I recently completed a class on sacred arguing offered by the Institute of Christians and Jews. No, this is not an oxymoron.
The concept is defined by a Hebrew word “mahloket” which means to divide, to oppose, to object, to differ with, to be smooth, to honor.
What an interesting definition! We usually think of arguing as defined by the first words in this definition. However, what if we brought honor to the concept?
What if we honor different voices and include them on the page? What if we honor the process of speaking for conflicting viewpoints without being threatened?
In sacred argument, the participants have a set of shared assumptions and they have humility when they come to the table.
One can tell the character of a community (organization or relationship) by how it holds the concept of sacred arguing.
What do your beliefs and actions say and how can you apply these concepts to be smooth and bring honor to your conversations?