Patronage governs many relationships in Majority World cultures. But regrettably, Western theologians and missionaries rarely notice this prominent cultural reality. Patronage—a reciprocal relationship between social unequals—is acentral part of global cultures and the biblical story of God's mission.

Misunderstanding patronage creates problems not only for Westerners ministering in other cultures, but also for contemporary people reading the Bible. If we ignore the concepts of patronage in biblical cultures, we will misinterpret Yahweh's relationship with Israel and miss some of the meaning in Jesus' parables and Paul's letters. Understanding patronage will illuminate theological concepts such as faith, grace, and salvation.

Jayson Georges, coauthor of Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures, now brings his ministry experience and biblical insights to bear on the topic of patronage. With sections on cultural issues, biblical models, theological concepts, and missional implications, this resource will serve not only ministry practitioners but also anyone who studies Scripture and worships God.



Jayson Georges (MDiv, Talbot) has served crossculturally for over fifteen years in Central Asia, a refugee community in the United States, and now in the Middle East. He is the coauthor of Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures and the author of The 3D Gospel and The Honor-Shame Paraphrase series. Georges has taught about honor-shame and patronage around the world and is the founding editor of honorshame.com.



Acknowledgments

Introduction: The Problems of Patronage



Part I: Cultural Issues

Chapter 1: The Meaning of Patronage

Chapter 2: Expressions of Patronage

Chapter 3: Misperceptions of Patronage



Part II: Biblical Models

Chapter 4: Yahweh and Israel

Chapter 5: Jesus and the Kingdom

Chapter 6: Paul and the Church



Part III: Theological Concepts

Chapter 7: God as Patron

Chapter 8: Sin as Ingratitude

Chapter 9: Salvation as Patronage



Part IV: Missional Implications

Chapter 10: Engaging Patronage

Chapter 11: Transforming Relationships

Chapter 12: Reframing the Christian Life

Appendix 1: Further Resources

Appendix 2: Discussion and Reflection Questions

General Index

Scripture Index