This volume deals with the varied forms of shame reflected in biblical, theological, psychological and anthropological sources. Although traditional theology and church practice concentrate on providing forgiveness for shameful behavior, recent scholarship has discovered the crucial relevance of social shame evoked by mental status, adversity, slavery, abuse, illness, grief and defeat. Anthropologists, sociologists, and psychologists have discovered that unresolved social shame is related to racial and social prejudice, to bullying, crime, genocide, narcissism, post-traumatic stress and other forms of toxic behavior. Eleven leaders in this research participated in a conference on The Shame Factor, sponsored by St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Lincoln, NE in October 2010. Their essays explore the impact and the transformation of shame in a variety of arenas, comprising in this volume a unique and innovative resource for contemporary religion, therapy, ethics, and social analysis.
How should Christians think and engage the culture of death we now live in? Every day new challenges regarding abortion, euthanasia, infanticide, eugenics, and biotechnology force Christians to consider the conclusions of Christian theology and how to minister to those who are hurting. Typically, Christians articulate what they are against, but rarely show how the gospel offers a better way. This book seeks not only to help the average believer understand the many challenges of the culture of death, but also to show how the gospel informs our Christian worldview and how it offers hope even in a culture of blood like ours. Being a pro-life Christian means more than just voting for pro-life candidates and supporting pro-life causes. A pro-life Christian must also show the world the power of the gospel, the love of the Father, the peace of Christ, and the beauty of the local church. Christians must not just condemn the culture, but offer the grace of Christ that touches the lives of those in the culture. It is a call to understand the challenges of the culture of death and, at the same time, a call for Christians to actively seek the end of this culture that is consumed with blood.
Logizomai is the Greek word meaning "to reckon," or "to reason." The Apostle John identifies Jesus as the "Logos" (John 1:1, 14)-the Divine Word. To most Christians in the West today, Christianity is nothing more than a duty, a feeling, a name badge, or something one does on Sunday's. But Christianity is more than that. Christianity is a complete worldview that makes sense of the world. A right theology results in a right understanding of the world and the gospel is that right theology. The Church is sick because she is shallow. What we need is a logizomai faith-a reasonable faith. Such a reasonable faith encounters hardships with perseverance, animosity with love, and evangelism with Spirit-filled skill. Most refuse to share their faith because they don't understand it and are unable to articulate it. If Christianity is logizomai, then the issues we face today present no real challenge. We must, therefore, learn to apply the truths of the gospel to our dying, hurting world. To do so, we must have reason, rooted in the gospel and inspired by the cross.
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