Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Agreeing to disagree is not enough


I often hear it said that United Methodists must agree to disagree. Okay…fine. In some matters of considerable complexity, this may be the best course of action. In most circumstances, however, wouldn’t it be better if we worked to develop a broad consensus on important issues? Are we resigned to remaining at loggerheads on any matters that are somewhat controversial?

The problem here is not simply that we cannot agree. It is that we don’t know how to generate agreement. Or, perhaps, the hard work of resolving complex problems is simply too hard. In dealing with controversial matters, in many cases we have given up on real, meaningful dialogue, the kind that can cut through seemingly intractable problems in order that participants in the dialogue can develop more informed, well reasoned, and intellectually responsible opinions.

Particularly at the levels of the annual conferences and the General Conference, important issues are decided by voting blocs and caucus groups. In other words, they are decided by processes that are primarily political, rather than intellectual. Speeches for and against are often simply pro forma, or, worse yet, opportunities for grandstanding. It became apparent during the last General Conference that there were a number of important issues on which we were not going to make any real headway. Yes, there would be a majority vote, but would there be greater understanding? Would we leave with any greater appreciation of the depth of the issues we were facing?  On many issues people would leave feeling that they had simply been out-maneuvered.

I have no idea how to fix the political processes. I do know, however, that within the UMC we need an awakening of the intellectual virtues. Within our deeply divided and wounded denomination, we must begin intentionally to cultivate intellectual virtue and avoid intellectual vice.



What is intellectual virtue? It is a way of thinking characterized by certain well-formed habits. Philip E. Dow offers a clear and accessible discussion of intellectual virtue in his book, Virtuous Minds: Intellectual Character Development (IVP Academic, 2013). Dow, an evangelical Christian and philosopher, discusses seven distinct intellectual virtues:

Courage – We must have the courage to pursue questions wherever they may lead, even in the face of intense opposition.

Carefulness – We should pursue intellectual problems rigorously, with attention to the details. Overlooking even small matters may have serious consequences.

Tenacity – Hard questions require hard work. We must stick with our quest for knowledge even when it becomes tiresome, difficult, or tedious.

Fair-mindedness – We need to become expert listeners. The quest for knowledge means that we cannot caricature or minimize arguments with which we disagree. Rather, we must give them deep and careful consideration.

Intellectual honesty – We should never distort the truth, take statements out of context, or mislead others in the interest of winning an argument.

Intellectual humility – It is crucial that we acknowledge that there is much that we don’t know, that we may be wrong, and that it may be necessary for us to change our positions from time to time.

These traits, says Dow, will make us not only better thinkers, but better people. They are means by which we may love God with our minds, and they will lead us to a greater love for our neighbors, as well.

Broadly speaking, our culture does not value intellectual virtue. Debates are won and lost on zingers, charisma, and sound bites. Academics, moreover, are in no way excepted from this criticism, and this includes academics in explicitly Christian settings, such as seminaries. There are entrenched positions in the academy, just as in secular politics, just as in the church.

Agreeing to disagree is sometimes necessary, but for many people it has become the defining characteristic of our denomination. This is a serious mistake. Methodists were once people of deep conviction. We can be again, but it won’t be easy. 

8 comments:

  1. The problem here is not simply that we cannot agree. It is that we don’t know how to generate agreement. Or, perhaps, the hard work of resolving complex problems is simply too hard.

    This may not be new, but the general tenor of post-modern thought appears to feed this problem. When you start from the presumption that differences are ultimately impervious to argument then you bog down into power games.

    I often find the arguments of pragmatism appealing until I realize that it ultimately is founded on the belief that truth is whatever the powerful say it is.

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    1. John, I hadn't thought about this before, but a commitment to intellectual virtue would lead one away from at least the more extreme forms of postmodernity.

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  2. Thank you, Dr. Watson. This post is right on target!

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  3. Philippians 2:2 ESV

    Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

    But hey, its JUST the Bible, we Methodists ignore much of that too.

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  4. Hmmm... Agreeing to disagree is not enough... [or is it?]
    The problem here is not simply that we cannot agree... It is that we don’t know how to generate agreement [Unity] ... we have given up on real, meaningful dialogue... important issues are decided by voting blocs... political... opportunities for grandstanding [Majority Rule]...

    Within our deeply divided and wounded denomination, we must begin intentionally to cultivate intellectual virtue [Humility] and avoid intellectual vice [Arrogance]... There are entrenched positions in the academy [Seminaries] just as in secular [Polarizing, Divisive] politics, just as in the church [Confessing, Reconciling, Renewal, MFSA, etc] ... - David F. Watson

    It seems to me, we need to get "Back to Basics":
    There are many doctrines of a less essential nature... In these we may think and let think; we may 'agree to disagree.' These are the fundamental doctrines... summed up, as it were, in two words, -- the new birth, and justification by faith.
    - John Wesley, Sermon 53, On The Death of The Rev. Mr. George Whitefield

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    1. Thanks for letting me know how you're reading what I have to say (by the use of brackets). In most cases I meant things a bit more broadly than the glosses you've put on the terms, but it helps to see how these things are read by others.

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  5. Dr. Watson, I'd like to reprint this post on United Methodist Insight (um-insight.net). Please respond at your earliest convenience to one.scribe56@gmail.com. Thank you.

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