Winsome Conviction

It's difficult to keep conversations on hot topics conversational and keep the back and forth from devolving into a debate. In this segment of Reports from The Front where we share stories of people who demonstrate winsome conviction in real life, Sean McDowell (PhD) talks with Tim and Rick about his experience having conversations with those who have left evangelicalism. They discuss how to organize a conversation to keep it civil and engaging, the value of having moments of clarity, being wise in the particulars of the conversation, and how to safeguard conversations from going off the rails. This is part 1 of a 2-part conversation with Sean on keeping it conversational and civil when we disagree.

Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2021/episode-21-reports-from-the-front-sean-mcdowell-part-1

Preston Sprinkle (PhD) joins Tim and Rick to discuss what to do when you don't know what to do to foster healthy conversations on sexuality and gender and how to mix truth and love into these conversations. They discuss the importance of understanding "the already spokens," a phrase coined by Mikhail Bakhtin, a Russian philosopher and linguist, that refers to the social and personal histories, past hurts, and context embedded in every conversation. They also reflect on the need to resist cultural trends (i.e. social media) as our go-to for interacting with others before considering whether our communication as Christians is qualitatively different from the broader culture on issues around sexuality and gender.

Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2021/episode-20-getting-back-to-embodied-relationships

Tim and Rick resume the conversation on obstacles to listening and discuss two postures that undermine listening: "ambushing" and "dropping the mic." These postures can have the appearance of listening, but in actuality the listener is pretending to listen to the speaker and is primarily concerned with his own interests. With both postures, the listener is absorbed in breaking down what is said or gaining some kind of advantage, and these postures affect relationships in damaging and hurtful ways. This is part 2 of a 2-part discussion on obstacles to listening.

Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2021/episode-19-obstacles-to-listening-part-2

Listening is important, a basic and vital action for learning, communicating, and fostering healthy relationships. When we don’t listen, our relationships suffer and unravel. In his book, The Road Less Traveled, psychiatrist M. Scott Peck says the number one way we show love to someone is by listening to them. The Bible also puts a premium on listening and regards those who don’t listen as fools. Yet, we are losing the ability to listen today. What undermines our ability to listen? In this episode Tim and Rick consider two obstacles to listening: pre-judgment and covert definitions. This is part 1 of a 2-part discussion on the obstacles to listening.

Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2021/episode-18-obstacles-to-listening-part-1

Tim and Rick continue the discussion on the three waves of feminism with Dr. Julia Wood, noted gender theorist and leading communication scholar. In this episode, they discuss how women in the third wave of feminism were key beneficiaries of first and second wave feminism, but they were doing things differently. Dr. Wood addresses two key developments with the third wave of feminism – intersectionality and building alliances. The discussion also draws out the importance of understanding a person’s backstory and the problems of painting styles of thought with too broad a brush. This is part 2 of a 2-part conversation with Dr. Julia Wood on feminism.

Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2021/episode-17-getting-up-to-speed-feminism-part-2

In this segment of "Getting Up To Speed," leading scholar Dr. Julia Wood joins Tim and Rick to discuss the topic of feminism. They discuss the three waves of feminism, key figures and prominent issues in each wave as well as common misperceptions, including debunking the emblematic act of bra-burning in the second wave. They highlight where Christians have historically supported feminist movements and which features of feminism might have found support from Jesus. It's good practice to get clear on what we're talking about, and this surely is the case with feminism when the tendency is to caricature or to conflate feminist viewpoints. This is part 1 of a 2-part conversation with Dr. Julia Wood on feminism.

Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2021/episode-16-getting-up-to-speed-feminism-part-1

In part 2 of a discussion with Preston Sprinkle (PhD), Tim and Rick ask Preston for insight on how Christians can be hospitable in disagreement without compromising on important matters of biblical conviction. They dive into gender neutral bathrooms, inoculation theory, gender pronouns, and the importance of accurately representing views of those with whom we disagree. Jesus made room for others with whom he disagreed, and he did so without needing to agree or condone ideas and lifestyles that opposed his own convictions. This act of hospitality made him vulnerable to criticism, and yet it also helped to produce great humanizing value. This is part 2 of a discussion with Preston Sprinkle on faith, sexuality and gender. See part 1, "LGBTQ+ & The Kindness of God."

Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2021/episode-15-disagreement-in-hospitality

Dr. Preston Sprinkle (PhD) joins Tim and Rick to discuss one of the more pressing issues facing the Church and Christian conviction – sexuality and gender. In a Pew Research survey 73% of LGBTQ+ adult respondents said they experienced evangelical churches to be unfriendly toward them, and only 3% of respondents said they experienced evangelical churches as friendly. In light of these troubling statistics, how should churches respond? The apostle Paul writes about the power of kindness in Romans 2. How can churches embody “the kindness of God” to the LGBTQ+ community without undermining or compromising conviction? In the area of faith, sexuality and gender, Preston models what it means to have “winsome conviction,” so we’re thrilled to learn from him and glean wisdom on how to navigate our day to day relationships with those who identify as LGBTQ+ in both truth and love.

Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2021/episode-14-lgbtq-the-kindness-of-god

Can a group of men who are racially diverse discuss taboo topics with respect and humility? Yes, and it’s happening at a local park in the heart of Texas. In this first segment of Reports from The Front, Tim and Rick speak with Shane Hurley about a group he helped form to discuss difficult issues, including race relations, interracial marriage, police brutality, and white privilege. They get into how the group began (sports really do bring people together), how it’s taking shape and growing, and they discuss the challenges and insights learned, including the power in an invitation. Shane and his friends provide a shining example that it is possible to discuss difficult topics in ways that challenge convictions, provide perspective, and foster respect while disagreeing.

Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2021/episode-13-reports-from-the-front-shane-hurley

Tim and Rick resume the discussion on "rhetorical trash" and consider four types of words that litter our rhetoric: words of outrage, exaggeration, glee, and despair. They draw counsel from the book of Proverbs and communication theory for cleaning up the ways we speak to one another and highlight recent examples in the news of rhetorical trash and rhetorical treasure. This is part 2 of a 2-part discussion.

Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2021/episode-12-picking-up-rhetorical-trash-part-2