More Light, Less Heat: How Dialogue Can Transform Christian Conflicts into Growth

So often the call to dialogue masks a requirement that we set aside our deepest convictions on important questions. This book should be required reading for everyone who is about to enter into a potentially divisive debate.
?Richard Mouw, president, Fuller Theological Seminary

This breakthrough guide introduces a powerful armistice for those battling the Christian culture war??Dialogue.' As a basic healing practice, dialogue enables people to discuss issues and disagreements in ways that allow them to learn from each other without attempting to demonize or convert the other's thinking. Dialogue enables Christians at the grassroots level to effectively speak for themselves and listen deeply to each other, discussing fundamental disagreements in open, constructive, and mutually respectful ways.

Pinpointing what separates the Christian left and right, More Light, Less Heat provides the tools individuals need to constructively engage in dialogue, demonstrating how participants can strengthen their arguments and bring forth a mutual understanding of their adversaries. In ways that will decrease the isolation and anxiety that often accompanies such faith-based debates, the author offers clear and concrete models to help participants better articulate their beliefs while understanding the beliefs of others.

JOSEPH PHELPS is pastor of Highland Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. He has been a leader in the establishment of a variety of community programs including a food bank, community ministry, and antiviolence campaigns. His experiences during the Baptist split of the 1980s make him a veteran of the kind of conflict that calls for dialogue. A popular speaker and workshop leader, Phelps has published articles on dialogue in a wide range of denominational publications.