefines a person’s primary group identity through genuine relationships.” JC6 (Jonathan Chambers)

Literature Review
The type of literature we were required to read through the course all addressed the theme of honor and shame. However, I think the most enlightening on this topic were The 3D Gospel by Jayson Georges, and Honor and Shame by Ronald Muller. Although, the rest of the books all proved to be extremely useful when working and communicating with other cultures in general and learning about even more cultural differences. Georges also references additional resources, and I found the blog at http://honorshame.com/ (Links to an external site.) mbc2 especially helpful and interesting. He also provided a link to a youtube video called "Back to God's Village (Links to an external site.) " mbc3 which is a 5-minute gospel narrative for honor-shame cultures. Mary Beth Cavner Another book I found to be very interesting on the topic of honor and shame (although it was not on our reading list but was required for me as preparation for a team headed to North Africa) is Half in Islam, Whole in Jesus. This is an eye-opening and heart-wrenching story about a woman who was raised as a Muslim who now lives in Oklahoma. I was especially interested, as a possible future missionary to this area, in the way women and men are treated very differently. I must become familiar with many new behaviors as basic as how to act in a social gathering. "Muslim men and women do not gather together in social settings." This book reveals the tremendous lack of respect for women in Islamic culture. (Mary Beth Cavner) The US Center for World Mission puts out a bimonthly publication entitled Missions Frontiers that covers a wide variety of topics in missiology today. Issue 37, volume 1 (Jan/Feb 2015) is entitled "The Power of Honor" ck 11 and is entirely devoted to the topic of honor and shame. It has eleven articles on this topic, two of which come from Jayson Georges and one from Roland Muller (authors also mentioned in this Wiki Review) and covers both articles about honor and shame as well as how this worldview is seen in different cultures. While many of the articles are short, they all were well documented, and I found the end-notes in each article also a helpful springboard for more resources. (Christine King) Georges presents a great frame of reference for those who are unfamiliar with honor-shame and fear-power culture. We who reside in the guilt-innocence culture tend to be ignorant of how these other cultures operate, and we, maybe unintentionally, end up projecting our understanding of theology and soteriology onto them without understanding the implications of our speech and references. In 3D Gospel, Georges breaks down what each culture represents, what theological explanations best ascribe to them, and how to best evangelize in each setting. But the theological messages of freedom from guilt, shame, and fear are not just for cross-cultural settings. He says in his conclusion that “Theological tunnel vision that only sees one facet of the diamond shackles our own relationship with God. Western Christianity may fully trust in Jesus for forgiveness of sins, and yet be plagued by shame and fear.” JC5 Seeing the Gospel in its full glory in light of the guilt, shame, and fear in all our lives allows us to more fully grasp Jesus’s saving power. As Georges says, “A 3D gospel allows us to more fully worship our holy, glorious, and sovereign God. As we grasp all dimensions of the gospel, we can more effectively know God and make Him known.”JC6 (Jonathan Chambers) Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door by Roland Muller is a short book dealing with honor and shame most specifically in the Arab Muslim culture with which the author has personal experience. The book starts with a description of the three basic cultural worldviews: Guilt-based, Fear-based, and Shame-based. He traces the start in Genesis in the Garden of Eden and then goes on to give a brief history of each. He spends more time with the Guilt-based cultures originally because they have influenced so much or modern theology. After a description of each, he dedicates a chapter to honor and shame in the Bible. He then details some of the cultural conflicts that have occurred in history due to the lack of understanding of another culture's worldview. The next sections of his book he dedicates specifically to ways honor and shame are seen in Islam. And finally, he concludes with "The Three-Fold Message of Salvation" where he explains how all three worldviews need the entire salvation message as all people need to be free from guilt, shame, and fear. I found the book helpful and especially appreciated the personal examples from the author's life living in the Middle East to illustrate how honor and shame is seen in Islamic influenced cultures. I also appreciated his emphasis on the unchanging message of the gospel. The way in which we may begin conversations about Christianity may vary depending on our cultural context, but the overall message is the same. (Christine King) Foreign to Familiar, by Sarah Lanier, does not directly address honor/shame, but does provide a strong understanding of the other cultural thought patterns and norms that are found in honor/shame cultures.BV7 Her quick, but thought-provoking, read compares and contrasts a number of cultural differences. The majority of honor/shame cultures are hot-climate, relationship oriented, have a strong group identity, and have high-context systems. She systematically compares these cultural norms to their antonyms—which are typically found in Western society. For example, Lanier explains that where Western society is highly individualistic, honor/shame cultures have a strong group identity. Where in Western society your actions reflect primarily upon oneself and thus decisions are made individually, in honor/shame cultures the group decides because the group shares the honor or the shame.BV8 In taking on this task, Lanier has provided a greater understanding for those who are not originally from a honor/shame culture as to what is done in this context, and more importantly, why. After providing this cultural overview, Lanier supplies some practical next steps for interacting with a new culture. Lanier provides some necessary tools to better understanding and navigating honor/shame cultures successfully to those who were not raised in such an environment (Britton VanBuskirk).BV9

