Honor as a Cultural Concept: Eastern, Western, and Biblical Understandings and Their Impact on Christian Living
Interpreting Scripture relies on a deep understanding of the culture that was present at the time of its composition. Forming reliable interpretations, then, requires historically and culturally informed scholarship. Because of the Biblical emphasis on honoring and loving God and others, the concept of honor in particular is something that must be examined to reduce the risk of distorting Scripture and weakening our authentic connections with one another, and to detach us from our own cultural and linguistic biases. Any Christian seeking to live out the callings of Christ and grow in relationship with others must recognize that studying the cultural implications behind our beliefs is not optional— it is essential to being in community and embracing God-ordained diversity. This paper will first explain how the concept of honor can be understood, followed by its understandings in Western and Eastern cultures. Following this, it will speak on the Biblical interpretations of honor and will be rounded out by illustrating how we can apply this knowledge to our lives as Christians. Having established these things, this paper will show how deeply understanding cross-cultural implications helps Christians embody and actualize gospel teaching. The aim herein is to steer faithful Christians toward deeper understanding of diverse cultures through a solid grasp on the cultural building block of honor- increasing awareness of God’s design for unity across cultural and linguistic barriers.
BTM 499, Senior Capstone
David Reed
Goodrich 104
2 – 2:30 PM