The Importance of Conviction in Dialogue

In today’s episode, Jim talks to evangelical theologian Dr. Richard Mouw. Rich shares his experiences from working in interfaith dialogue and lays out a compelling vision for Christian civility. Reflecting on his career, he finds our polarized cultural environment is not new—we’ve been stalwart in battling over big questions for decades at minimum. Looking ahead, exciting avenues of progress and growth are entangled in the corrosive arms of static certainty. The first step to a greater humility is greater understanding. Mutual understanding helps us reckon with what we stand to gain by drawing closer to those we disagree with.

Richard Mouw is a theologian, philosopher, and former president of Fuller Theological Seminary, where he now acts as Professor of Faith and Public Life. Hoping to help resolve deep conflicts, his work often wrestles with interfaith issues and he has long been in dialogue with the Mormon and Catholic communities. He received his BA from Houghton College, an MA from the University of Alberta, and his PhD from the University of Chicago.

Find a conversation about this episode at the BioLogos Forum.