Fear, shame, guilt - With other eyes

Jayson Georges[1] has the basic idea that there are three types of reactions to violations of cultural norms: Fear, shame and guilt. That is, there are three general types of cultures: guilt-innocence cultures, shame-honor cultures, and fear-power cultures. Here we develop tools for verbal thinkers to understand these general types of culture and in particular the culture of your target audience. The better understanding will help you to develop a suitable story set for your target group. You can find more information on his website https://honorshame.com. I also recommend the culture test, a free test to analyze the audience of your target culture: https://honorshame.com/theculturetest/.

The following stories should help you to understand this better, they should simply illustrate what this can look like.

Example stories of guilt-innocence culture, shame-honor culture and power-fear culture

The following stories were created by Chat GPT, if a copyright has been violated, please let me know and I will remove it:

Guilt-Innocence Culture:

Jonas Meier starts his new job as an accountant in an international engineering company full of confidence. The boss is charismatic, the team is friendly, the salary is right - he finally seems to have arrived.

But within the first few weeks, he comes across inconsistencies in the old balance sheets: Turnover that makes no sense, missing debts, manipulated figures. When he asks a colleague about this, he only receives a tired smile:
"Everyone knows that here. The boss makes sure of it. Don't worry about it - or do you want to risk your career?"

Jonas is shocked. The balance sheets go to banks, investors and the tax office. This is fraud - punishable by law. And as an accountant, he is right in the middle of the responsibility.

He wrestles with himself for days. Silence would mean complicity, lying during exams, betraying his values. But a tip-off to the authorities could ruin his future. Dismissal, damage to his reputation, ostracism - all that would be the result.

Should he confront the boss and hope for a miracle? Or file a complaint anonymously and disappear immediately?

As he sees the next incorrect number on the screen, Jonas only knows one thing: time is running out to make a decision.

Honor-Shame Culture:

Yusuf, 32, lives in the Middle East. He has made a good name for himself as a master carpenter. Now he is fulfilling his dream: his own workshop. With credit, machines and tireless hard work, he is building what he has spent years fighting for. For him it means freedom, for his family pride and growing honor.

The news spreads quickly, relatives and neighbors congratulate him. Uncle Faruk is particularly proud - and firmly suggests hiring his son Kemal. "This is a chance for him, and a help for you."

Yusuf knows Kemal: friendly, but unreliable, often late, without any real talent. He can't afford to make mistakes in his workshop. But a no would be considered a snub. Faruk is respected, his word carries weight. A rejection would mean that Yusuf would publicly reject his uncle - an attack on his pride, on the whole family. Yusuf can already feel the unspoken expectation, the stares, the weight of tradition.

If he gives in, he jeopardizes his work. If he refuses, he risks more: wounded honor, rumors, a climate of mistrust and quiet hostility. And he knows how quickly quiet grumbling can turn into open division in his community.

Yusuf's dream threatens to trigger a family quarrel that tears everything apart.

Power-Fear Culture:

Kwabena, 38, lives in East Africa. He has built up a good reputation as a builder. Now he has the opportunity of a lifetime: an international NGO wants to build a school in the region - with local staff. Kwabena is being considered for the position of site manager, with the prospect of further major projects.

But the proposed plot of land is in a delicate location. For the villagers, it is sacred ground, a place where ancestral rituals once took place. It is said that the spirits of the ancestors rest there.

A respected shaman warns him with an insistent voice: "If you build there, the ancestors will punish you. Misfortune will come to your house." Kwabena knows stories of people who fell ill or lost everything after similar violations. His family also warns him not to anger the spirits.

But a no would mean no school for the children, no job, no promotion. The NGO expects a quick decision and thinks little of rituals and delays. Kwabena's wife advises him to try a reconciliation ritual - costly, risky, but perhaps the only bridge.

Kwabena is at a crossroads between economic progress and spiritual fear, between the recognition of the city and the traditions of the village - and knows that every choice demands sacrifices.

Fear, shame, guilt - Which stories from the Holy Scriptures?

Once you have thought about what characterizes the target culture, here are some suggestions for the respective cultures. Remember, the rule is a mixed culture, so a mixture of different stories can also make sense. I will write more about mixed cultures in my next blog

Power-Fear Culture

A suggestion from a Turkish believer:

a) to pass on the good news:

Joseph-Genesis 37-50

The deliverance of Abraham's descendants by Moses Exodus 12:1-33 Deuteronomy 18:15

God makes a way through the sea Exodus 14:1-31

The liberated Mark 5:1-20

Execution of Jesus, Luke 23:32-56

Resurrection of Jesus Luke 24:1-7,36-47 Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8-11

b) for believers

The first disobedience against God Genesis 3:1-24

Joseph-Genesis 37-50

The deliverance of Abraham's descendants by Moses Exodus 12:1-33 Deuteronomy 18:15

God makes a way through the sea Exodus 14:1-31

Elijah on Mount Carmel 1 Kings 18

Jesus' temptation Luke 4:1-13

The liberated Mark 5:1-20

Resurrection of Jesus Luke 24:1-7,36-47 Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8-11

Honor-shame culture

Creation of the world Gen 1-2

The first disobedience against God Genesis 3:1-24

Ruth

Hannah's desire to have children 1 Samuel 1+2,18-21

David and Mefi-Bosheth 2 Samuel 9:1-13

The story of the Great Banquet Luke 14:15-24

The story of the prodigal sons Luke 15:11-32

Innocence-guilt culture

The first disobedience against God Genesis 3:1-24

Abraham Genesis 12:1-7; 15:1-6

God puts Abraham to the test Genesis 22:1-19

The deliverance of Abraham's descendants by Moses Exodus 12:1-33 Deuteronomy 18:15

Message of Hope Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Jesus' baptism Luke 3:1-3, 10-22 Matthew 3:7-9, 13-15, John 1:29

Execution of Jesus, Luke 23:32-56

Resurrection of Jesus Luke 24:1-7,36-47 Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8-11

In future blog posts, I will also present a story set from time to time. You can find all the material with formulated stories in my handbook "Stories and Oral Bibles" under https://www.fivefingerfood.org/en_us/download/. As my handbook continues to grow, I can only give the current page, page 354f or 364, but this will change. Otherwise, look in the table of contents under "14.4 Fear, shame, guilt - With different eyes" or "Fear, shame, guilt - Which stories from the Holy Scriptures?"

[1] Jayson Georges: "With different eyes: Gospel perspectives for cultures of shame, guilt and fear" Neufeldverlag 2022