Honor and Shame in the Scriptures
Muller says there are more than 190 references to honor in the Bible (57). He mentions the scripture 1 Samuel 2:8, Leviticus 26:13, and 1 Peter 2:6 as a few examples (56-58). Georges points out you can identify all three cultural components in Ephesians on page 12 of his book. He lists Ephesians 1:5, 2:12-13,19 specifically for honor-shame cultures. There are numerous stories in both the Old Testament and New Testament that communicate a message of being lifted from a place of shame to a place of honor through faith in Jesus. Some that come to mind are the woman caught in adultery (John 8), the place given at a dinner table (Luke 14:7-10), and Joseph who was raised from position to position starting in jail and becoming the right hand man to the Pharaoh (Genesis 41:37-44). The initial concept of shame is found in the very opening chapters of the Bible. In Genesis chapter 3, Adam and Eat from the Tree of Knowledge and they realize they are naked, make a covering for themselves from fig leaves, hide, and are afraid for God to see them. This is the first time that man feels guilt, shame and fear. These initials reactions of the fall still play out today in varying degrees in all cultures and worldviews. Later in Genesis 3, Adam and Eve are expelled from the garden losing their place of honor of walking with God to now carrying the shame of sin and the curse. (Christine King) Continuing into Chapter 4, Adam and Eve have two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain murders his brother Abel because God saw Abel's sacrifice as as favorable while Cain's was not. It came down to their hearts. Abel's heart was honorable while Cain's heart was not. Because of this deed, God cursed Cain, reiterating the shame that the initial curse of the Fall brought upon humanity. Throughout the Bible, there are many instances of curses that depict shame brought on individuals, families, and whole communities. (Jonathan Chambers) There are many examples in the Bible of people being unclean and shamed but then restored to honor because of their own faith. In Numbers 12, however, Miriam’s honor was restored because of her brother Moses’ faith. Miriam and Aaron brought dishonor to Moses by speaking against him, the man chosen by God. So, the Lord struck Miriam with leprosy, and her skin turned white, making her unclean. Aaron begged for Moses to pray to God to restore Miriam’s flesh and in turn, her honor, and he complied: “And Moses cried to the Lord, ‘O God, please heal her, please.’ But the LORD said to Moses, ‘If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.’” (Numbers 12:13-14) And after that, her leprosy was healed. Despite the great dishonor shown to Moses, he still cared for his family and went to the Lord on their behalf, demonstrating a desire to care for the collective group over his own honor. (Anna Dellinger) An example of the honor-shame culture is seen in the Book of Esther through the evil Haman’s actions. He is enraged that Mordecai, a Jew, refuses to show him honor. He devises a way to kill Mordecai and all the Jews living in the land and becomes so blinded by pride he constructs a gallows to kill Mordecai. In short, Queen Esther (who invites Haman and the king to a special banquet, causing Haman to feel even more honor) devises a plan to oust Haman that results in him being impaled on the gallows he constructed meant for Mordecai. This brings utmost shame to his name and his family. In contrast, Queen Esther and Mordecai are seen as most honorable because of their bravery in saving the nation of Israel. (Jonathan Chambers) The story of Ruth shows how God used a humble woman who was in a position of shame to be the great grandmother of King David, from whom the Messiah would come. Ruth married into Naomi’s family when Naomi’s husband moved them out of Israel in the time of famine. Naomi’s sons married pagan women, then her sons and her husband died, forcing Naomi to return to Israel. She implored the widowed daughters-in-law to stay behind, but Ruth shows great loyalty and honor to Naomi by pledging her allegiance to her in v. 16 and 17. Ruth closes by saying “May the Lord punish me, and do so severely, if anything but death separates you and me” (CSB). They move back to Israel together where Naomi is recognized and given a new name, Mara, which means bitter. She is ashamed as a widow who has no one to take care of her besides Ruth. But Ruth chooses to go out and glean in the fields (essentially, to pickup the leftovers from the harvest), which is what the poor do. Field owners allow gleaning as a form of charity. It was orchestrated by God that Ruth would glean in the field of Boaz, who is a relative of Naomi, and he would eventually become the kinsman redeemer. This is a position that someone in the family takes in order to carry on the family line of a deceased relative. Through Boaz’s action, Ruth and Naomi were both restored to a place of honor, and God used the situation to bring about the birth of the Messiah many years later. (Jonathan Chambers) The story of David