Civility & Incivility

Course Description:

There is an illness abroad in the land: cancel culture, Bulverism, confirmation bias, tribalism, violence, and other societal ailments that are classic manifestations of incivility. If the sickness is incivility, the antidote is civility--the courtesy and respect to regard others as human beings. If due to primal fallenness people become savage, then due to divine redemption it is possible to be civil. Civility pumps the heart of civilization. In a crumbling civilization, civility gets buried under the avalanche that ensues from societal decay. In this course, students will be given the opportunity to develop a disposition for civil discourse and intellectual hospitality.

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Guiding Questions:

• Is there such a thing as Christian civility? If so, what distinguishes it? 

• What does civility look like in St. Augustine's vision of the city of God?

• How can the church present itself as something more than a tribe?

• How can Christians take a stand without being uncivil?

• How can the Body of Christ address political issues wisely with the unique voice of the Church?