Can Christians be civil in a world falling apart?In these wild and diverse times, prolifers square off against prochoicers, gay liberationists confront champions of the traditional family, husbands and wives face each other in court, artists attack legislators, and "politically correct" intellectuals abhor crusading fundamentalists.Philosopher and ethicist Richard Mouw is concerned that, too often, Christians seem to be contributing more to the problem than to the solution. But he recognizes--from his own personal struggle--that it's not easy to hold to Christian convictions and treat sometimes vindictive opponents with civility and decency.Few if any people in the evangelical world have dialogued as widely and sensitively as Mouw. So few can write more wisely or helpfully about what Christians can appreciate about pluralism, the theological basis for civility, and how we can communicate with people who disagree with us on the issues that matter most.



Richard J. Mouw (PhD, University of Chicago) is a senior research fellow at the Henry Institute for the Study of Religion and Politics at Calvin University. He previously served as the president of Fuller Theological Seminary (1993–2013) and directed their Institute of Faith and Public Life (2013–2020). In 2007, Princeton Theological Seminary awarded him the Abraham Kuyper Prize for Excellence in Reformed Theology and Public Life. He is the author of over twenty books, including UncommonDecency, Adventures in Evangelical Civility, Restless Faith, and All That God Cares About.



1. Convicted Civility: Can We Be Faithful Polite Too?



2. What Christian Civility Is Not



3. Defending Christian Civility



4. Speaking in God's Presence: The Importance of Civil Speech



5. Open Hearts: The Importance of Civil Attitudes



6. What's Good About Pluralism?



7. How to Be Civil About Sex



8. The Challenge of Other Religions



9. Christian Leadership in a Pluralistic World



10. When There Is No "On the Other Hand": The Limits of Civility



11. Is Hell Uncivil?



12. Abraham Kuyper, Meet Mother Teresa: The Problem of Triumphalism



13. Serving a Slow God: Civility and the End of Time



Notes



"Mouw convincingly argues that the need for civility is pressing. The virtue is nearly extinct. Civility is a Christian virtue whereby we enter public discussions with a strong conviction of Christian truth, a willingness to learn from those with whom we disagree, and a desire to honor the humanity of even our fiercest foe. Civility is not a passive politeness that defers to everyone and stands for nothing. Neither is it relativistic. It is a mannerly demeanor in which an inner intensity never overpowers self-restraint or rational discourse. . . . The book articulates an urgent message Christians should take to heart."



"Uncommon Decency is an arousing call to Christians everywhere that our deepest convictions have to be tempered with civility, especially in this time of increasing partisan rancor and cultural division. To those who want to truly transform the world, Mouw reminds us that we will be most effective when we persuade others with patience, tolerance and compassion."



"This book is right on target and just in time--when Christians in the same churches and denominations have trouble talking to one another. Spiritual leaders in these churches and denominations need to embody and practice it."



"A convincing case . . . . We can think of so many people who need to read this book, even as we suspect most of them think it would do us a heap of good. They're probably right."



"A convincing case. . . . We can think of so many people who need to read this book, even as we suspect most of them think it would do us a heap of good. They're probably right."



"Although populism is by no means the only source of today's toxic political discourse, it has often done more to fan flames of resentment than to model civil disagreement. Uncommon Decency should be required reading not only for politicians, talk show hosts, and public intellectuals but also for everyday Christians seeking to represent the Lord faithfully in public."