Winsome Conviction

Following the riot in the Capitol on January 6th, a photo of Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) went viral - he was cleaning up trash strewn across the floor of the Capitol's Rotunda. "It's a room I love so much - it's the heart of the Capitol, literally the heart of this country. It pained me so much to see it in this kind of condition," Kim said. It's a beautiful image, and Kim's action provides a moving metaphor for redressing the country's divisions and deep polarization: picking up the rhetorical trash in our public discourse. Today on the podcast Tim and Rick discuss the idea of "rhetorical trash" and the dangers of not addressing it. In part 1 of a 2-part discussion they highlight two practices for picking up the trash: truth-telling and not treating our rhetoric like New Year's resolutions.

Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2021/episode-11-picking-up-rhetorical-trash-part-1

We don't hear many people these days aspiring to "be gentle." Being gentle is often seen as weak and impractical, especially in harsh and abrasive times. Furthermore, people don’t tend to associate “being Christian” with “being gentle.” And yet, gentleness is a deeply Christian virtue, a characteristic of “the wisdom from above” (James 3:17). The Apostle Paul frequently advised the early Christian to embody gentleness. Dr. Perry Glanzer from Baylor University joins Tim and Rick to discuss this lost and misunderstood virtue. Gentleness proves vital to de-escalate incivility, face the challenges in our times, and for cultivating well-formed convictions. 

Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2021/episode-10-the-virtue-of-gentleness

A new year is upon us—2021! What practical changes can we make to be a little more charitable, civil and compassionate in our approach to others? Tim and Rick consider six challenging yet doable resolutions we can take toward cultivating winsome conviction this year. Even if you commit to one of these, you're on the way to deepening personal convictions and engaging others with gentleness and respect.

Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2021/new-years-resolutions-for-civility

We have made some progress on race in America, but we have so much farther to go, especially in regards to the ways racial inequity is perpetuated in cultural representations and social, political, and economic systems. Tim and Rick resume the conversation with James White and draw out a helpful metaphor for thinking about these issues on race: groundwater. They discuss steps we can take for having constructive conversations on race, especially where faith instructs us. They also revisit the importance of "perspective-taking" – i.e. the capacity to assume and maintain another’s point of view – for building understanding and empathy and making steps in the right direction. Listen in on part 2 of a 2-part conversation with James White.

Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2020/getting-up-to-speed-race-part-2

For the past couple of months we’ve been consumed with the presidential election. Yet, we can’t let the issue of race fade into the background. The hardest part of rhetoric is keeping the conversation going. James White—popular Cru speaker, pastor, and member of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission on race— joins the conversation in this first segment of Getting Up To Speed. Tim, Rick, and James discuss their different and complex upbringings and draw out the importance of the backstory for acquiring perspective. Putting yourself in another person’s shoes and assuming their point of view is difficult and often resisted. Yet, doing so can be a powerful, formative exercise to help foster understanding, empathy, and civility. This is part 1 of a 2-part conversation with James White on the issue of race. 

Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2020/getting-up-to-speed-race-part-1

Dr. Joy Qualls, an expert in political and religious rhetoric, joins Tim and Rick to discuss how polarized news sources contribute to making us polarized people. They give some tips for processing the continuous news stream in ways that foster a fair and balanced approach to political information, and underscore how the Kingdom of God shapes Christian perspective and engagement on political issues.

Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2020/choosing-our-news-resisting-political-polarization

"Where do I fit politically?" That's a question more Christians are asking as faith convictions feel at odds with party affiliations and partisan mindsets. Feeling at home with one particular political party is met with increasing discontent. "Political homelessness" seems to be setting in, and our guest today, David French, doesn't think that's a bad thing. In fact, he thinks it's a spiritual blessing (link to dispatch article in link section above). Join Rick, Tim, and David as they discuss "political homelessness" and the ways media can undermine charting a "politically homeless" path.

Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2020/on-political-homelessness

Votes for the next president have been cast and one thing is certain—somebody will be happy, and others disheartened. Can a friendship or workplace relationship be preserved with someone who voted differently and holds vastly different beliefs?

Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2020/episode-4-processing-the-election-with-family-friends-co-workers

Can winsomeness be a path to persuasion in today's political climate? What is "informed winsomeness"? David French, political commentator and New York Times best-selling author joins Tim and Rick for a conversation on engaging others winsomely, the importance of humility when we liken ourselves to biblical figures, and the manner of response Christians should take toward incivility and political adversity, especially when facing opponents.

Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2020/engaging-others-winsomely

Popular speaker and author, Brene Brown, states: “It’s hard to hate people close up. So, move in.” Communication theorists note that what helps break negative stereotypes the most is, information. How much do we know about the two presidential candidates? Learning the stories of Vice-President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump doesn’t condone their positions, but rather, humanizes them.

Show notes and a full transcript are available at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/winsome-conviction/2020/humanizing-thoughts-lead-to-humanizing-communication