Defending Shame with Te-Li Lau
March 9, 2022
Life and Books and EverythingClearly Reformed
We think of shame as destructive, manipulative, and toxic. And it can be all those things. But shame can also be a powerful and healthy part of our moral formation. In this fascinating conversation, Kevin talks to Te-Li Lau, a professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, about his recent book Defending Shame: It’s Formative Power in Paul’s Letters. Together, Kevin and Te-Li explore the pervasiveness of our therapeutic assumptions, the central theme of shame throughout the Bible, and good and bad ways to think about shame in our own lives.
Timestamps:
Introduction and Sponsor [0:00-1:28]Guest Intro: Te Li Lau [1:29-8:44]Positive Shame? [8:45-11:43]Defining Shame [11:44-17:28]East vs. West [17:29-25:36]Shame vs. Guilt [25:37-35:26]Is God a Bully to Use Shame? [35:27-40:48]The Solution for Shame [40:49-47:50]Paul's Use of Shame [47:51-55:43]Reintegrative Shame Theory [55:44-1:00:22]Modern Objections to Shame [1:00:23-1:05:39]
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