Alrighty, so we’ve just finished going over the 3 fundamental platforms that undergird all societies.
Again, they are…
1) Guilt and Innocence
2) Power and Fear
3) Shame and Honor
Now you may be wondering…
Why is it freakin’ necessary to go so deep into a topic that would normally be reserved for only a history or anthropology class?
Good question.
Lemme explain why this information is essential to your growth as both a believer and student of Scripture.
Ever wonder why Christian missionaries head off to far-off foreign lands and come back frustrated as all hell?
They start off with the zeal of King David but return to their countries defeated and demoralized.
Japan, where I’m living now, is a perfect example.
This country is less than 1% Christian.
Yet missionaries have been coming here since 1549, when the Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier arrived in Japan to spread the gospel.
They have all failed to make a dent in the largely Shinto and Buddhist population.
Why?
It all goes back to what you’ve learned here over the past couple of days.
It’s because different cultural contexts, undergirded by different societal platforms, serve as barriers preventing meaningful communication from occurring.
But not only that, a lot of misunderstanding (especially among Westerners) of Scripture, the Hebrew mindset, and the large-scale impact of the Mosaic Law stems from not grasping these 3 social platforms.
So I don’t even think your average Westerner can communicate the truths of Scripture properly.
So here’s what we’re gonna do next.
And if you know me, you shouldn’t be surprised.
It’s QUIZ TIME, homies!
See how well you’ve grasped the information we’ve gone over the last few days by trying to answer the questions below.
Take out a pen and a piece of paper and jot down your answers.
The correct answers follow afterward.
QUESTION 1:
What type of society sees itself as interacting daily with spirits and gods who have power over them and their environment?
QUESTION 2:
What type of society is consumed with its concern for social status?
QUESTION 3:
What type of society bases its decisions and behavior on the concept of absolute right or wrong and creates a system of laws to enforce compliance?
QUESTION 4:
Name a couple of countries whose social platform is primarily Power and Fear?
QUESTION 5:
Name a couple of countries whose social platform is primarily Guilt and Innocence?
QUESTION 6:
Name a couple of countries whose social platform is primarily Shame and Honor?
QUESTION 7:
Within what type of societal platform was the Bible primarily written?
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Alrighty, so here are the answers:
ANSWER 1
“What type of society sees itself as interacting daily with spirits and gods who have power over them and their environment?”
The answer is a Power & Fear society.
People who live in this type of society always feel like events in their lives are being influenced by spirits and gods who act in a whimsical fashion.
How the spirit world behaves is a complete mystery.
Therefore, a good portion of one’s energy is spent worrying if a god or gods have been angered and trying to appease them.
In addition, the concept of feeling guilt for doing wrong does not exist in this type of society because right and wrong don’t exist.
Therefore, establishing a consistent moral code is not possible in this type of society.
ANSWER 2:
“What type of society is consumed with its concern for social status?”
The answer is a Shame & Honor society.
These societies are based on tribalism.
Therefore, they are group-thinkers.
Conforming to tribal traditions and customs is the goal so that “honor” can be upheld at all costs.
People don’t judge their behavior by asking, “Was that right or wrong?”
Instead, they ask, “Did that bring honor or shame?”
Another important thing.
Doing something wrong doesn’t automatically mean you’ve disgraced yourself.
Likewise, doing something considered right doesn’t automatically make you an honorable person.
The whole idea of guilt, at least as it exists in Western societies, takes a back seat.
Why?
Because shame isn’t about feeling bad for breaking a rule or violating a law.
It’s about losing your standing in the eyes of your community.
You’ve fallen from a position of honor to a position of dishonor.
And who decides where that line is drawn?
In these societies, that’s largely determined by customs, traditions, and expectations that have been handed down through generations.
ANSWER 3:
“What type of society bases its decisions and behavior on the concept of absolute right or wrong and creates a system of laws to enforce compliance?”
The answer is a Guilt & Innocence society.
In this type of society, all decisions and behavior are based on objective right and wrong.
This society creates a system of black-and-white laws that applies to all regardless of race, age, gender, or whether you are rich or poor.
If you comply with these laws, you are innocent.
If you break the laws, you are guilty.
In this type of society, shame is feeling guilty or a loss of self-esteem because you have broken a law.
However, that does not reflect your social status.
ANSWER 4:
“Name a couple of countries whose social platform is primarily Power and Fear?”
The African nations and the native American civilizations such as the Mayans and Aztecs.
These cultures are riddled with paranoia and fear connected to pagan superstitions.
ANSWER 5:
“Name a couple of countries whose social platform is primarily Guilt and Innocence?”
The United States of America, Israel, and pretty much the majority of Western nations.
ANSWER 6:
“Name a couple of countries whose social platform is primarily Shame and Honor?”
All of the Muslim nations in the Middle East and Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea, and China.
ANSWER 7:
“Within what type of societal platform was the Bible primarily written?”
The Bible emerged primarily from a society where shame and honor shaped how people viewed themselves, their behavior, and their standing in the community.
Of course, concerns about power and fear were also part of the picture, to varying degrees.
And this is especially true when we look at the earliest parts of Scripture, before the Hebrews received the Law at Mount Sinai.
At that point, the shame-and-honor dynamic was particularly dominant.
Alrighty, so how did you do with this little quiz?
One important reminder.
Keep in mind that every society in every country in the world has a mixture of all 3 types of social platforms.
I’m talking about a difference in the dominant way people evaluate behavior.
For example, don’t think I’m making some absolute claim that shame-and-honor societies have “no concept of right and wrong” or “nearly no concept of guilt.”
Asserting something like that would be way too historically and anthropologically sweeping.
Anyway, I hope this sheds some light on why you experience big-time confusion when dealing with people from other cultures.
Rest assured they feel the same way about you, your behavior, and way of thinking.
Western arrogance has this tendency to think that everyone should behave as they do.
We in the West view human behavior as either right or wrong.
I’ll tell you right now, that perspective is not only at odds with Scripture…
It is at odds with a good portion of the world.
In the Middle East and in Asia, people view behavior as either causing shame or bringing honor.
If you ever wonder why there are misunderstandings at the highest levels of government between our nation (America) and countries whose societies are built around Power & Fear or Shame & Honor, now you know why.
We’ll continue this discussion the next time we meet.
See ya all next time.
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