Honor and Shame
This is a continuation of Brian's notes from last week's Bible Study. Once again, this is a rough draft.
"The one firm conviction from which we move to the proof of other points is this: that which is honorable is held dear for no other reason than because it is honorable."
Seneca (De Ben. 4.16.2)
Honor and Shame - these are the core values in the Mediterranean world, including the world of the Bible. The concept of honor is fundamental to the thinking of these people.
Honor - a claim to worth that is publicly acknowledged by the relevant group of 'significant others'
To "have honor" is to have publicly acknowledged worth. It is a group-given value, not just internal. This is contrast to self-respect. One's self-respect could be high, but honor low.
Shame - generally, a claim to worth that is publicly denied
To "be shamed" is negative, meaning to be denied or diminished on honor.
However - To "have shame" is positive, meaning to be sensitive to one's honor and behavior that could damage it. This is a secondary meaning. For now think of shame as dishonor.
A man born in these cultures is to seek honor and avoid dishonor (disgrace, shame of the negative sort). Honor comes form the affirmation of a person's worth by peers and society, awarded on the basis of the individual's ability to embody the virtues and attributes the society values. Women have different 'rules' - generally they have honor and are expected to keep it by remaining sexually pure until marriage.
Two ways of getting honor:
The honor/shame dynamic allows for group stability - to reward group-approved behavior with honor and to bring deviants back in line through the threat of dishonor helps to prohibit socially destructive behaviors.
Courage in battle wins honor, because it contributes to the good of the group. Cowardice and fleeing means dishonor, because it places the interests of the individual above the group.
shaming tactics - range from mild scorn to physical assault and execution
What exactly constitutes things that are honorable is culturally dependent. Education in Torah (the Jewish law) is honorable among the Jews, but irrelevant among Gentiles.
It is essential to define who are the 'significant others' (the court of reputation) and to insulate group members from concern about the honor/dishonor they receive from people outside the group. "They don't matter because they are ignorant." This is very important for minority cultures. "We are not the deviants even though we are a minority. We have a higher court of reputation." A group can offset minority status by claiming God/reason/nature agrees with the minority. Also available are ancestors in the faith and the angels in the court of God.
Hebrews 12:1
Challenge-Riposte - this a very significant means of achieving honor
Arenas for Challenge-Riposte game
Within a grouping/family one ethic applies - the individual's honor is embedded in the group so there's no competitive honor challenges within the group. Brothers don't try to take honor from each other since this doesn't increase the honor of the group.
Between groups - social equals interact in a zero-sum game and 'public opinion' is determinative.
The Challenge-Riposte game is played between equals. A social superior wouldn't bother to challenge an inferior. If an inferior tried to challenge a social superior, the social superior would just punish the insubordination. This would be one form of 'positive rejection'.
Also, the game is played by males. It falls to the males to defend and increase the family's honor, so they are the ones that engage in this risk-taking game.
Turning Dishonor into Honor
As part of the task of helping believers make sense of their dishonor in the eyes of nonbelievers, the NT authors show that the experiences of dishonor are actually marks of honor in the sight of God, the true court of reputation.
1 Peter 4:13-16
Noble Contest - Hardships are turned into an opportunity to manifest the virtues of courage and endurance. The hostility of the world is the challenge over which the believer can win an honorable victory and show their loyalty. It's easy to just say you have loyalty to someone, it's another to show it during times of testing. The metaphor of an athletic contest is used often in Jewish literature and in the NT.
Hebrews 12:1-2
"The one firm conviction from which we move to the proof of other points is this: that which is honorable is held dear for no other reason than because it is honorable."
Seneca (De Ben. 4.16.2)
Honor and Shame - these are the core values in the Mediterranean world, including the world of the Bible. The concept of honor is fundamental to the thinking of these people.
Honor - a claim to worth that is publicly acknowledged by the relevant group of 'significant others'
To "have honor" is to have publicly acknowledged worth. It is a group-given value, not just internal. This is contrast to self-respect. One's self-respect could be high, but honor low.
