Honor-Shame Cultures

Cultures around the world perceive life and morality in different ways. These can be categorized by the emphasis placed on guilt, shame or fear – recognizing that all three elements are present in every culture to varying degrees. The eye-opening conclusion of current research is that “honor-shame is the primary ‘operating system’ for 80% of the world.”

The accompanying map shows the three primary cultural orientations. Understanding these cultural orientations has significant implications for relationships, for how the Gospel is presented, and for discipleship. Unfortunately, honor-shame cultures remain a significant blind spot for Western culture, theology, and missiology. Read more for additional resources about Honor-Shame Cultures.

Jayson Georges first book on this topic, The 3D Gospel: Ministry in Guilt, Shame and Fear Cultures, explains many aspects of guilt, shame, and fear cultures. For each cultural framework, Georges describes the main cultural characteristics, how it impacts everyday life, and the implications for ministry.

A second book by Jayson Georges and Mark Baker further examines the implications of Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures.

Here are three resources that provide a good introduction to ministry in Honor-Shame cultures.

For additional resources see http://honorshame.com.
You may also enjoy this interactive map that visualizes the primary culture type—i.e., guilt, shame, or fear—for each country in the world.

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