Looking Shame in the Eye: A Path to Understanding, Grace and Freedom

What is shame and where does it come from? How can we break free and help others held in its vice-like grip? And what is the gospel when shame is the problem? Shame, humiliation and stigma are all around us. Online shaming reminds us of the power of shame, the crisis of self-worth, the weight of judgement and the need for freedom. At the same time, people are becoming less responsive to gospel messages about guilt, morality and sin. If we want to reach those around us and bring healing to their hurts, we need to speak their language: the language of shame. This book helps Christians to introduce 'shame thinking' into their own lives and the lives of those they disciple and evangelize. Above all, it shows how God's freedom can release anyone suffering from the debilitating grip of shame. Introduction: Reputation ruined - what shame looks like 1 Identity, perception, judgement, and the horizontal nature of shame - case study from Genesis 2 Shame examined - what exactly is shame and how does it relate to guilt? Helpful emotion but also profoundly destructive 3 Who do you think you are? Shame in relation to identity: fig leaves and Instagram 4 Shame and the cross - flipping the script; putting shame to shame. How Jesus dealt with shame 5 'Disposing' of the shameful body - hiding, distancing, laughter, etc. Cultural perceptions 6 A new life. The role of the church - a brand new social community for the shamed 7 Putting our house in order before we help others: practical application 8 Reaching out to the shamed: practical application

About the Author :
Simon Cozens is fascinated by the subject of shame, having examined it through Western eyes, but also seen its cultural effects in Japan where he worked as a missionary. Significantly, he has worked shame issues through in his own life. He lectures in cultural anthropology at the Worldview Centre for Intercultural Studies in Tasmania, and preaches and leads workshops on shame. Previously he was a church planter with WEC International. This book reflects his passion to help the shame-prone to find grace and a home.

Review :
Simon Cozens addresses a feature of human experience that is universal but is so often hidden away. He demonstrates that the experience of shame was no less real for the great Augustine of Hippo as it was for the author himself as a 16-year-old who was witnessing the breakup of his parents’ marriage. And herein lies the great value of this book: first, it reassures the reader that each individual’s inevitable experience of shame places them in community. Second, the answer lies in the model of Jesus, who lived to take away guilt and shame "because he blew up shame itself" (Simon's words). Every Christian should read this eminently readable book and should then share its wisdom with their non-Christian friends. As a clinical psychologist, I meet a lot of shame in the therapy room. Shame about body image, internet use or addictions. People who have been shamed for leaving a cult. And deep shame about who we are. This book reveals biblical insights, including how Jesus dealt with shame. Cozens also describes how communities of Christians can help to get rid of shame, and minister to the shamed. I feel no shame in highly recommending this very helpful book. Shame is universally debilitating and has crippled humanity since the fall. Simon Cozens' brilliant and timely book is theologically rich, culturally relevant, missionally focused and pastorally liberating. Here is hope and help for a crisis of our times. This is honestly one of the most thought-stirring and very possibly game-changing books that I have read recently, and I'm a prolific reader. Shame is a significant part of our lives, and Simon's book is a much-needed catalyst to bring it more openly 'to the table' for discussion, not only in the church or in how we present the gospel, but also in our own lives. You'll want to read this book several times; first to dive into the well-developed, biblically rooted truths that Simon presents, but then again, and probably again, to allow the Holy Spirit use these truths for his transforming work in your own life. Shame is everywhere, a powerfully emotional and painfully confusing experience that has the power to eat away at communities, our personal character and our confidence. In this powerfully liberating book, Simon Cozen not only helps us understand shame, but points us to the One who heals and restores. Well-written and timely, this book is Simon speaking from experience into a culture and context where shame is too often hidden or misunderstood. I commend it to all, including all those involved in prayer ministry, helping to bring freedom to others. This book is a landmark and original contribution for understanding how shame affects all of us. Drawing richly on his own experience, Simon Cozens weaves stories, biblical insights and thoughtful questions, to force Western readers, time and again, to have another look at the misconception that shame only affect Asian societies. Highly recommended for leaders and cross-cultural workers open to new correlations between our personal and communities’ shame and the claims of Jesus and the gospel.