honor & shame: four dynamics for understanding violence in the middle east—or right next door
TRANSCRIPT
Four Dynamics for Understanding Violence in the Middle East—or Right Next Door© 2015 MISSION ONE
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Werner Mischke Executive VP of Mission ONE Director of Training Ministries [email protected]
Mission ONE trains and mobilizes the Church, focusing on cross-cultural partnerships to engage the unreached and serve the poor and oppressed.
Four Dynamics for Understanding Violence in the Middle East—or Right Next Door© 2015 MISSION ONE
September 11, 2001
“… You are well aware that the Islamic Nation, from the very core of its soul, despises your haughtiness and arrogance. If the Americans refuse to listen to our advice and the goodness, guidance and righteousness that we call them to, then be aware that you will lose this Crusade Bush began, just like the other previous Crusades in which you were humiliated by the hands of the Mujahideen, fleeing to your home in great silence and disgrace.” –Osama bin LadenFrom “Full text: bin Laden’s ‘letter to America’.” The Guardian, Sunday 24 November 2002, http://www. theguardian.com/world/2002/nov/24/theobserver, accessed 15 September 2013.
From “bin Laden’s
‘letter to America’”
Charlie Hebdo office Paris, Jan 7, 2015
… In the statement, Ansi denounces the “dissolute kuffar” who “insulted the chosen Prophets of Allah” and caused Muslims to “awake and roar out of rage”. …“Congratulations to you, o ummah of Islam, for this vengeance that has soothed our chests” …
“Congratulations to you for these brave men who blew off the dust of disgrace and lit the torch of glory in the darkness of defeat and agony.” David Blair: “Charlie Hebdo: 'Blessed battle of Paris' was our work, says al-Qaeda's branch in Yemen”. 14 Jan 2015. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11344467/Charlie-Hebdo-Blessed-battle-of-Paris-was-our-work-says-al-Qaedas-branch-in-Yemen.html. Accessed 24 March 2015
Nasser bin Ali al-Ansi, a senior figure in AQAP
21 Christians beheaded Libya, Feb 2015
?WHY
?Senseless acts of violence
?Disenfranchised youth
When we understand the Bible’s own honor/shame dynamics, we gain insight into why there is so much violence in the Middle East.
Honor & Shame:T H E S I S :
• Definitions: • Basic differences between
honor/shame• Four honor/shame• How the Bible’s honor/shame
dynamics overlap with the Gospel
Honor & Shame:
HONOR: “the worth or value of persons both in their eyes and in the eyes of their village, neighborhood, or society.” … “The critical item is the public nature of respect and reputation.”
D E F I N I T I O N S
–Jerome Neyrey
HONOR: “the worth or value of persons both in their eyes and in the eyes of their village, neighborhood, or society.” … “The critical item is the public nature of respect and reputation.”
D E F I N I T I O N S
–Jerome Neyrey
SHAME: “the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging”… “the fear of disconnection.”
–Brené Brown
D E F I N I T I O N S
Innocence/guilt vs honor/shame
Innocence/guilt vs honor/shame
NorthAmerica
EuropeAustralia &
New ZealandWestern World
Innocence/guilt vs honor/shame
Majority World
Innocence/guilt vs honor/shame
Very general comparison
Western World
Equality
Individual
Majority World
Hierarchy
Group
Western World
Majority World
There’s a lot more about shame than guilt in the Bible!
0
100
200
300
400
Guilt-based words Shame-based words
Old TestamentNew Testament
GuiltShame
References to Guilt vs. Shame in the Bible
SOURCE: Timothy C. Tennent: Theology in the Context of World Christianity, p.93
PATRONAGE BODY LANGUAGE CONCEPT OF FACE CHALLENGE & RIPOSTE
IMA
GE O
F LI
MIT
ED G
OOD
N
AME /
KIN
SHIP
/ BLO
OD PURITY LOVE OF HONOR TWO SOURCES OF HONOR
AchievedHonor
AscribedHonor
L O S E
W I N
HONOR
We are looking at four H/S dynamics• Love of honor • Challenge and riposte • Image of limited good • Name/kinship/blood
HONORLove of honor
Love of honorAthenians excel all others not so much in singing or in stature or in strength, as in loveof honor. –Xenophon
“
”Jerome Neyrey: Honor and Shame in the Gospel of Matthew, p. 17HONOR
Love of honorFor the glory that the Romans burned to possess, be it known, is the favorable judgment of men who think well of other men. –Augustine ”
“
Jerome Neyrey: Honor and Shame in the Gospel of Matthew, p. 17
Love of honorThe ancients name love of honor and praise as their premier value. –Jerome Neyrey
“”
Jerome Neyrey: Honor and Shame in the Gospel of Matthew, p. 17HONOR
And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?”HONOR
Example
And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”
HONOR
Example
–Mark 10:35–37 ESV
Challenge & riposte
Challenge & riposte“Riposte” is a term used in the sport of fencing, meaning • a quick return thrust following
a parry • socially, it means a quick clever
reply to an insult or criticism
Challenge & riposteFour steps:1. claim of worth or value 2. challenge to that claim
3. riposte or defense of the claim 4. public verdict of success awarded
to either claimant or challengerJerome Neyrey: Honor and Shame in the Gospel of Matthew, p. 20
Jesus heals the man with the withered hand –Matthew 12:8–16Note the public nature of this encounter
8 “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” 9 He went on from there and entered their synagogue. 10 And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?—so that they might accuse him.” 11 He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?” 12 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him,how to destroy him. 15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all 16 and ordered them not to make him known … 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Can this be the Son of David?
