Gospel Evangelism in a Changing World

We have often talked about the realities of shame and honour emerging in the Western World, on this blog. As we recognise and understand these realities more and more, we are helping ourselves be better equipped to reach our neighbours - especially the younger generations.

A while back a friend emailed me to tell me they had attended a seminar by Dr Sam Chan (who blogs at www.espressotheology.com ) in which he said we need a 'shame-honour' model when thinking about reaching the younger Westerner with the gospel.

If that piques your interest, and you wish you could have been at that seminar, well don't despair. Sam Chan has now written a book that deals with this very subject.

If you want a quick overview of the book - take a look at this blog post review.

If you doubt the reality of 'shame-based' ethics and values impacting the younger generations even in the West, take a look at this interview at a USA College.

How to best reach the younger more 'shame' oriented generations, with the gospel has begun to arouse interest across the Western world.  And that is good.

A recent participant in an honour-shame seminar asked  why there is this shift to 'shame' emphasis in the younger generations?  I have mentioned various reasons in previous blog posts, but here on this post on the Culture Learner site  Werner Mischke answers that question.

The fear

However I am getting the feeling from some that there is a 'worry' that to approach the issues of sin and salvation from a 'shame' perspective and not a 'guilt' perspective, is a compromise of the 'true' gospel message.

But I like how Sam Chan puts it when he says that for 'moderns', the issue is 'is it true', but for 'post-moderns' the issue is 'is it real in our lives?'

But he goes on to say (as quoted in the blog post review referenced above):

Because postmoderns are more interested in whether something is real than if it is true, the evangelistic pedagogical method has changed.

With moderns, we used to employ the logic of Truth, Belief, Praxis. In other words:

• This is true
• If it's true, then you must believe it
• If you believe it, now you must live it

But with postmoderns, Chan offers a better pedagogical sequence: Praxis, Belief, Truth. Which translates:

• The Christian life is livable
• If it's livable then it's also believable
• If it's believable, then it's also true

When non-Christian see how the Christian life works they will discover it is livable, leading them to see that it's believable. "And if they see that, they might also acknowledge that it's true." (125)

In other words, just like we are doing here in the African 'honour-shame' context, you start where people are at.  And then go from there to the full gospel story.  In emphasising or going through the 'gate' of people's understanding of shame, to bring the good news of the gospel, doesn't mean we ignore the concept of guilt.  

But Scripture talks about both. Just as the way we shared the gospel in the recent past, went through the 'guilt' gate for law oriented Westerners, we need to go through the 'shame' gate for shame oriented post-modern Westerners. And just like the guilt-oriented need to learn about what God says regarding shame, so the shame-oriented still need to hear what God says about guilt.  Both guilt and shame affect every human being, but where our focus is, is also where the gospel needs to make sense and 'connect' to.

I have found that as I learn how to better connect the gospel with those who think a little differently from myself, it is not a compromise, but growth, as in the process I have begun to grasp the greater picture of the gospel.

Don't hide in fear from the current generation, thinking only of compromise or your own inability or different 'focus', but grasp the opportunity to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus and all He  did for us and those around us, on that first Easter 2000 years ago, and in the process be able to share the gospel more effectively in our 21st Century World!