Winsome Conviction

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

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