The Shame Factor

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.