6. Ingroup and Outgroup Bias, w/ Abby Dyer Join Abby and Scott as they discuss "innies" and "outies", or rather, ingroups and outgroups. The phrase, "Birds of a feather flock together" is a cliché for a reason. People tend to congregate and group up with people with similar preferences and prejudices. Ingroup bias (or ingroup favoritism) refers to the tendency to favor one’s own group, its members, its characteristics, and its preferences. Outgroup bias includes negative categorizations, feelings, or ideas about people who are not part of our ingroup. Though bias is common in our world, it's actually unnatural in the Kingdom of God as Jesus embodies. Even a cursory reading of the New Testament displays a radical trajectory that goes against the grain of the ingroup/outgroup dualism. And yet, as we consider our relationships and spheres of influence, they are most likely predominantly ingroup. Which means our groups most likely reflect this bias in some ways. This isn’t a guilt trip, but it is a Gospel trip. I.e., this is an area we need to follow Jesus in as he builds his Church. Recommended Resources:  Preferences Quiz: Scot McKnight's "Images of Jesus" quiz from his book on interpreting the Bible, "The Blue Parakeet". This quiz is meant to highlight our own preferences and prejudices that we project onto Jesus. Message: Persistent Poverty, by Matt Soerens of World Relief Books: The Third Option: Hope for a Racially Divided Nation, by Miles McPherson; The Color of Compromise, by Jemar Tisby; Divided by Faith, by Christian Smith