Christian Leadership: Cultivating Humility and Brokenness of Christ in a Shame-honour Culture

Daniel Ajak Magai

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ss.20261501.11

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Christian Leadership: Cultivating Humility and Brokenness of Christ in a Shame-honour Culture

Daniel Ajak Magai^*

Published in Social Sciences (Volume 15, Issue 1)

Received: 3 December 2025 Accepted: 15 December 2025 Published: 7 January 2026

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Abstract

Christian leadership within the shame and honour cultures faces different challenges, including the pressures and expectations of groups, social circles and the society at large. It is in this context that many Christian leaders often fall short of embracing the humility, brokenness and self-sacrificing life of Christ. The honour-shame cultures in the African context place a leader at the centre of proving their worth, being seen as strong and exhibiting power in order to receive praise over Christ’s humility and Christian values. With the contextual understanding of South Sudan and beyond, this article focuses on the issues that continue to place Christian leaders at the crossroads in the shame and honour cultures, mostly against the true power of the Gospel. The article provides an argument that the cultural expectations of status, power and prestige, often driven by societal beliefs, conflict with the biblical model of leadership that is rooted in humility, brokenness, and servanthood. Drawing from the biblical examples and text, the study argues that the cruciform character of Christ, especially his humility, embrace of shame and vulnerability, offers a transformative paradigm for Christian leadership. This transformative paradigm calls for the embrace of true honour in Christ, the embrace of the power of the Gospel that is rooted in the humility of Christ, suffering and brokenness of a Christian servant, imitating Christ to gain the grace of God. Practical implications for Christian leaders in South Sudan and similar settings are discussed with emphasis on the work of sacrificial love, servanthood and not conforming to the tribal, social circles, or societal alliances over the cross, which is our symbol of suffering and grace in Christ Jesus. We must reshape our cultural expectations with the true Gospel and not relent to any social group's pressures but stand firm, following Jesus’ footsteps, bearing the true fruits of the Spirit to the very end.

Published in	Social Sciences (Volume 15, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.ss.20261501.11
Page(s)	1-6
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Christian Leadership, Shame-honour Culture, Christ, Humility, Brokenness, Gospel

References

[1]	Georges, Jayson, 2014. The 3D Gospel: Ministry in Guild, Shame, and Fear cultures. Times Press.
[2]	Lingenfelter, S. G. (2008). Leading Cross-Culturally: Covenant Relationships for effective Christian leadership. Baker Academic.
[3]	Smith, P. B., Easterbrook, M. J., Koc, Y., Lun, V. M.-C., Papastylianou, D., Grigoryan, L., Torres, C., Efremova, M., Hassan, B., Abbas, A., Ahmad, A. H., al-Bayati, A., Selim, H. A., Anderson, J., Cross, S. E., Delfino, G. I., Gamsakhurdia, V., Gavreliuc, A., Gavreliuc, D.,... Chobthamkit, P. (2021). Is an Emphasis on Dignity, Honor and Face more an Attribute of Individuals or of Cultural Groups? Cross-Cultural Research, 55(2-3), 95-126. Article 1069397120979571. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069397120979571
[4]	Chance, J. K. (1994). “The Anthropology of Honor and Shame: Culture, values, and practice.” Semeia, 68 139-151. Retrieved November 17, 2025, from https://ixtheo.de/Record/153465528X
[5]	Nye, Robert A. (n.d.). “Honor and Shame.” Encyclopedia of European Social History. Retrieved November 17, 2025, from https://www.encyclopedia.com/international/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/honor-and-shame
[6]	Youssef, M. (2023, May 6). “Finding glory in your suffering.” Leading the Way. Retrieved November 26, 2025, from https://ltw.org/read/article/finding-glory-in-your-suffering/
[7]	Whitford, D. (n.d.). “Martin Luther (1483 - 1546).” In Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved November 26, 2025, from https://iep.utm.edu/luther/#:~:text=Martin%20Luther%20(1483%E2%80%941546),reason%20is%20the%20devil's%20whore.%E2%80%9D
[8]	Georges, J. (2017, March). “The good news for Honor-Shame Cultures: Uncovering a core aspect of God’s mission.” Lausanne Movement. Retrieved November 27, 2025, from https://lausanne.org/global-analysis/the-good-news-for-honor-shame-cultures
[9]	Villacorta, W. G., & Clinton, R. W. (2017). Tug of War: The Downward Ascent of Power. Cascade Books, an Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers.
[10]	Greenleaf, R. K. (2002). Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness 25th Anniversary Edition. Paulist Press.
[11]	Kim, G. J.-S. (2018). Healing Our Broken Humanity: Practices for Revitalizing the Church and Renewing the World. IVP Books.
[12]	Sunquist, S. W. (2017). Understanding Christian Mission: Participation in Suffering and Glory. Baker Academic.
[13]	Mbuvi, A. M. (2010). “The Ancient Mediterranean Values of “Honour and Shame” as a Hermeneutical Lens of Reading the Book of Job.” In Job OTE (Vols. 23–3, pp. 752–768). https://scielo.org.za/pdf/ote/v23n3/14.pdf

