Shall We Talk?

Harvey Cox

Jerry Farwell

                        These two Christian leaders in the United States are very far apart in their understanding of the Christian Faith.  Harvey Cox is on  the faculty of Harvard Divinity School; Jerry Farwell,  a well known conservative evangelical, is the founder of Liberty University.

     
         Some years ago, Harvey Cox suggested that Jerry Farwell be invited to Harvard to speak. There was considerable objection to his suggestion, but he finally prevailed.  Jerry came on campus, and according to Cox, did a very fine job.

     
         Today there is much talk about interfaith dialogue with other religious traditions. But Cox suggests that we also need to pay more attention to staying connected with others in our own tradition, liberal and conservative and everything in between.

       
         I'm afraid I haven't  been a good example of this. All my life, I have been hanging around and working with people who think like me, and with whom I feel comfortable. You could say it's a kind of tribalism.