and Mephibosheth recorded in II Samuel 9 also has many undertones of honor and shame. Mephibosheth is the crippled son of Jonathan--son of King Saul. Mephibosheth would have been shamed or lost face in his culture due to the fact that his father and grandfather were both killed in battle and the kingship taken from his family and given to David. Usually all surviving family of a conquered king were killed. He also was shamed due to the fact that he was crippled in both feet, which was significant as it is mentioned every time his story is told. He even refers to himself as a dog. However, King David called him in, restored the lands of his family and invited him to sit and eat at the king’s table.These are all huge gestures and go a long way in ridding him of his shame and restoring his honor. Both then and now, the image of eating at a table with someone shows kinship. To have his honor restored by being given a seat at the king’s table is significant. It is also a beautiful picture of how we are also invited into the King’s table and have a place at it thus replacing our shame with honor also. (Christine King) Throughout King David's life, there were many examples of honor and shame. Specifically, in the psalms, David asks God to bring shame to his enemies and gives honor and glory to God: “Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek your name, O LORD. Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever; let them perish in disgrace. That they may know that you alone, whose name is the LORD are the Most High over all the earth.” (Psalm 83:16-18) (Anna Dellinger) The story of Ahithophel found in 2 Samuel 16:15-17:23. This occurs during the time Absalom had taken the nation from David. Ahithophel held a position of great honor as an advisor to the king: "Absalom followed Ahithophel’s advice, just as David had done. For every word Ahithophel spoke seemed as wise as though it had come directly from the mouth of God." (2 Samuel 16:23) But when Absalom listens to Hushai's advice instead, Ahithophel is so ashamed that he kills himself: "When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey, went to his hometown, set his affairs in order, and hanged himself. He died there and was buried in the family tomb." (2 Samuel 17:23) (Anna Dellinger) Luke 15:11-32 is the story of the lost son. The son goes to his father demanding his inheritance then leaves to live a wild life. After he loses it all and hits rock bottom, the son decides to return home full of shame, hoping the father will at least allow him to be a servant on the property. But to the son’s amazement, the father runs to greet him, calls for a feast, clothes the son in the best robe and a ring on his finger all because the son had returned home! In v. 24 the father says “because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!” (CSB). The son obviously felt great shame and unworthiness in his actions, but the father loved him so much that he restored him to great honor within the household. (Jonathan Chambers) Jesus’s life was one of humility, often coming in taking the position of the shamed within culture. In John 13, Jesus takes the form of the lowest servant by washing the disciples’ feet. Feet were the most detestable part of the body in His culture and only the least valuable servant would be tasked with this job. It was an extremely shameful activity. But Jesus came to earth to take on the form of a servant and to ultimately carry the shame of the world on the cross. Through this example he not only portrays His task of carrying our shame, but also sets the example that we are to humble ourselves as well as we serve I others. But through living a humble and “shameful” life, followers of Christ will receive their reward of honor when they dwell with Jesus for all eternity. (Jonathan Chambers) In Isaiah 54:4 (NLT) the Bible tells us Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don't be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood. This verse should be a source of great hope for those living in honor and shame cultures, fearing every day a failure that would bring shame, sometimes permanent, to themselves and their family. In this verse, the reader is encouraged to fear not! Revenge is no longer necessary, restoration is provided by the Lord of Hosts! Also, 1 Samuel 2:30 The Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me; for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be treated with contempt. What a tremendous promise! How can the Lord of hosts honor me? That doesn't seem possible. Yet His word says that He will honor me. I would think that this would be a tremendously effective verse for evangelizing those in the honor-shame culture. (Mary Beth Cavner)

Communicating the Gospel in Honor-Shame Cultures
Identifying honor and shame in the scriptures goes hand in hand with sharing the Gospel in honor-shame cultures, so I felt this section suited better directly following the scripture references of honor-shame. This is because most examples of honor-shame in the Bible are in fact stories of the gospel being communicated to a person or group of people in that culture. Muller speaks to a few different ways we see this throughout the Bible, mainly how God takes us from being defiled to being cleansed, from being naked to being clothed, from being expelled from God to being visited by God, from being weak to being strong, and from being sick to being healed. "God is offering hope to those in a position of shame" Muller states on page 103. I think what is important to remember here is to still touch on other cultural mindsets as well, as we learned from Georges that there are many facets to the diamond (13), all three types of culture are present to some degree and all three must be addressed