About the Book
Table of Contents:
Introduction: Christian Unity in the Argument Culture
Section I: Biblical Foundations
1. Historical Prelude: Roger Williams
2. Disputable Matters: The Forgotten Middle Ground
3. The Conviction Spectrum
Section II: Communicating Convictions
4. Does Division Have to Be Divisive?
5. Crosscultural Interlude: Of Tattoos and Adultery
6. How Unity Is Threatened
7. Perception Is Reality
8. Fellowship Groups or Echo Chambers?
Section III: Putting It All Together
9. Power and Civility in a Broken Society
10. Healing Joint Pain in the Body of Christ
11. Conviction Mapping
12. Guidelines for Hard Conversations
13. Historical Postlude: Convictions in Nazi Germany
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Notes
Name Index
Subject Index
About the Author :
Tim Muehlhoff (PhD, University of North Carolina) is a professor of communication at Biola University in La Mirada, California, and a speaker and research consultant for the Center for Marriage and Relationships. His books include I Beg to Differ, Authentic Communication, The God Conversation, and Defending Your Marriage.Together with Richard Langer, he is the coauthor of Winsome Persuasion, which received a 2018 Christianity Today book award in apologetics/evangelism. In addition to teaching and writing, they are codirectors of The Winsome Conviction Project, which seeks to introduce civility and compassion into our discussion of differences.
Richard Langer (PhD, University of California, Riverside) is professor of biblical and theological studies at Talbot School of Theology and director of the Office for the Integration of Faith and Learning at Biola University.Together with Tim Muehlhoff, he is the coauthor of Winsome Persuasion, which received a 2018 Christianity Today book award in apologetics/evangelism. In addition to teaching and writing, they are codirectors of The Winsome Conviction Project, which seeks to introduce civility and compassion into our discussion of differences.
Review :
"The church is a family, and as with any family there are bound to be disagreements. In a world of increasing theological relativism and shifting political correctness, there's plenty to get upset about. This much-needed book is a practical guide to picking your battles and developing the art of loving people with whom you disagree. Muehlhoff and Langer demonstrate that we can do both—and must for the health of the church."
"Much of my work is in the realm of ethnic unity, where people hold very deep convictions and many times say the wrong thing. Sadly, when this happens, they are met not with grace and civility but with meanness. And most of this work is among Christians! We need to reexamine what we hold dear and how we can communicate our beliefs in a way that's winsome and compelling. For this I'm grateful to God for Tim Muehlhoff and Richard Langer and their timely resource, Winsome Conviction."
"It's hard to imagine a more timely and relevant book for the church today as we navigate faithful living in a post-truth, post-civil, pandemic culture where the church seems as divided as the rest of the country. Muehlhoff and Langer spotlight the pivotal role that the church's transformational ministry can have during such times, and how it can lead the way in witnessing Christ in hospitable ways to a weary and often fear-filled public. These thoughtful scholars and practitioners prod us patiently, persistently, and gently to understand how we can experience Christian unity and what's at stake. A must-read."
"After ministering in the nation's capital for forty years, it is our conviction that this inability of believers to thoughtfully disagree and to carefully hear and understand the strongly held beliefs of others who see things differently is a shameful reality that must be acknowledged and overcome. The time is now. Muehlhoff and Langer have given us a wise and practical tool that can help all of us—especially in our churches."
"This book could help us turn this world right-side up with meaningful conversations filled with kindness, grace, truth, and welcome. If you're tired of debating and the ensuing division, here's an alternative to change the conversation!"
"As a shepherd, I can't think of a more urgent and pressing need among disciples of the Lord Jesus today than the tools discussed in Winsome Conviction. My heart aches for the widespread pursuit of the 'wisdom from above' described in James 3 that is 'first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere'; this book shines a light upon that pathway to peace among Christians who disagree. Muehlhoff and Langer have essentially laid out a battle plan against our enemy the devil in his most obvious attack in this age."
"If you've been in a disagreement with a fellow believer that disintegrated into quarreling, you need this book. All over our world today we see Christians quarreling—in the church, on social media, and anywhere else opinions can be shared. And the volume on these disagreements seems to be getting louder. How do we disagree yet still resemble the Lord? In this timely book, Tim Muehlhoff and Richard Langer give practical steps for sharing our convictions in a way that still allows for unity."
"The passion of Rick Langer and Tim Muehlhoff is to 'find ways to deepen our beliefs and convictions while preserving the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.' And they mean it. Helping us to understand where our own convictions come from—and are they absolutes or merely preferences?—is the starting point. Beyond that, they give us a backpack full of journey tools with which to undertake winsome conversations, reconciliation conversations, educating and edifying conversations. A must-read for the Jesus follower who cares about truth and biblical community and how they must intersect, particularly in our combative, vitriolic times."
"The body of Christ historically argues over issues. This treatise strikes a remarkable balance between scholarly treatment of biblical text, historic examples, and down-to-earth common sense to give twenty-first-century Christians counsel in navigating the landmines of culture, politics, and theology when they sit down to commune at the foot of the cross. Well done and extremely helpful!"
"Our culture seems to be increasingly defined by sharper elbows or sharper edges or sharper tongues. This seems antithetical to the gospel, which calls for truth with grace and grace with truth. The polarization evident in politics, media, and universities is even showing up in the church. Polarizing attitudes are not unifying attitudes, and this must grieve the heart of God. Through this book, Biola professors Rick Langer and Tim Muehlhoff offer a timely, helpful, and hopeful resource for Christians who yearn to cultivate biblical kindness and unity as we together seek truth. This thoughtful and practical book will certainly go a long way to help Christians model healthy discourse around crucial issues and to reclaim a winsome gospel witness to a broken world. I would put this on a must-read list for any Christian today who is a leader or aspiring to lead."
