The New Testament clings to the collectivist and honor-based culture of the Old. When you read Paul’s warning that God on His Judgment Seat will review all our deeds in this life, it might sound embarrassing, but we don’t feel threatened. But to the folks in Paul’s audience, this would be devastating. They would be…
Tag: individualism
Misreading Scripture: Honor/Shame 02
R/OB advance the warning that our usage — our pool of meaning — for the words “honor” and “shame” are not the same as they are for collective cultures. Shame indicates you know how to behave; that’s a good thing. However, shaming someone is a negative. In a footnote, they refer to Saul’s conversation with…
Misreading Scripture: Honor/Shame 01
The authors tell us: “the entire issue of honor and shame over against right and wrong (innocence and guilt) is a bit of a mystery to us” in the west. It’s simply part of our individualistic culture, while the emphasis on honor/shame is typical of collectivist cultures. Even acknowledging that, it gets worse. Our western…
Misreading Scripture: Collectivism 03
I believe the authors stumble on the third section of this chapter. Indeed, I believe they have mishandled a rich opportunity on the whole chapter. What they do manage to say is that your church is your true spiritual family, and that we should learn to think more collectively about this. But they spill a…
Misreading Scripture: Collectivism 02
The third section of the chapter on collectivism begins with a reference to the next book we’ll be looking at (Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes). The issue is the birth of Jesus. All of our Christmas imagery comes from Victorian England, not from the Hebrew culture. The Holy Family were hardly alone; individualism is a…
Misreading Scripture: Collectivism 01
The introduction to Part Two discusses basic assumptions just below the surface of our consciousness. The authors begin recounting how Western Christians confuse the image of crossing the Jordan with the Greek image of crossing the River Styx into the realm of the dead. The two are merged into the idea of an individual soul…