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We are in the midst of what may be the most polarizing and contentious elections in recent U.S. history. Many observers note that the political rancor and rhetoric has reached all time highs, injecting unprecedented fear, division, and unease into our culture.

How do we make sense of this? How do people of faith respond? How do we remain calm and centered amidst our difference and tension, taking our roles as peacemakers and even prophets, seriously?

Renowned writer and theologian Parker Palmer believes our current political climate provides a rare opportunity to think more deeply about who we are as people and a
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1) We the People
2) The Art of Holding Tension
3) Our Deepest Divide
4) Taking Action

This course has been made possible by Forward Movement, The Episcopal Church, Bexley Seabury Seminary, Living Compass, and the Center for Courage and Renewal.

For Groups
This course is designed for group study. We've formatted the material so that you can begin at the next step and then pause at the end of each video lecture and talk about what you've learned. Pick and choose the videos you want or proceed in the sequence we've designed - your call.

At the bottom of the Introduction page under the Downloads tab are two manuals you may find helpful: a Facilitator's Guide and a Participant's Guide. Both contain helpful material for your learning, including suggested discussion questions for each lecture. You may want to print these up and make copies before you proceed. You will notice that each video features a brief introduction, which the leader or someone else might want to read before each lecture.

Here's a video preview:

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will it take me to complete this course?
It will take an average group about 45 minutes to complete this course. You can pause at any time and come back. You can even re-take lessons. Each course features 3-6 video lectures that are from 5-7 minutes in length. Also included are downloadable Facilitator's and a Participant's Guides.

Who’s teaching this course?
Our instructors come from a variety of traditions, mostly mainline Christianity - Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian. They meet two criteria: 1) they are well-studied, even experts, in their fields, 2) they offer a moderate viewpoint.

Is this course downloadable?
Parts of the course are - Mp3s of the lectures, the Facilitator's Guides and Participant's Guides. However, the course is designed to be an online learning experience and the video lectures, quizzes, and discussion are only accessible online. However, if you'd like to take the course in a small group, feel free to hook your computer up to a projector or big screen.

Can I cancel my subscription anytime?
You bet. It's easy, click here for instructions as well as answers to more Frequently Asked Questions.

Also, a technical note:
This platform works best on Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, which are both free downloads. Internet Explorer 9 and above also works well. However different computers have different anti-virus and spam filters installed that can inhibit the downloading of lots of different materials, so if one browser is not working for you then try another.

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Downloadable Facilitator's Guides designed so anyone can lead.
Downloadable Participant Guides.

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