Nevertheless, the society reacted most negatively to the formation of this new group, with its distinctive ethos, in its midst. The author’s description shows that what was chiefly at stake was the honor of those who identified themselves with the Christian community in the eyes of their neighbors. These believers became the target of society’s deviancy-control techniques, most notably shaming, which aimed at coercing the believers to return to a lifestyle that demonstrated their allegiance to the