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Magai, D. A. (2026). Christian Leadership: Cultivating Humility and Brokenness of Christ in a Shame-honour Culture. Social Sciences, 15(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20261501.11

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Magai, D. A. Christian Leadership: Cultivating Humility and Brokenness of Christ in a Shame-honour Culture. Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(1), 1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20261501.11

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Magai DA. Christian Leadership: Cultivating Humility and Brokenness of Christ in a Shame-honour Culture. Soc Sci. 2026;15(1):1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20261501.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ss.20261501.11,
  author = {Daniel Ajak Magai},
  title = {Christian Leadership: Cultivating Humility and Brokenness of Christ in a Shame-honour Culture},
  journal = {Social Sciences},
  volume = {15},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-6},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ss.20261501.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20261501.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ss.20261501.11},
  abstract = {Christian leadership within the shame and honour cultures faces different challenges, including the pressures and expectations of groups, social circles and the society at large. It is in this context that many Christian leaders often fall short of embracing the humility, brokenness and self-sacrificing life of Christ. The honour-shame cultures in the African context place a leader at the centre of proving their worth, being seen as strong and exhibiting power in order to receive praise over Christ’s humility and Christian values. With the contextual understanding of South Sudan and beyond, this article focuses on the issues that continue to place Christian leaders at the crossroads in the shame and honour cultures, mostly against the true power of the Gospel. The article provides an argument that the cultural expectations of status, power and prestige, often driven by societal beliefs, conflict with the biblical model of leadership that is rooted in humility, brokenness, and servanthood. Drawing from the biblical examples and text, the study argues that the cruciform character of Christ, especially his humility, embrace of shame and vulnerability, offers a transformative paradigm for Christian leadership. This transformative paradigm calls for the embrace of true honour in Christ, the embrace of the power of the Gospel that is rooted in the humility of Christ, suffering and brokenness of a Christian servant, imitating Christ to gain the grace of God. Practical implications for Christian leaders in South Sudan and similar settings are discussed with emphasis on the work of sacrificial love, servanthood and not conforming to the tribal, social circles, or societal alliances over the cross, which is our symbol of suffering and grace in Christ Jesus. We must reshape our cultural expectations with the true Gospel and not relent to any social group's pressures but stand firm, following Jesus’ footsteps, bearing the true fruits of the Spirit to the very end.},
 year = {2026}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Christian Leadership: Cultivating Humility and Brokenness of Christ in a Shame-honour Culture
AU  - Daniel Ajak Magai
Y1  - 2026/01/07
PY  - 2026
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DO  - 10.11648/j.ss.20261501.11
T2  - Social Sciences
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JO  - Social Sciences
SP  - 1
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PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2326-988X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20261501.11
AB  - Christian leadership within the shame and honour cultures faces different challenges, including the pressures and expectations of groups, social circles and the society at large. It is in this context that many Christian leaders often fall short of embracing the humility, brokenness and self-sacrificing life of Christ. The honour-shame cultures in the African context place a leader at the centre of proving their worth, being seen as strong and exhibiting power in order to receive praise over Christ’s humility and Christian values. With the contextual understanding of South Sudan and beyond, this article focuses on the issues that continue to place Christian leaders at the crossroads in the shame and honour cultures, mostly against the true power of the Gospel. The article provides an argument that the cultural expectations of status, power and prestige, often driven by societal beliefs, conflict with the biblical model of leadership that is rooted in humility, brokenness, and servanthood. Drawing from the biblical examples and text, the study argues that the cruciform character of Christ, especially his humility, embrace of shame and vulnerability, offers a transformative paradigm for Christian leadership. This transformative paradigm calls for the embrace of true honour in Christ, the embrace of the power of the Gospel that is rooted in the humility of Christ, suffering and brokenness of a Christian servant, imitating Christ to gain the grace of God. Practical implications for Christian leaders in South Sudan and similar settings are discussed with emphasis on the work of sacrificial love, servanthood and not conforming to the tribal, social circles, or societal alliances over the cross, which is our symbol of suffering and grace in Christ Jesus. We must reshape our cultural expectations with the true Gospel and not relent to any social group's pressures but stand firm, following Jesus’ footsteps, bearing the true fruits of the Spirit to the very end.
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Author Information

