How can we learn to have our disagreements across ideological divides more constructively and respectfully? David C. Smalley may be something of an expert at this point, having conducted hundreds of long-form conversations – many of them with Christians – on his podcast for the last 11 years.
In this episode with Bart Campolo, David talks about how he approaches these on-air disagreements, and what allows him to stay friends with many of his guests after they hang up the phone.
Some takeaways: Keep watch over the temperature of a conversation, break anger with kindness, see insecurities for what they are, understand they see you as a victim of bad ideas, cultivate patience, ask lots of good questions and let them talk (which is actually thinking out loud), ‘put on’ their ideology for the conversation to explore it with them, be a tourist in their world with genuine curiosity.
Subscribe to the David C. Smalley podcast in your favorite podcast app, and connect with him at his website, DavidCSmalley.com.
