The following case study was “formed” from a composite of numerous experiences and amalgamated for presentation purposes. This dialogue is between (potentially--you’ll understand later) three people two of whom are Christians academics (Mary--who sort of leads the conversation and Sharon who enters the conversation) and one academic who is not who is named Leslie. Let’s say in this conversation that Leslie strongly suspects or is pretty sure that Mary is a Christian (from past experiences in the department, before seeing her on the list of Christian faculty who signed the human trafficking flyer) and wouldn’t be surprised if Sharon was, too. Let’s also say for one reason or another Sharon didn’t sign the list of supportive professors.
This conversation begins some time after Leslie notices Mary’s involvement in a campus wide social justice issue--human trafficking--by reading her name on list of Christian professors who wish to raise consciousness on this issue through meetings on campus, lectures, and the like of that.
Leslie: Mary...good to see you!
Mary: Yes, good to see you, too!
Leslie: Got a minute? Can you come down to my office for a few minutes?
Mary: Sure....I was meeting Sharon in a few minutes, can she come with me?
Leslie: Yes, I guess.
Mary: There she is....Sharon, hey, come with me, we’re going down to Leslie’s office for a minute.
Leslie: Oh, I don’t want to interrupt your meeting....
Sharon: No, problem. I’ve got some work to do. Why don’t you come back here if you’re not too long.
Here Mary can pursue inviting Sharon into the situation, but her intuition tells her that Leslie’s hesitation indicates she wanted to talk privately.
Mary: Let’s do that...I don’t think we’ll be more than 5 minutes.
After closing the door to her office and Mary is invited to be seated, Leslie begins....
Leslie: I feel so bad about this so I’ll make this short. Significant pause. I noticed in the paper today your name in that ad about human trafficking and I just wanted you to know I think that’s terrific.
Mary: Oh, thanks. I felt it was the least I could do.
Leslie: I’m involved in all kinds of things like this and I was glad to see you involved in this way...by the way who sponsored this?
Mary: It was several religious groups on campus and they evidently knew about me and asked me to participate this way.
Leslie: Well, I’m not religious as you know...and I don’t like religion getting involved in politics and social issues, but I was surprised and glad to see you taking the stand you did.
Mary: Well, thanks.
Long pause.
Leslie: Let me tell you why I don’t think religion and social issues mix.
Pausing a second, she looks down and to the side and then begins:
Leslie: I guess I only have a few minutes with you, but maybe we can talk sometime over lunch.
Mary: Yes, sure that would be interesting...
Leslie: But my problem is that there are so many (expletive) fundamentalists involved in religion and they’re often the ones involved in this kind of stuff and religion generally has not been very good to women.
Mary: I see...
Leslie: I’m not against personal religion, except personally I have left that behind once I saw through it, but I am always troubled when academics like yourself get wrapped up in religion.
Noticing Mary’s blink and Leslie gestures in anticipation of Mary’s potential objection, as if to hold her back a second..
Leslie: I didn’t mean you, I meant academics that get involved in this. I never have seen this work out well and it just encourages the fundamentalists. I feel very uncomfortable with those types.
Mary: I see.
Leslie: I know you have to go, but that’s really all I had to say.
Mary: Well, that’s fine. If you’d like, maybe we could get lunch together on Friday and chat a little further. I’d like to understand your feelings a little more. Could you do that?
Leslie: I’m tied up on Friday.
Waiting a second...
Mary: Is there a day next week like on Monday we could do that?
Leslie: Yes, I can’t do it on Monday, but I can do it on Tuesday, lunch. I have a class at 1:30 pm.
Mary: Let me see...I think if I arrange a few things we can make that work. I would love to hear what you have to say. I can tell you have thought about this and strong feelings and I’d like to understand that. Let me confirm that Tuesday lunch at noon with you. How about if came by your office? I usually bring a sack lunch on Tuesday and have lunch in my office.
Leslie: Sure.
In this case study the main thing to see here is how Mary was able to make a decision (on the fly so to speak) about (not) involving Sharon in that particular part of the conversation and how she diplomatically made sure to set up a specific time to get back with Leslie.
Additionally it is worthy of note to see how Mary handled Leslie’s somewhat undiplomatic overgeneralization about religion--read Christianity. In that brief encounter it was not necessary or even wise for Mary to defend her position. Rather, it seems better to draw out her colleague Leslie at a later time where that could be accomplished and see if some of her feelings about things could be diffused a bit. That might allow Leslie to more rationally evaluate if her feelings are legitimate.
Broad evaluations (for instance, Leslie's’ appraisal) such as all religion is bad, all Christians are bad. The terms ‘all’, ‘all’...are indicators of non-rational obstacles that beg for wise handling from Christians.
It looks like Mary is off to a good start. She hasn’t gotten defensive. She’s keeping an open mind and isn’t afraid to explore someone’s doubts and apprehension about religion with them. The future opportunity may not present a chance to explain the gospel, but then again it just may if God works in Leslie’s heart and Mary well handles the conversation, it might. There’s always risk and judgment involved in these things