in order to fully communicate the whole gospel. Before we consider contextualization, we must remind ourselves that honor/shame is found in the Bible. In fact, “theologians and pastors have long taught on the glory of God and its central importance in the Bible…this sort of talk about God’s glory, praising him, and magnifying his name [i]s simply another way of talking about honor and shame.”BV10 When looking for it, one can see, "so much of the Bible emphasizes God’s glory and his people not being put to shame."BV11 Yet, honor/shame language is rarely discussed in the Western church. Consequently, Western Christians must ask themselves, "Theologically, why have Christians favored law-language when so much of the Bible emphasizes God’s glory and his people not being put to shame? How could I reconcile the gap between these two metaphors, not choosing one over the other? Why did people get nervous whenever I would talk about honor-shame, as if I were denying what the Bible said about law and absolute truth?"BV12 The Western Christian must be self-reflexive in recognizing how our own culture impacts our understanding of the Scriptures before successful contextualization can take place. Moreover, when we consider Scripture with an honor/shame worldview lens, "there emerge a number of critical theological issues that have otherwise been overshadowed by other motifs, such as law.”BV13 Once this self-reflexive work has taken place, communication and contextualization of the Gospel message in a honor/shame culture becomes much clearer (Britton VanBuskirk). When communicating the Gospel to an honor-shame culture, it is important to remember that the approach differentiates from guilt-innocence and fear-power cultures. If we come from a guilt-innocence culture, then we understand that right and wrong are foundations in our culture. We know that in order to right a wrong there must be an adverse action to balance the equation.JC1 (Jonathan Chambers) In honor-shame cultures, right and wrong are more ambiguous and the better question is to ask, “what is the honorable thing to do?” Guilt cultures are individualistic, whereas shame cultures assume strong group orientation.JC2 (Jonathan Chambers) "Westerners often miss honor and shame dynamics in other cultures" mbc5 and therefore can easily offend or be ineffective with the gospel message. A gospel presentation must include God as the honorable father, shame, disloyalty, and dishonor that comes from sin, dignity, glory, honor, and family that comes from Jesus' taking our shame on Himself. Preparation for sharing the gospel in honor and shame cultures is key. Our reading has taught us that for a person living in an honor-shame culture, becoming Christian can bring much shame to the new convert, their family, and their community. But the Lord says in Isaiah 54:4 Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; do not be discouraged, for you will not suffer disgrace; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the disgrace of your widowhood you will remember no more. It teaches us that the shame on this earth is temporary, fear is not necessary. Reminds me of most angel's first words, Do not fear! (Mary Beth Cavner) Georges goes on to say, "Making disciples among shame-based...cultures involves more than just repacking evangelistic presentations."JC10 His statement here leads into the point that the gospel must be adapted to the cultural contexts in which it is presented. Preparation of ourselves through learning the culture is most certainly key. But as Georges points out, it is useless if we still choose to present the gospel in a manner that is only culturally relevant to the messenger. Georges finds evidence for his 3D Gospel approach in Acts 26:18: "to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan (power), so that they might receive the forgiveness of sins (innocence) and a place among those who are sanctified by faith (honor) in Jesus" (parentheticals added by author).JC11 (Jonathan Chambers) When author and missionary Roland Muller is asked if a different model of the gospel should be presented for each of the different Fear, Honor, and Guilt cultures, he replied with no. "I think not. I don't believe there are three separate models of salvation that are to be used in different settings. . .Rather the three themes of salvation are woven together in the scriptures, to present a complete picture of what God wants to do with mankind."ck7 He goes on to explain that the entire gospel message which includes repentance, sacrifice, redemption, propitiation, and reconciliation needs to be presented in its full to all cultures and peoples because this is the biblical message. However, the difference is in where to start sharing the story. He goes on to say "The secret to sharing the gospel, if there is such, is to use one of the three building blocks as the initial expression of the gospel as it correlates with the worldview of the culture you are dealing with." ck8 So in dealing with shame-based cultures, it is natural to talk of the problem of shame and how it started in the Garden of Eden. However, the entire message of the gospel that is shared it still the same. He emphasizes that again by saying, "Cross-cultural contextualization of the Gospel is simply knowing how to start the Gospel message from a place of common understanding." ck9 (Christine King) While Duane Elmer doesn’t teach specifically on honor-shame cultures in Cross-Cultural Servanthood, many of his lessons include examples from honor-shame cultures. The reference to the priesthood of believers from 1 Peter 2:5 is key in sharing the Gospel in honor-shame cultures. The idea that every follower of Christ is a priest in the service of the Lord brings honor to each believer, from the youngest to the oldest, male and female, of any race or ethnicity. If one from a culture different than honor-shame (i.e. fear-power or guilt-innocence) does not approach the new culture with humility and the recognition that “each of us is able to minister the grace of God to anyone else and be ministered to by anyone else,” it will lead to “major flaws in the understanding and practice of Christian leadership in the global church.” AD4(Anna Dellinger)

