Is Genuine Dialogue Still Possible?
How the faculty at Western Seminary are responding to societal division
Visiting lecturer Jarvis Williams, PhD (center), met with the faculty last spring to discuss the topic of redemptive kingdom diversity.
During the last few years, a number of expressions have become rather ubiquitous in public discourse. Among them, “pandemic,” “social distancing,” and “supply chain,” come quickly to mind. Another which seems especially prevalent today: “polarization.”
Our Divided Times
Everywhere you turn there is recognition, and perhaps growing fatigue over the fact, that we are living in increasingly polarized times. While disagreement, whether moral, political, or otherwise, has always been present in American society (which indeed is one of our country’s virtues), the degree of intensity — and outright animosity — with which it comes today is alarming. And with good reason: society, families, and even churches are being pulled apart at the seams over their disagreements, particularly in relation to hot button issues like race and social justice, sexuality and gender, abortion and the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade, Covid vaccinations, and, of course, former president Donald Trump.
“These issues...have a knack for finding you whether you’re looking for them or not.”
For many, just reading that list of topics is enough to make their stomachs churn. Christians are no exception, with many hoping their own churches will do everything in their power to avoid engaging them publicly. And the concern here is legitimate, with regular reports coming in of church congregations fracturing over these types of issues. Current Western Seminary ministry students regularly share that their own churches are struggling over how to navigate such contentious waters, fearing any move they make will result in acrimonious division, or even a split. The risks are real.
But so too are the risks of trying to avoid these topics entirely. While the attempt to maintain peace by skirting these issues is well intended, these issues, given their pervasiveness in social discourse and news media, and the passion with which people tend to hold their opinions about them, have a knack for finding you whether you’re looking for them or not. And when they do, if your church or organization isn’t prepared to engage them productively (which it probably isn’t if you’ve simply been trying to avoid the subjects entirely), there is a good chance you’ll be caught on your heels, now scrambling to prevent the same division and discord that has overtaken so many other communities.
Western’s Faculty Response
In light of this, rather than run from these issues, Western faculty have chosen to run at them. In fall 2021, the faculty launched a new monthly gathering called “faculty discussion forums.” The goal of these forums is to foster genuine, robust, learning-oriented, and community-building conversation—always conducted within our resolute commitment to biblical authority—on various topics of importance and interest, including those most difficult to discuss. Expanding on this goal, a few key things to note:
The aim of these forums is not to resolve or settle a matter per se, but to open space for rigorous yet civil discussion so that faculty can challenge and enrich one another on the matters discussed. (There are too few places today where one can engage in genuine, productive two-way conversation on sensitive topics. This requires both real freedom to express one’s views and trust in one another’s good faith intentions as interested learners.)
When conducted in the love of Christ, we believe such conversations, even on topics that are at times sensitive, delicate, and/or controversial, can both sharpen minds and deepen our experience of community with one another. (In other words, beyond the educational value of these forums, we believe relationships, rather than being strained, can actually be deepened. Genuine dialogue on hard topics requires a bit of vulnerability. And when vulnerability is met with Christian love — despite possible disagreement — relationships are strengthened.)
Through these times, faculty hope to grow in their overall ability to engage in difficult conversations well, as a model for our students and a countermodel to the rampant and unhealthy conversational discord that permeates so much of society today. (One can’t teach with integrity or insight what one is afraid or unwilling to do him or herself.)
Potential topics can include virtually any subject of interest, including questions and issues in theology, biblical interpretation, ethics, culture and society, politics, ministry, counseling, education, etc.
While readers can be assured that the views expressed by the faculty during these forums are all firmly within the doctrinal bounds of Western’s faculty teaching statement, and always true to our unwavering commitment to biblical authority, there remains plenty of room for curiosity and disagreement around questions within these topics, or at least room to wrestle together with hard questions that even those who generally share a common theological outlook can acknowledge persist. As a result, conversations have already been challenging and thought-provoking, though ever cordial with Christ as our bond.
Guidelines to Ensure Conversational Health
But how does the faculty, or any Christian for that matter, prevent open conversations about hard topics from leading to the kind of polarized environment that is overtaking so many spaces today? As Christian educators, it is safe to assume Western’s faculty all have a genuine value for productive, civil—indeed, loving—discourse. However, wisdom and experience suggest that no one is immune to getting caught up in unhealthy conversational practices at times, especially on matters that are in some way contentious, or, in some cases, deeply personal. Given this, prior to each and every session, all participants are encouraged to review the following guidelines, consideration of which may be helpful for pastors and churches in general looking to promote these types of conversations in their own ministries:
1. Enter into conversations with the goal of dialoguing for the sake of learning, not debating for the sake of winning. (We are to see each other not as conversational adversaries, but journeymates in the common pursuit of truth. Prov. 18:1; 1 Cor. 13:6)
2. Speak at all times with courtesy and respect. In short, show love through your manner of speech. (Upon reflection, the vast majority of relationship is mediated through conversation. Hence, all of Scripture’s commands to love which pertain to relationships ipso facto pertain to conversation as well. Prov. 15:1–2; 2 Tim. 2:24–25a; 1 Pet. 3:15–16)
3. Listen intently to others, as you would hope they would listen to you (Mt. 7:12). Strive to understand others’ positions as they themselves do, not merely as you are instinctively tempted to. (You know you’ve listened well if you can paraphrase the other person’s view in a way they would find acceptable. Prov. 12:15; Phil. 2:4; Jas. 1:19)
4. Avoid dominating a conversation. Monitor both the frequency and length of your own comments. Be considerate of others and their opportunity to speak. (Prov. 18:2; Jas. 1:19)
5. Anticipate that we will press into the hard, most challenging aspects of a subject, which at times can be quite uncomfortable but often represent the locus of disagreement. (Acts 15:6)
6. Challenge yourself to share candidly your genuine thoughts, questions, and perspectives, which at times requires courage. (Acts 17:16–33)
7. Freedom to openly disagree, even where difficult, is a must. (Let us model just how richly people can love across disagreement without compromising the quality and substance of the conversation.)
8. You are welcome to share your views with appropriate emotion and even passion, but always with an understanding that any view shared remains a legitimate subject for discussion (i.e., emotion and passion should not be used to foreclose open discussion).
9. Give each other the benefit of the doubt as to intentions and motivations. Let us assume we are all good-faith participants, each striving to honor God, love Christ and one another, heed the Scriptures, and pursue truth in our manner of engagement. (1 Cor. 13:7)
10. Readily extend grace over unintended verbal missteps, especially on topics some may be newer to than others. (Too many conversations are avoided owing to fear of saying “the wrong thing” or saying something in “the wrong way.” Let us be more eager to gently correct innocent errors in love than to take offense. 1 Cor. 13:5)
11. Where feelings may have been hurt, or conversation excessively contentious (which can happen at times, despite our best efforts), affected parties ought to seek each other out quickly to reconcile. (Mt. 18:15; Eph. 4:18)
“Perhaps polarization, rather than being a threat, can be yet another opportunity for Christ to shine through the pleasing manner of His people.”
While relatively early on in our own efforts to deliberately engage hard conversations well, our hope is that by doing so we will better position ourselves to continue to equip pastors and other ministry leaders to lead during these polarized times. Perhaps polarization, rather than being a threat, can be yet another opportunity for Christ to shine through the pleasing manner of his people (Jn. 13:35).