Shame - generally, a claim to worth that is publicly denied
To "be shamed" is negative, meaning to be denied or diminished on honor.
However - To "have shame" is positive, meaning to be sensitive to one's honor and behavior that could damage it. This is a secondary meaning. For now think of shame as dishonor.
A man born in these cultures is to seek honor and avoid dishonor (disgrace, shame of the negative sort). Honor comes form the affirmation of a person's worth by peers and society, awarded on the basis of the individual's ability to embody the virtues and attributes the society values. Women have different 'rules' - generally they have honor and are expected to keep it by remaining sexually pure until marriage.
Two ways of getting honor:
- ascribed honor - given, not earned (birth/adoption into a powerful family, ethnicity, political appointments)
- acquired/achieved honor - performing actions that earn honor (virtues such as piety, courage, reliability, military prowess in waging war)
The honor/shame dynamic allows for group stability - to reward group-approved behavior with honor and to bring deviants back in line through the threat of dishonor helps to prohibit socially destructive behaviors.
Courage in battle wins honor, because it contributes to the good of the group. Cowardice and fleeing means dishonor, because it places the interests of the individual above the group.
shaming tactics - range from mild scorn to physical assault and execution
What exactly constitutes things that are honorable is culturally dependent. Education in Torah (the Jewish law) is honorable among the Jews, but irrelevant among Gentiles.
It is essential to define who are the 'significant others' (the court of reputation) and to insulate group members from concern about the honor/dishonor they receive from people outside the group. "They don't matter because they are ignorant." This is very important for minority cultures. "We are not the deviants even though we are a minority. We have a higher court of reputation." A group can offset minority status by claiming God/reason/nature agrees with the minority. Also available are ancestors in the faith and the angels in the court of God.
Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us
Challenge-Riposte - this a very significant means of achieving honor
- challenge
- positive challenges (eg. gifts, compliments) leave one indebted if accepted, response is required
- negative challenges (eg. insults, challenge questions) cause loss of honor if not responded to adequately
- perception of the challenge
- by the person challenged
- by the public (the judges who determine who gains/loses honor)
- riposte - response by the challenged
- positive rejection - if the challenger is inferior, the correct response is a rejection of the challenge (scorn)
- negative rejection - cowardice results in dishonor
- accepting the challenge requires a response that meets or exceeds the challenge
- failure by offering an inadequate response is less dishonoring than not responding (cowardice)
- public verdict by the observers
Arenas for Challenge-Riposte game
Within a grouping/family one ethic applies - the individual's honor is embedded in the group so there's no competitive honor challenges within the group. Brothers don't try to take honor from each other since this doesn't increase the honor of the group.
Between groups - social equals interact in a zero-sum game and 'public opinion' is determinative.
The Challenge-Riposte game is played between equals. A social superior wouldn't bother to challenge an inferior. If an inferior tried to challenge a social superior, the social superior would just punish the insubordination. This would be one form of 'positive rejection'.
Also, the game is played by males. It falls to the males to defend and increase the family's honor, so they are the ones that engage in this risk-taking game.
Turning Dishonor into Honor
As part of the task of helping believers make sense of their dishonor in the eyes of nonbelievers, the NT authors show that the experiences of dishonor are actually marks of honor in the sight of God, the true court of reputation.
1 Peter 4:13-16
But rejoice in the degree that you have shared in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice and be glad. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory, who is the Spirit of God, rests on you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or thief or criminal or as a troublemaker. But if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God that you bear such a name.
Noble Contest - Hardships are turned into an opportunity to manifest the virtues of courage and endurance. The hostility of the world is the challenge over which the believer can win an honorable victory and show their loyalty. It's easy to just say you have loyalty to someone, it's another to show it during times of testing. The metaphor of an athletic contest is used often in Jewish literature and in the NT.
Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
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