I Beg to Differ: Navigating Difficult Conversations with Truth and Love

How do we communicate with people who disagree with us? In today's polarized world, friends and strangers clash with each other over issues large and small. Coworkers have conflicts in the office. Married couples fight over finances. And online commenters demonize one another's political and religious perspectives. Is there any hope for restoring civil discourse? Communications expert Tim Muehlhoff provides a strategy for having difficult conversations, helping us move from contentious debate to constructive dialogue. By acknowledging and entering into the other person's story, we are more likely to understand where they're coming from and to cultivate common ground. Insights from Scripture and communication theory provide practical ways to manage disagreements and resolve conflicts. We can disagree without being disagreeable. And we can even help another see different points of view and learn from one another. Find out how.

Tim Muehlhoff (PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) is associate professor of communication at Biola University in La Mirada, California, where he teaches classes in family communication, interpersonal communication and gender. His previous books include The God Conversation, Authentic Communication and Marriage Forecasting. He can be found online at timmuehlhoff.com.