Cross-Cultural
Reciprocity—Goes Both Ways and Keeps on Going
Building relationships through sharing resources.
Guanxi
Or, Do I Have to Give Them Something to Make Friends?
When we lived in Asia, I was constantly asked for things and especially for money. Being a typical American, I was offended with their constant asking. I discovered later that asking for favors was a means of developing relationships.
The Importance of Filial Piety
Especially at a Distance
Our friends in Asia suspected that we did not want to take care of our family members, our parents in particular, and so we came to their country. They couldn’t understand that we had come for any other reason.
Chinese vs American Family
Don’t Tell Me What to Do!
I didn’t understand that by disagreeing with my parents and older people that I was not showing them respect and returning the care they had given me.
Cultural Identity—East vs West
Or Why They Cause Me Stress
In Asia I experienced a lot of cultural stress but didn’t know why. Not only was I trying to adjust to a different culture, but I was also dealing with unconscious American and Japanese cultural values.
Supporting Article
Building Bridges through Language and Culture
Faith Wanjiku Mworia founded the Discovery Chinese Cultural Center in Nairobi, Kenya for the promotion of cultural and language exchanges between Kenyans and Chinese. She tells how the Center began and describes its outreach and desired outcomes.
Challenged by Different Ways of Seeing, Part 2
Understanding believers with fear culture backgrounds—a story.
Challenged by Different Ways of Seeing
Why we need to understand shame, fear, and guilt cultures.
Honor and Shame in Paul’s Message and Mission
A Book Review
Learning to read the book of Romans with a broader cultural lens.
Reading Romans through Eastern Eyes
Honor and Shame in Paul’s Message and Mission
Combining research from Asian scholars with his many years of experience living and working in East Asia, Jackson directs our attention to Paul's letter to the Romans. He argues that some traditional East Asian cultural values are closer to those of the first-century biblical world than common Western cultural values. In addition, he adds his voice to the scholarship engaging the values of honor and shame in particular and their influence on biblical interpretation.