Similarities and Differences Across Cultures
1. Arab (Muslim) cultures: Core culture is honor-shame. In this tribal mentality, social standing in the community and conforming to societal norms in order to maintain the family honor is paramount. Muller says the question Arabs face is, "How is shame dealt with?" When shame occurs, it must be dealt with and honor be restored, even if that means through revenge. First, the shame should tried to be kept private at all costs. If it cannot be hidden, then revenge is sought (Britton VanBuskirk).BV14 This could be obtained through honor killings, abusive language, or money can be exchanged to set right the shame created, as peace is considered a secondary value in the Arab culture (Muller, 86). While peace is a secondary value, hospitality is a primary value. Consequently, if someone invites you into their home, it would be dishonorable to not be hospitable, or to let any harm come to you.BV15 If an Arab Muslim says you are a brother, sister, aunt, or uncle, while not legally, you have been culturally adopted into that family and tribe. You now share their honor and can contribute to their shame (Britton VanBuskirk).BV16 In Arab Muslim cultures, men do not gain status, or honor, until they are married. They gain more status when children are born. Consequently, women can bring a family honor indirectly through children or by an advantageous marriage. However, women can bring shame upon a family if an accusation of promiscuity is made, if she is raped, if she is adulteress, or if she chooses a more liberal way of life than her family (Britton VanBuskirk).BV17 Alongside advantageous marriages and children, families can gain honor through wealth, education, one's family heritage, strategic alliances, and through violence (Britton VanBuskirk).BV18 In speaking of the Korean culture to an Iraqi woman, Muller found some similarities between the two in the importance of silence and wisdom: “Honor is demonstrated by silence, and speaking only wise and careful things. Often the speech of wise people is full of proverbs and parables. The more proverbs a person knows, the wiser he appears.” AD5 (Anna Dellinger) It also appears that many Arab Muslims have an external response to shame and restoring honor while Asian cultures such as Japanese and Chinese have an internal response. For example, “If someone is badly shamed in an Arab culture and the shame cannot be hidden, then it is revenged, and the person responsible for the shaming is killed. This is also demonstrated in many of the stories of great heroes in Arab culture. In contrast, “in many eastern cultures, if a shame cannot be hidden, the way out is suicide.” AD6 (Anna Dellinger)

2. Other Muslim cultures:Georges says that Middle Eastern cultures compete for honor in an aggressive way and they either see conflict as a win-lose or lose-win situation which could lead to an aggressive attack against shame such as terrorism (24). He goes on to say that far-eastern cultures, such as Japan and Korea strive for harmony. This means that either both win or both lose. This could cause them to respond with suicide! Obviously this culture is deeply rooted in honor-shame values. mbc8                 Sub-Sahara African cultures are usually thought of in the fear/power worldview. However missionary Sandra Freeman who serves in Botswana states that although the fear/power dynamic is indeed at work there, these cultures are also very collectivistic. She writes, "Collectivistic cultures train their members from birth to need the approval and acceptance of those around them, and to draw their identity from how well they “fit” and belong to the group. And honour/shame is the mechanism by which this training is applied." ck12 So if a lie helps an elder save face, a lie is expected much like in other shame cultures. Right/wrong is determined by group dynamic and acceptability not by inherent rightness or wrongness. So the shame/honor dynamic is definitely seen alongside the fear/power in these areas of Africa. (Christine King)

3. Chinese culture: Shame is dealt with in a more private and personal way, compared to Arab, Muslim or Latin cultures. This results in committing acts of withdrawing or possibly suicide to avoid shame. Georges notes the outward expression is different, but the inward value of honor is the same (24). Chinese are hot-climate and group-oriented. Therefore, their culture prescribes that possessions are shared. Rarely are items are referred to as mine or yours. Instead, they are viewed as ours! People who have, help those who have not, not necessarily because it's the right thing to do, but because it is their culture. (Mary Beth Cavn