Daniel Ajak Magai

The Banny DeBrum School of Diplomacy, Mediation, Law and Global Affairs, EUCLID University, Banjul, The Gambia

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http://orcid.org/0009-0004-9931-2481

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APA Style

Magai, D. A. (2026). Christian Leadership: Cultivating Humility and Brokenness of Christ in a Shame-honour Culture. Social Sciences, 15(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20261501.11

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ACS Style

Magai, D. A. Christian Leadership: Cultivating Humility and Brokenness of Christ in a Shame-honour Culture. Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(1), 1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20261501.11

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AMA Style

Magai DA. Christian Leadership: Cultivating Humility and Brokenness of Christ in a Shame-honour Culture. Soc Sci. 2026;15(1):1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20261501.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ss.20261501.11,
  author = {Daniel Ajak Magai},
  title = {Christian Leadership: Cultivating Humility and Brokenness of Christ in a Shame-honour Culture},
  journal = {Social Sciences},
  volume = {15},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-6},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ss.20261501.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20261501.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ss.20261501.11},
  abstract = {Christian leadership within the shame and honour cultures faces different challenges, including the pressures and expectations of groups, social circles and the society at large. It is in this context that many Christian leaders often fall short of embracing the humility, brokenness and self-sacrificing life of Christ. The honour-shame cultures in the African context place a leader at the centre of proving their worth, being seen as strong and exhibiting power in order to receive praise over Christ’s humility and Christian values. With the contextual understanding of South Sudan and beyond, this article focuses on the issues that continue to place Christian leaders at the crossroads in the shame and honour cultures, mostly against the true power of the Gospel. The article provides an argument that the cultural expectations of status, power and prestige, often driven by societal beliefs, conflict with the biblical model of leadership that is rooted in humility, brokenness, and servanthood. Drawing from the biblical examples and text, the study argues that the cruciform character of Christ, especially his humility, embrace of shame and vulnerability, offers a transformative paradigm for Christian leadership. This transformative paradigm calls for the embrace of true honour in Christ, the embrace of the power of the Gospel that is rooted in the humility of Christ, suffering and brokenness of a Christian servant, imitating Christ to gain the grace of God. Practical implications for Christian leaders in South Sudan and similar settings are discussed with emphasis on the work of sacrificial love, servanthood and not conforming to the tribal, social circles, or societal alliances over the cross, which is our symbol of suffering and grace in Christ Jesus. We must reshape our cultural expectations with the true Gospel and not relent to any social group's pressures but stand firm, following Jesus’ footsteps, bearing the true fruits of the Spirit to the very end.},
 year = {2026}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Christian Leadership: Cultivating Humility and Brokenness of Christ in a Shame-honour Culture
AU  - Daniel Ajak Magai
Y1  - 2026/01/07
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20261501.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ss.20261501.11
T2  - Social Sciences
JF  - Social Sciences
JO  - Social Sciences
SP  - 1
EP  - 6
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2326-988X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20261501.11
AB  - Christian leadership within the shame and honour cultures faces different challenges, including the pressures and expectations of groups, social circles and the society at large. It is in this context that many Christian leaders often fall short of embracing the humility, brokenness and self-sacrificing life of Christ. The honour-shame cultures in the African context place a leader at the centre of proving their worth, being seen as strong and exhibiting power in order to receive praise over Christ’s humility and Christian values. With the contextual understanding of South Sudan and beyond, this article focuses on the issues that continue to place Christian leaders at the crossroads in the shame and honour cultures, mostly against the true power of the Gospel. The article provides an argument that the cultural expectations of status, power and prestige, often driven by societal beliefs, conflict with the biblical model of leadership that is rooted in humility, brokenness, and servanthood. Drawing from the biblical examples and text, the study argues that the cruciform character of Christ, especially his humility, embrace of shame and vulnerability, offers a transformative paradigm for Christian leadership. This transformative paradigm calls for the embrace of true honour in Christ, the embrace of the power of the Gospel that is rooted in the humility of Christ, suffering and brokenness of a Christian servant, imitating Christ to gain the grace of God. Practical implications for Christian leaders in South Sudan and similar settings are discussed with emphasis on the work of sacrificial love, servanthood and not conforming to the tribal, social circles, or societal alliances over the cross, which is our symbol of suffering and grace in Christ Jesus. We must reshape our cultural expectations with the true Gospel and not relent to any social group's pressures but stand firm, following Jesus’ footsteps, bearing the true fruits of the Spirit to the very end.
VL  - 15
IS  - 1
ER  -

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