1. Claim of worth or value
2. Challenge to that claim
3. Defense (or riposte) of the claim
4. Public verdict of success
Matthew 12:8–16
Image of limited good
LOS EW IN
Image of limited goodThe belief that • everything in social, economic, natural
universe… • everything desired in life: land, wealth,
respect and status, power, influence… • exists in finite quantity, is in short supply • If you gain, I lose… “zero-sum game” LOS E
W IN
LOS E
W IN
Jerome Neyrey: Honor and Shame in the Gospel of Matthew, p. 18
7 And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” 8 And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” 9 And Saul eyed David from that day on. – 1 Samuel 18:7–9 ESV
18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:18–21Image of limited good
LOS E
W IN
LOS E
W IN
LOSE
W IN
Overturned!
In Christ there is no limited good!
A little arithmeticHONOR Love of honor
+ Challenge & riposte
LOS EW IN+ Image of limited good
V IOLENCE!
Two kinds of violence
Honor/shame arithmetic
HONOR Love of honor
+LOS EW IN
V I O L E N C E
Challenge & riposte
+ Image of limited good
A propensity for
Three types of violence:
Directed INTERNALLY
INTERNALLY &EXTERNALLY
Hurtingself & others
Directed EXTERNALLY
1 2 3
=
Hurtingself
HurtingothersDirected
internally
Honor/shame arithmetic
HONOR Love of honor
+LOS EW IN
V I O L E N C E
Challenge & riposte
+ Image of limited good
A propensity for
Three types of violence:
Directed INTERNALLY
INTERNALLY &EXTERNALLY
Hurtingself & others
Directed EXTERNALLY
1 2 3
=
Hurtingself
HurtingothersDirected
externally
Name/kinship/blood
Blood and honor“Relatives who press for the advantage of family members are simply doing their duty to the kinship group, which is an honorable thing. Hence solidarity and loyalty among family members go without saying. Blood replicates the honor of the family.”
–Jerome Neyrey, Honor and Shame in the Gospel of Matthew, p. 53.
Blood and honor• Blood as the result
of honor competition • Blood as the cause
of honor competition
And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand”
–Genesis 4:10–11
CAIN & ABEL
Blood as the result of honor competition
And they said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. The Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.”
–2 Samuel 4:8
RECHAB & BAANAH
Blood as the cause of honor competition
They thought that King David would agree with the default culture of ...
RECHAB & BAANAH
Blood as the cause of honor competition
avenging the blood of enemies by killing their offspring.
Blood as the cure for honor competitionBut now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, …
Blood as the cure for honor competitionthat he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.
–Ephesians 2:13–17
Blood as the cure for honor competitionhow much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. –Hebrews 9:14
Hallelujah!Blood as the cure for honor competition
The blood of Christ is different!
• Stimulates hostility, causes violence and war; catalyst for cyclical pathology of violence
• Fuels violence out of “honor-deficit” • Generates family-against-family conflict,
blood feuds, vendettas • Fuels ethnocentrism, racial hatred,
self-protection; kills community • Opens humanity to the life-killing spirit
of jealousy, murder, the devil
BloodKINGDOM OF THIS WORLD
• Kills hostility, absorbs violence, makes peace; catalyst for healing and reconciliation
• Creates peace out of “honor-surplus” in Christ
• Heals family-against-family conflict • Celebrates all ethnicities, creates a
new community, “one new man” • Opens humanity to the conscience-
cleansing Holy Spirit and life-giving presence of God
BloodOF CHRIST
KINGDOM OF GOD
© 2015 Mission ONE / Presentation by Werner Mischke / [email protected]
motif: a distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition
© 2015 Mission ONE / Presentation by Werner Mischke / [email protected]
When a person, family or people have their honor status reversed
© 2015 Mission ONE / Presentation by Werner Mischke / [email protected]
“And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, …
© 2015 Mission ONE / Presentation by Werner Mischke / [email protected]
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
–Philippians 2:8–11
© 2015 Mission ONE / Presentation by Werner Mischke / [email protected]
Humiliation
Exaltation
Preincarnate Glory
Inca
rnat
ion
Earthly life
Crucifixion
Resurrection
Ascension
Sitting at God’s Right Hand
Future Glory
Eternal Glory
Diagramadapted from
ESV Study Bible,online resource
A major motif in Scripture
The Gospel
© 2015 Mission ONE / Presentation by Werner Mischke / [email protected]
“The gospel is already contextualized
for honor/shamecultures.”
–Jackson Wu, as quoted in The Global Gospel, p. 278
The gospel of the kingdom (Luke 4:43) offers believers a new source of honor—the honor of being children of God (John 1:12), intimately related to King Jesus. By following Jesus, experiencing the honor of his resurrection life (Eph 2:6), and being accepted into his most honorable family(1 Pet 2:9–10)—we experience an “honor surplus.”
This sets us free from greed, selfishness, and every form of honor competition and honor-based conflict. This sets us free to glorify God and joyfully serve others.
Like Jesus, we are filled with love and experience so much honor, that we can absorb shame, if necessary, rather than react in violence toward self or toward others.
This is peace with God.
This is the value of understanding honor-shame dynamics in Scripture. It helps us understand conflict in the Middle East or right next door. And it expands our understanding of the wonder and power of the gospel of Christ for our multi-cultural world.
© 2015 MISSION ONE
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