Source: IVP Academic
Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes: Patronage, Honor, and Shame in the Biblical World, by E. Randolph Richards and Richard James. IVP Academic, 2020. 304 pages.
I haven’t been able to read this one yet, but here’s the publisher’s description:
The Bible was written within collectivist cultures. When Westerners, immersed in individualism, read the Bible, it’s easy to misinterpret important elements―or miss them altogether. In any culture, the most important things usually go without being said. So to read Scripture well we benefit when we uncover the unspoken social structures and values of its world. We need to recalibrate our vision. Combining the expertise of a biblical scholar and a missionary practitioner, Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes is an essential guidebook to the cultural background of the Bible and how it should inform our reading.
E. Randolph Richards and Richard James explore deep social structures of the ancient Mediterranean―kinship, patronage, and brokerage―along with their key social tools―honor, shame, and boundaries―that the biblical authors lived in and lie below the surface of each text. From Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar to Peter’s instructions to elders, the authors strip away individualist assumptions and bring the world of the biblical writers to life.
Expanding on the popular Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes [co-authored by Richards], this book makes clear how understanding collectivism will help us better understand the Bible, which in turn will help us live more faithfully in an increasingly globalized world.
Richards is a professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Richard James (pseudonym) is involved in church-planting ministry in the Middle East. Nijay Gupta, professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary, wrote a review of the book for Christianity Today.
» Learn more or purchase from Amazon (or elsewhere) for about US$20.
» See also a new book from William Carey Publishing, Honor, Shame and the Gospel: Reframing Our Message and Ministry or read articles on the topic from the latest edition of Missio Dei, an online missions journal.