During the fall of 2024, the Center for the Foundations of Ethics at Houston Christian University is hosting a series of panel discussions, led by faculty from across the campus, on Christian virtues in the public square. As we approach the presidential election, we are mindful of the acrimonious state of our present political discourse, and our goal with this series is to provide a countercultural model for public engagement that is informed and motivated by Christian conviction and practice.

Each panel will center on a shared reading as a touchstone for discussion, with focus especially on our contemporary moment. Importantly, we are not seeking to sway participants to a specific partisan position or to endorse any given candidates. Rather, we hope to wrestle with foundational questions and significant challenges for Christian political engagement, such as the following: How can we lovingly conduct ourselves in political discussions as Christians? What distinctive resources does Christianity offer for political theory and activity? How can we practice bridgebuilding in divisive times? What challenges and opportunities does life in a pluralistic society present to Christians, and how can we best respond to them? What does it look like to love our neighbors despite deep differences and disagreements? In our tendentious political and cultural moment, where can we turn for hope?

Panel Schedule*

Political Language, George Orwell’s “Politics and the English Language”

Wednesday, September 11, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Belin Chapel
Panelists: Terry Scott Cokenour, Louis Markos, Doni Wilson
Moderator: Marybeth Baggett

The Spirit of Party, George Washington’s Farewell Address

Wednesday, October 16, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Belin Chapel
Panelists: Shannon Holzer, Marie Mater, Jeremy Neill
Moderator: TH Harris

Human Dignity, Martin Luther King Jr’s “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”

Monday, November 18, 1:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., Belin Chapel
Panelists: Encarna Bermejo, Michael D. Cook, Emily E. Stelzer 
Moderator: Matiko Austin

*See below for presenter bios

Guiding Principles 

These panel discussions offer space for exploring ideas and encouraging healthy discussion. In fact, it’s that very spirit of political engagement for which the panels themselves will be advocating. To help create an environment conducive to learning and growth, we ask that during our time together participants embrace the following guiding principles:

1. In our conversations, let’s be intentional to keep our shared humanity in view. Ideas and actions will be up for discussion, but respect for another’s personhood is nonnegotiable.

2. In asking a question or sharing a contribution, we should all speak as if the person we’re talking about is in the room. That can help us avoid falling back on partisan talking points or using strawmen depictions of another’s position.

3. The best questions and comments should open up rather than shut down discussion. Clarification and context can help avoid being misinterpreted or a comment being received as uncharitable.

4. The Golden Rule can keep us on track to ensure we speak as we would prefer to be spoken to. In other words, before commenting, ask yourself how you would react if such a statement were directed at you.

5. To encourage wide participation from a number of attendees with a variety of concerns, let’s all allow space for others to contribute. These panels are meant as starting points for discussions that can and should continue beyond our time in Belin Chapel, so be sure to share the floor with others.

Recommended Resources 

• Body Broken: Can Republicans and Democrats Sit in the Same Pew?, Charles D. Drew

• Compassion (&) Conviction: The AND Campaign’s Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement, Justin Gibony, Michael Wear, and Chris Butler

• Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation, David French

• God and Government: An Insider’s View on the Boundaries between Faith and Politics, Charles Colson

• Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect, John Inazu

• The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor, Kaitlyn Scheiss

• The Origins of Our Founding Principles, The Morris Family Center for Law & Liberty at HCU

• The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life, Michael Wear

Panelist Bios

Matiko Austin (Human Dignity, 11/18) is Assistant Professor of Psychology and serves as co-chair for her department. Dr. Austin’s diverse background allows her to teach in the undergraduate and graduate programs, both residential and online courses. Her teaching focus is introducing undergraduate students to the vast field of psychology and the variety of specialty areas within the field of psychology. Her focus with graduate students includes introducing them to the practice and application of psychological theories, and Christian Counseling.

Marybeth Baggett (Political Language, 9/11) is Professor of English and Cultural Apologetics. She serves as chair of the Department of English, Communication, Great Texts, and Modern Languages and has research interests in American literature, science fiction, and contemporary literature. Her most recent c0-edited book is Ted Lasso and Philosophy.

Encarna Bermejo (Human Dignity, 11/18) has been a Professor in the School of Humanities since 2009. She coordinates the Spanish program and the Spain Study Abroad Program. She has received multiple teaching and research awards, delivered over thirty presentations and workshops, and authored several publications, including a book on literacy in Spanish as a heritage language. She also serves on dissertation committees for master's and doctoral students.

Terry Scott Cokenour (Political Language, 9/11) is Assistant Professor of Narrative Arts at HCU and a C. S. Lewis scholar with backgrounds in theology and technology. He spent a decade in cross-cultural, international ministry in Hungary and has been a close observer and participant of public discourse both within and beyond the borders of America.

Michael D. Cook (Human Dignity, 11/18) is an Associate Professor in Counseling and holds the Sharon Burrows Endowed Chair in Counseling at Houston Christian University.  In addition to twenty-seven years in Christian higher education, he has served in various pastoral positions and as a therapist in his church-based practice.  Michael’s latest scholarly contribution is a chapter on Christ, The Center (co-written with David Murray) in A Handbook of Reformational Counseling (in process). 

TH Harris (Spirit of Party, 10/16) serves as the Academic Program Fellow for the School of Christian Thought at Houston Christian University and is pursuing doctoral studies with a focus on Christian ethics and issues of faith and public policy. Having served on numerous political campaigns and in Texas state offices, including the Office of the Governor provides Harris a unique perspective on the need for the Church to speak truth concerning the challenges facing our society.  

Shannon Holzer (Spirit of Party, 10/16) is Associate Professor of Government at Houston Christian University. His most recent edited collection is The Palgrave Handbook of Religion and State.

Louis Markos (Political Language, 9/11) is Professor in English and Scholar in Residence at Houston Christian University and holds the Robert H. Ray Chair in Humanities. His 26 books include On the Shoulders of Hobbits: The Road to Virtue with Tolkien and Lewis, The Eye of the Beholder: How to See the World like a Romantic Poet, and Literature: A Student’s Guide. His newest books are My Life in Film: How the Movies Shaped My Soul & Passing the Torch: An Apology for Classical Christian Education.

Marie Mater (Spirit of Party, 10/16) is an Associate Professor of Speech Communication at HCU and teaches Great American Speeches, Legal Communication, and Rhetoric and Public Speaking. One of her scholarly interests is discourse production in public spheres.

Jeremy Neill (Spirit of Party, 10/16) is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at HCU, with specializations in ethics, political philosophy, and philosophy of religion. He has taught at the university for 13 years and loves nothing better than mentoring his beloved students.

Emily E. Stelzer (Human Dignity, 11/18) is Professor of Literature and Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at Houston Christian University. She is the author of a book on the ethics of eating in Paradise Lost, and her scholarship on public discourse and civil liberties includes publications on Milton's political writings (Areopagitica, A Treatise of Civil Power) as well as consideration of their influence in America. 

Doni Wilson (Political Language, 9/11) is Professor of English at Houston Christian University. She has presented and published widely on American Literature on topics ranging from early American novelists to the Transcendentalists to Modernists such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. She is a frequent essayist for The Houston Chronicle, Houstonia Magazine, and The Houston Press, among other publications.