Ep. 489: Amanda Ripley on Why and How We Get Trapped in Conflict

Have you noticed that we live in contentious times? I certainly have. Our politics is polarized. Even our church life is too often contentious and ideological, with positions being driven as much by tribalism as by Scripture or a principled theology. Why is there so much conflict today, and is there a way out of it?

Amanda Ripley thinks there is. She’s an investigative journalist who has written for Slate, The Atlantic, and many other publications. She is also trained in conflict mediation, and she teaches other journalists how to cover high conflict situations in a professional and ethical way.

Her book High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out came out in 2021, but I am just discovering it, and when I read it – a few months ago – I thought it explained a lot of what is going on today in the world of media, politics, and religion. Amanda Ripley doesn’t write for Christian audiences, per se, and she draws on traditions that are not explicitly Christian for many of her examples and lessons. That said, I found this book to be both enlightening and nourishing, and I think you’ll enjoy this conversation with her.

Amanda Ripley spoke to me from her home in the Washington, DC, area, and I spoke with her from Covenant College, on Lookout Mountain, Georgia, where I was speaking to students at Summit Ministries.

The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. I’m your host, Warren Smith. Until next time, may God bless you.