Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
4 ways we seek honor and avoid shame

4 ways we seek honor and avoid shame

Last updated on: March 2, 2021 at 4:00 pm by Brad Vaughn

4 ways we seek honor and avoid shame 2021-02-17T23:42:13-07:00 Brad Vaughn

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Everyone wants to gain honor and avoid shame. That basic idea is true across time and cultures.[1] And although honor and shame play such a significant role in our lives, we often misunderstand them.

For example, many people assume that shame is entirely bad, something to get rid of. That’s not entirely true. Consider Romans 2:6-7, where Paul says that God…

“will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.”

I’ll mention several ways that we seek honor or recognition and try to avoid shame.[2]

How We Acquire Honor and Shame

1. Performance and Position

We acquire honor or shame in two primary ways: through our performance and our position. Americans tend to emphasize performance or achievement. This includes both our failures and successes such as athletics or academics. However, position matters too. We have honor or shame ascribed to us based on titles, labels, relationships, gender, ethnicity, among countless other inherited characteristics.

Here are a few questions that help us identify how our own honor or shame is linked to performance and position.

What have we accomplished? Where have we failed?
Who do we know? What titles do we have?

Paul reorients how his Roman readers should think about honor via performance and position. In Romans 2:6-7, he says:

He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.

Likewise, he challenges the ancient Jew who presumed his ethnic identity bestowed unique honor before God. Paul writes,

For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

Note: Others have referred to “performance” and “position” as achieved and ascribed honor/shame.

2. Public

Honor and shame are also relative to an audience or a watching public. Our status or social esteem will vary depending on the people around us, especially the number of people around us. The more people who observe us will mean either more honor or more shame.

But also, we have to ask, “Who sees us? Who matters to us?” Perhaps we will be more sensitive to the opinions of our coworkers in front of particular family members. In front of certain strangers, the same action will likely not evoke the same sense of pride or embarrassment.

This should be sufficiently self-explanatory. So, I won’t offer examples.

3. Perspective

Perspective is the third factor determining the degree of our honor or shame. I refer to the selective nature by which we judge honor and shame.

For example, what criteria to use when assessing honor or shame? Some adults assume they are doing a good job as a parent because their child has good grades or has some other school achievement. Other adults will describe to themselves honor or shame based on the cleanliness of the house and the behavior of the children in public. The criteria we use are selective. By one criterion, I might feel a sense of honor or pride; by another standard, I would feel shame.

Likewise, our degree of honor and shame is based on comparison. I excel or fall short of some standard compared to whom? We can always find someone who is better or worse than us. So, perspective matters. The criteria we use and the comparisons we make will either increase or decrease our honor or shame.

What things are measured and noticed for excellence?
Compared to whom?

When we look at Paul’s letters (later), we will see how Paul speaks to each of these areas when using honor and shame.

In the next post, I’ll look at four levels of motivation with respect to honor, shame, and moral decisions.

For a deeper dive, check out a recent talk I gave at Redemption Tempe.

[1] Possible exceptions are the most immoral or shameless among us.

[2] The following three categories are adapted from Geoffrey Brennan & Philip Pettit, “The Hidden Economy of Esteem.” Economics & Philosophy, Vol. 16, no. 1 (April 2000): 77-98.

Honor & Shame (Face)

honor and shame

morality

Previous Post

February 23, 2021

Honor, Shame, and Christian Character (Video)

Next Post

March 3, 2021 Register for my “Confucian Shame in Christian Thinking” webinar

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Atonement Biblical Theology Book Reviews China Chinese Church Chinese Culture Chinese Language Collectivism Contextualization Culture (General) Ecclesiology Evangelism Gospel Honor & Shame (Face) Interpretation/Exegesis Justification/Righteousness Missiology Mission Methods One Gospel for All Nations Other Practical Contextualization Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes Resources Romans Salvation (General) Saving God's Face Seeking God's Face The Cross in Context Theological Contextualization Theological Education Theology Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I was rejected by God as king for offering an unauthorized sacrifice instead of waiting. Who am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Solomon Saul Rehoboam David

Books by This Author Books by Brad Vaughn

See All Titles »