Chris Flanders, Why You Should Care about Honor and Shame

The cultural dynamics of honor, face, and shame have often been thought to be possessions of foreign, non-Western cultures. Those of us in the English-speaking world have often thought we have "outgrown" such issues—no more "pistols at 20 paces!" In truth, there is no such thing as "Honor Cultures" or "Shame Cultures." Not only do these appear as dominant themes in scripture, but all cultures practice these basic dynamics, including our modern English-speaking North American culture. To understand and engage our current cultural context well, ministers and church leaders need to pay closer attention to such issues. In this session, Chris draws on some of his recent publications and research to help North American church leaders think deeply and critically about honor, face, and shame.