What was the context of the New Testament? In Honor, Patronage, Kinship, and Purity, David A. DeSilva helps you unlock New Testament culture.
The book begins by immediately looking at the concepts of honor and shame. My own culture as an Asian American gave me some insight into this, but I was pleased to see DeSilva show how a person’s attributed or ascribed honor could change through adoption. Of course, this has particular meaning to Christians as we have been adopted into the family of God.
Patronage and Reciprocity
I was stunned to learn of the social “game” of challenge and riposte that happened in New Testament times. This is a game in which honor can be gained by publicly posing a challenge that cannot be successfully answered. The bystanders would deem if the challenged person could defend his own honor. This makes sense of all of the interactions between Jesus and the Pharisees.
Chapter 3 looks at the concepts of patronage and reciprocity, and I was surprised to see what the social context of “grace” meant in a Greco-Roman society. Grace is a type of showing favor, and it socially requires a response of gratitude. This is in contrast to how the western world makes grace a “free gift” inconsequential of a relationship between the giver and receiver.
Kinship and the Church
Kinship comes next, and DeSilva shows how it is connected with identity. Cooperation, harmony, hiding the shame of kin, and forgiveness, reconciliation, and patience go together. Chapter 6 connects the idea of kinship with the idea of the “household of God” in the New Testament. It brings a fullness to the ideas of a “church family” and “church community” that I had not before considered.
The book ends with a look at purity and pollution and links them closely with the concepts of sin and not being stained by the world. This book is a revelatory read that will help you better understand your Bible. Academic yet accessible, your eyes will be opened to better see and understand Christ and his kingdom.
I received a media copy of Honor, Patronage, Kinship, and Purity and this is my honest review. For more, visit our new Books and Reviews page — your one-stop resource for all of your reading needs. It features Asian American authors and issues, book recommendations, and interviews.