"What made the Inklings work so well... was largely their differences... if we want to think like an Inkling, we need to start by cultivating genuine friendship with people who have a different point of view."
-- Diana Glyer
Embedded Files
Ten links for building community in 2025
Ten links for building community in 2025
(Each title is a link to the mentioned article or podcast.)
Looking for ways to help nourish connections across political, ideological, or religious divisions in your community? Here are seven suggestions.
2. The Giving Town: Improving Political Culture in our Community – with Ron Mock
This is an episode of The Giving Town podcast recorded in the weeks leading up to election day, aimed primarily at an audience in the Newberg area. Giving Town host Daniel Roberts uses the podcast to highlight efforts to improve life in the Newberg/Dundee area. He asked Ron to join him for a pre-election conversation about the George Fox Civility Project and its work in the heat of election campaigns.
3. Dealing with political stress when you disagree
A correspondent for National Public Radio's Here and Now came to George Fox to interview Professor of Writing Melanie Mock and her husband, Civility Project Director Ron Mock, about handling the stress of the 2024 election when husband and wife are not of the same political persuasion. Bonus content: a "word" from Ron and Melanie's 9-month-old grandson Colton, who was also at the interview.
4. I Don’t Want to Live in a Monoculture, and Neither Do You -- David French
David French rues our current tendency to sort ourselves into like-minded communities, isolating ourselves from those who disagree with us. He explains some of the ways this trend has impoverished our lives and our politics.
5. We Live Here Now -- Lauren Ober and Hannah Rosin
Two writers for The Atlantic put together a fascinating account of their experiences when January 6 fatality Ashley Babbit's mother moves in next door in the Washington, D.C. are neighborhood. This is a six-part podcast about what happens when you manage to build a personal connection with someone who disagrees with your politics with the intensity of a bereaved mother. But it's also a mostly hopeful window on what might be possible for our entire polarized nation,
6. Is There an American Covenant?
Yuval Levin joins a conversation about the American Constitution and its design to turn our disagreements into negotiated practical outcomes that best serve our interests. Prompted by the publication of Levin's book, American Covenant: How the Constitution Unified Our Nation—and Could Again, the conversation will explore how Levin believes civility can thrive in our system if we are faithful to our constitution and its amendments.
Levin spoke about his book for the Trinity Forum on November 1, 2024. Here's a link.
7. The Intellectual Humility Test
See how well you score for the kind of intellectual humility that helps you, and groups you work with, do better at taking advantage of disagreements as a vehicle for improving your group's performance.
8. More in Common's Dignity Index
More in Common USA is a group working to build a healthier political culture in America. They've just published an article describing results of studies of partisan perceptions of their political opponents (kernel: we wildly overestimate how hostile the average person on the other side is toward us) and how politicians, media personalities, and social media influencers communicate about politics. (Gem: once the the researchers began studying toxicity in public discourse, they realized how much of their own communication about politics was also toxic! We may not even see how much we contribute the problem.) Click here to see that article, and check out more about More in Common once you reach their website.
9. Trauma Healing and Reconciliation Services (THARS)
Over three decades ago, Lon Fendall, the first director of the George Fox Center for Peace Learning, connected with young seminary graduate David Niyonzima, who had fled to Kenya after narrowly escaping being a victim of ethnic genocide in his native Burundi. Lon invited David to visit George Fox University, where David eventually became a graduate student in counseling,
David returned to Burundi to dedicate his life to healing the deep wounds in that traumatized nation. He founded the Trauma Healing and Reconciliation Services (THARS) there.
David recently give a talk at North Valley Friends Church about his work. We have called Jonathan Kuttab's efforts in Israel and Palestine the world's toughest civility project, but David's would also be up near the top of the list. Check out the link above to learn more. Would David Niyonzima be a good candidate for a Civility Project event next year?
It's been awhile since we featured Braver Angels, the leading national civility-building group. Tirelessly reaching out to both reds and blues, BA keeps innovating new ways to encourage people to get out of their bubbles and listen to people from the other side.
Also recommended: the Braver Angels podcast featuring Monica Guzman (author of I Never Thought Of It That Way). Check it out here, and subscribe to it if you like it.
WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO PROMOTE ROBUST CIVILITY?
MORE STUFF TO READ OR WATCH:
Join in a Community Conversation, sponsored by Newberg/Dundee United as Neighbors. The most recent Community Conversation was held in April, 2025. Check back late in the summer for the fall schedule!
Do a Friendly Walk, like the one we organized in Newberg in May, 2025. People were sent out in small groups in which no one knew everyone in the group, so they would have to work with strangers to meet various challenges and solve various puzzles while taking a walking tour of a section of the city. Look for another one in the fall of 2025 if you are in Newberg.
Consider volunteering to do community mediation with Neighbor-to-Neighbor if you live in Yamhill, Marion, Benton, or Polk counties in Oregon.
Join a Braver Angels event in your area.
Watch video recordings of Civility Project events.
Check out our reviews of articles and books on civility.
Read reflections and explorations about civility as a Christian virtue, and its connections to key Christian ideas like providence, justice, stewardship, service, peacemaking, and love.
George Fox Civility Project Would you like to receive e-mail updates? Do you have questions, comments, or suggestions?
C/O George Fox University If so, tell us your email address. We won't give your email to anyone else. Let us know at civility@georgefox.edu. civility@georgefox.edu.
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