4. Japanese culture:Rather than win-lose, the Japanese view conflict as win-win or lose-lose because within their honor-shame culture they ultimately strive for harmony (Georges, 24). Similar to the Chinese culture, the Japanese would also respond to shame inwardly and individually. Japanese culture, like all honor/shame cultures, looks for honor to be given, bestowed, or earned. For example, in Japan a visitor should not sit down at a meal until invited to do so. To chose a seat of honor for yourself would be shameful. One's host should offer, or bestow, a seat of honor. Even then, the seat should only be taken after, "there has been considerable urging" (Britton VanBuskirk).BV19 Part of the individual response to shame in the Japanese culture was suicide. During World War II, Japanese fighting men had been indoctrinated to choose suicide over surrender.JC8 To do so was more honorable and bearable than the shame of the Great Empire admitting defeat. Seppuku was a ritualistic form of this honor suicide, originating with the Samurai, where the person would disembowel themselves before being beheaded by someone of their choosing.JC9 A specific Hollywood depiction of Seppuku can be seen in the Amazon Original Series, The Man in the High Castle.It is very interesting to note the rules for language use in Japan. It is considered rude and inappropriate for the speaker to tell the listener the specific point. This is completely opposite of our time-oriented saying in America - get to the point! Instead the "Japanese delicately circle a topic in order to imply its domain." mbc7 (Mary Beth Cavner) One of the most poignant illustrations in Communicating Christ Cross-Culturally is an example of saving face. When the Japanese word mokusatsu was misconstrued during WWII negotiations to mean "ignored" instead of "refrained from comment," it put the Japanese leaders in a precarious situation. To recall the statement "would have involved admissions that entailed a great loss of face, however, and therefore was really unthinkable…"AD7 Being willing to recall the statement could’ve prevented Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and more, but the decision to maintain face ultimately led to the deaths of thousands of people. (Anna Dellinger) Before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japanese diplomats in Washington DC were to deliver a message ending diplomatic relations and warning of imminent danger. However due to miscommunication, the letter was not delivered until after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This caused national shame in Japan among their people and Japanese diplomats still bring this up as a reason for lack of trust of the Japanese people by outside nations. Although Japan has never apologized to the US for the attack, they have apologized to their own people in attempt to remove the shame of this action. When the papers were declassified in 1994 that again showed the tardiness in the delay of the warning cable, the Foreign Ministry officials made an official apology for this 50-year old meiwaku, "the trouble and shame you cause for friends and family if you do wrong." ck 15 "In Japanese history books, the conduct of Japan's diplomats in Washington on the eve of Pearl Harbor is treated as a major source of shame for the entire country. That is what prompted the Foreign Ministry's belated apology" ck 16. (Christine King) 5. Indian culture:In India, the caste system (officially outlawed) plays a major role in the honor-shame dynamic. Where one lies in the ranking of the caste system determines how they are treated in life. There are four major castes (priests, rulers, tradesmen, and manual laborers in our terms) and then there are those below the caste system, known as the Dalits (the street workers or doers of other menial tasks). Dalits, also known as “untouchables,” are treated with severe shame and dishonor. They are taken advantage of in business deals and they are considered the lowest of the low. A lot of times higher castes won’t even associate with Dalits because of the dishonor it could bring them. Although, higher castes will be involved in charitable giving in order to improve their chances for moving up in caste when they are reincarnated within the Karmic cycle. (Jonathan Chamber

6. Latin American: Latin America is considered a hot climate culture and is known for expressing emotion in a passionate and public way. The books don't mention a lot about this area of the world, but from personal exposure to Latin America, I would think they relate more to fear-power culture most. Due to their history with animistic gods and their current relationship to government authorities, most of their story has been labeled as fear vs. power. Although, I think they are one of the most relatable cultures to the rest and could easily identify with both guilt-innocence and honor-shame. The Pentecostal movement is large in Latin American countries, especially Brazil. The charismatic nature of Pentecostalism merges well with the passionate, emotional culture so it is very attractive to the inhabitants. Latin American cultures do relate more to the fear-power spiritual culture, but honor-shame is still evident among the poor wanting to be healed and blessed with riches, which would promote them within society. Healings have become a central part of churches in Latin America, so much so that there is hardly any serious competition from scientific medicine because the poor have very little access to healthcare whereas they can freely come to church to be healed.JC12 The primary spiritual factor is indeed fear-power, but the opportunity for health and riches can be seen as being endorsed by the honor-shame spiritual mentality. These two status symbols could be seen as leading to being more included in society where inclusivism is held in high regard. (Jonathan Chambers)           There are many often overlooked ways in which honor and shame play out in Latin American culture. For men in Latin American culture, honor often goes hand in hand with being 'macho' or showing 'machismo' which is defined in Miriam-Webster's dictionary as "showing a strong sense of masculine pride: an exaggerated masculinity." ck2 This can be seen in a variety of ways in Latin American culture. If a man's manliness is mocked, brought into question, or undermined, he is considered shamed in that culture and some form