You’re invited

to Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

1501 Gilbert Rd., Madison, WI 53711

this Sunday, June 16, 2024, 9 am

Alfred Swan Room

How Can We Have Meaningful Discussions with Others

about Difficult Topics?

Featuring Robert Asen is the Stephen E. Lucas Professor of Rhetoric, Politics, and Culture in the Communication Arts Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Facilitator: Baxter Richardson

This presentation/discussion, while using the Israel-Palestine conflict as an example, will not focus on the content of that conflict, but rather will explore the approaches and strategies that we might employ in order to have meaningful discussions with others, including those we disagree with, about the conflict. These approaches, it is hoped, can also be used for other kinds of undertakings, such as Jewish-Christian dialogue.

Americans live in an increasingly polarized society in which we face difficult issues impacting our local communities and our wider worlds. These issues may address core values and commitments that connect us and divide us from others with similar and different viewpoints. Indeed, we may even feel internal tensions as we struggle to articulate coherent perspectives on complicated issues. This brief presentation and facilitated discussion will invite reflection on the possibilities for productive deliberation and dialogue across differences. We will consider the ethics, purposes, and implications of engaging different perspectives on potentially difficult issues. We will also reflect on our own values and commitments, including what we are willing to risk to engage different viewpoints.

Robert Asen is the Stephen E. Lucas Professor of Rhetoric, Politics, and Culture in the Communication Arts Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In his research, Asen explores the democratic possibilities of public debate and dialogue, as ordinary folks may connect with others to build diverse communities and support individuals, as well as the ways that public discourse may divide and scapegoat people and sustain unjust practices. He regularly teaches an undergraduate argument course that starts with the basic belief that we must be able to discuss our differences and that these differences can contribute to a dynamic and diverse society.

Please open this link and read the UW Madison Faith Leaders statement before Sunday:

Click here for the statement

Questions? Contact Baxter Richardson at [email protected]