of retaliation usually occurs to help the man save face. ck3 Also due to this desire to have an exaggerated form of masculinity, it is socially normal for a man to have multiple extramarital affairs or mistresses. The wife of such a man is expected to keep quiet and not mention this or it will cause him to be shamed. The wife, however, must remain pure and faithful only to her husband. Anything less would also question his masculinity and manliness in his ability to keep her faithful. The following excerpt from David Strucely explains this well, "Machismo is more than simple manliness. At its core it is a game of honor and shame,both of the man’s honor and of the woman’s honor. The man must defend his honor by defending the honor of the women in his family. Lyman Johnson writes, 'Masculine culture judged that a man’s failure to act with proper courage and physical skill was, in effect, an admission that his wife or other female family members could not be defended. His cowardice and incompetence, manifested as a failure to avenge shame or humiliation, was therefore understood to mean that liberties could be taken with his female relatives.'"  ck4  A man can also increase his honor (and avenge past shame or questions to his manliness) by adding sexual conquests. Eugene Nida writes, “Husbands … are more or less expected to have affairs with other women.” ck5  Latin American historian Ramón Gutiérrez writes that “male honor was secured and enhanced through display of virility, notably the corruption of other men’s women” ck 6 Obviously this notion of machismo is a unique cultural form of honor/shame in Latin America. (Christine King)

7. North American/European:

North America and Europe, sometimes referred to as Western society, are typically a cold-climate culture, with the exception of the Deep South of the U.S.BV20 These cultures are typically guilt/innocence based, rather than honor/shame. This is due, in part to their highly individualistic nature, rather than the group identity that lends itself to a honor/shame worldview.BV21 Furthermore, Western society is highly task oriented.BV22 There is a desire to, “get to the point!” This again contrasts with the emphasis placed on relationship and how everyone feels after an interaction that exists in honor/shame cultures.BV23 These differences do not mean that honor/shame does not exist in Western society. In fact, honor/shame is a growing motivator, according to Muller.BV24 In this colder climate culture, honor and shame are sometimes observed publicly, but most often dealt with individually. While guilt-innocence is normally the major cultural influence in this area, honor-shame does play a role in the people's lives and social structure. Today, honor-shame is often known as "cool-uncool". Honor and shame comes in to play in colder climates in the form of embarrassment or unworthiness. JC3 Nobody likes their inadequacies pointed out or to be neglected by a group. Even though these cultures are more individualistic, the longing to belong and the feeling of neglect can lead to shame within the social context. (Jonathan Chambers)                                        Many North American Native-Americans (or Indians) have a history of and continue to live in an honor/shame based culture. In the late 1800s, when the white man originally tried to force the Native American Indians into reservations, many chose to die rather than face the shame and humiliation it would be to live on the reservation. Today many who live in reservations still feel that shame. Muller explains this past and present link when he writes, "They chose death over returning to the shame and humiliation of reservation life. Today many natives still feel the sting of shame. Many have turned to the numbing effects of alcohol., and others have immersed themselves in their native religions as they seek answers to their problem of self-esteem." ck10 (Christine king)

Foot Notes
BV1 Georges, Jayson. The 3D Gospel: Ministry in Guilt, Shame, and Fear Cultures. Time Press 2016. pg. 21 BV2 Georges, Jayson. The 3D Gospel: Ministry in Guilt, Shame, and Fear Cultures. Time Press 2016. pg. 21 BV3 Georges, Jayson. The 3D Gospel: Ministry in Guilt, Shame, and Fear Cultures. Time Press 2016. pg. 21 BV4 Muller, Roland. Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door. USA: Xlibris, 2000. 50. BV5 Muller, Roland. Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door. USA: Xlibris, 2000. pg. 50. BV6 Muller, Roland. Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door. USA: Xlibris, 2000. pg. 52. BV7 Lanier, Sarah A. Foreign to Familiar. Hagerstown: McDougal Publishing, 2000. BV8 Lanier, Sarah A. Foreign to Familiar. Hagerstown: McDougal Publishing, 2000. pg. 42-45. BV9 Lanier, Sarah A. Foreign to Familiar. Hagerstown: McDougal Publishing, 2000. pg. 127. BV10 Wu, Jackson. Saving God’s Face: A Chines Contextualization of Salvation through Honor and Shame. CA: William Carey International University Press, 2013. pg. xi. BV11 Wu, Jackson. Saving God’s Face: A Chines Contextualization of Salvation through Honor and Shame. CA: William Carey International University Press, 2013. pg. xi. BV12 Wu, Jackson. Saving God’s Face: A Chines Contextualization of Salvation through Honor and Shame. CA: William Carey International University Press, 2013. pg. xi. BV13 Wu, Jackson. Saving God’s Face: A Chines Contextualization of Salvation through Honor and Shame. CA: William Carey International University Press, 2013. pg. 2. BV14 Muller, Roland. Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door. USA: Xlibris, 2000. pg. 85. BV15 Dardess, George. Meeting Islam: A Guide for Christians. MA: Paraclete Press, 2005. pg. 108. BV16 Muller, Roland. Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door. USA: Xlibris, 2000. pg. 88, 90. BV17 Muller, Roland. Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door. USA: Xlibris, 2000. pg. 91, 94. BV18 Muller, Roland. Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door. USA: Xlibris, 2000. pg. 95-97. BV19 Hesselgrave, David J. and Edward Rommen. Contextualization: Meanings, Methods and Models. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1989. pg. 428. BV20 Lanier, Sarah A. Foreign to Familiar. Hagerstown: McDougal Publishing, 2000. pg. 20. BV21 Lanier, Sarah A. Foreign to Familiar. Hagerstown: McDougal Publishing, 2000. pg. 44. BV22 Lanier, Sarah A. Foreign to Familiar. Hagerstown: McDougal Publishing, 2000. pg. 23. BV23 Lanier, Sarah A. Foreign to Familiar. Hagerstown: McDougal Publishing, 2000. pg. 27. BV24 Muller, Roland. Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door. USA: Xlibris, 2000. pg. 52. mbc1 Muller, Roland. Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door. USA: Xlibris, 2000, 55. mbc2 Muller, Roland. Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door. USA: Xlibris, 2000, 75. mbc3 Muller, Roland. Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door. USA: Xlibris, 2000, 40. mbc4 Georges, Jayson. The 3D Gospel: Ministry in Guilt, Shame, and Fear Cultures. Time Press, 2017. 17-18, 20. mbc5 Georges, Jayson. The 3D Gospel: Ministry in Guilt, Shame, and Fear Cultures. Time Press, 2017. 17-18, 24. mbc6 Sabah, Mona. Half in Islam Whole in Jesus: A Woman's Worth (Kindle Locations 64-65). Gethsemane Press. Kindle Edition. mbc7 Elmer, Duane. Cross-Cultural Connections: Stepping Out and Fitting In Around the World (p. 154). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition. mbc8 Georges, Jayson. The 3D Gospel: Ministry in Guilt, Shame, and Fear Cultures (p. 24). Timē Press. Kindle Edition. (p24) JC1 Georges, Jayson. The 3D Gospel: Ministry in Guilt, Shame, and Fear Cultures. Time Press, 2017. 17-18 JC2 Ibid, 17,20 JC3 Muller, Roland. Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door. USA: Xlibris, 2000, 101 JC4 Georges, Jayson. The 3D Gospel: Ministry in Guilt, Shame, and Fear Cultures. Time Press, 2017. 69 JC 5 Ibid, 73 JC6 Ibid, 74 JC 7 Ibid, 65 JC 8 Dower, John W., Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1999. 34 JC9 Wikipedia. “Seppuku.” Accessed March 14, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seppuku (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)JC10 Georges, Jayson. The 3D Gospel: Ministry in Guilt, Shame, and Fear Cultures. Time Press, 2017. 60 JC11 Ibid JC12 Jenkins, Philip. The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011. 158-9 ck1 Fluehr-Lobban, Carolyn, Islamic Values and Social Practice. cited in Muller, Roland. Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door. USA: Xlibris, 2000, 88 ck 2 Merriam-Webster Dictionary, s.v. "machismo" accessed on March 18, 2018 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/machismo (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)ck 3 Thornton, W. Phillip. "Honor and Shame in Latin American Culture" Mission Frontiers Issue 37:1 (2015) https://www.missionfrontiers.org/issue/article/honor-and-shame-in-latin-american-culture (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)ck4 Stucely, David P., "Honor and Vergüenza: Understanding Honor and Shame in Latin America" MDiv Thesis, Wisconsin Lutheran Seminart, 2018. 37 Retreived from: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/0bf7/21dcee8733440b5e0342a8827f7e5955f968.pdf (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)ck 5 Nida, Eugene Albert. Understanding Latin Americans: With Special Reference to Religious Values and Movements. Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 1979. 59. ck6 Gutiérrez, Ramón, When Jesus Came, the Corn Mothers Went Away. Marriage, Sexuality and Power in New Mexico, 1500-1846. Stanford, Stanford University Press: 1991. 317. ck7 Muller, Roland. Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door. USA: Xlibris, 2000, 102. ck8 Ibid, 103. ck9 Ibid, 105. ck10 Muller, Roland. Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door. USA: Xlibris, 2000, 73. ck11 "The Power of Honor" Mission Frontiers Issue 37:1 (2015) https://www.missionfrontiers.org/pdfs/37-1_MF_issue.pdf (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)ck12 Freeman, Sandra. "Honour/Shame Dynamics in Sub-Saharan Africa" Mission Frontiers Issue 37:1 (2015) https://www.missionfrontiers.org/issue/article/honour-shame-dynamics-in-sub-saharan-africa (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)ck 13 Elmer, Duane. Cross-Cultural Connections: Stepping Out and Fitting in Around the World. IL: InterVarsity Press 173 ck 14 Ibid. 175. ck 15 Reid, T.R. "Japan Apologizes to Itself for Pearl Harbor" The Washington Post. Nov. 22, 1994. Accessed March 19, 2020 https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1994/11/22/japan-apologizes-to-itself-for-pearl-harbor/545b9653-8a06-4eb6-9ca6-43d2e48e1d91/ (Links to an external site.) ck 16 Ibid. AD1 Muller, Roland. Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door. USA: Xlibris, 2000, 101. AD2 "What is the 10/40 Window?" Joshua Project, accessed March 2, 2020, https://joshuaproject.net/resources/articles/10_40_window (Links to an external site.). AD3 Lanier, Sarah A. Foreign to Familiar. Hagerstown: McDougal Publishing, 2000, 42. AD4 Elmer, Duane. Cross-Cultural Servanthood. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2006, 117-122). AD5 Muller, Roland. Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door. USA: Xlibris, 2000, 49. AD6 Muller, Roland. Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door. USA: Xlibris, 2000, 50. AD7 Hesselgrave, David J. Communicating Christ Cross-Culturally. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991, 343-344.