People shelter in the House gallery as protesters try to break into the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) January 28, 2022 By Samuel L. Perry (RNS) — As the nation remembered the Capitol riots on Jan. 6 earlier this month, a deluge of articles highlighted

A new study finds that individuals who are open to new ideas and recognize both the strengths of others and their own limitations, have not succumbed to political apathy or indifference. The study also suggests these intellectually humble individuals are better able to seek accurate information rather than reflexively defend their own beliefs, and to pursue discussions on critical issues with an attitude of mutual respect.

New studies indicate the simple act of recognizing the limitations of one’s own worldview and having an open mind toward other’s perspectives, a concept referred to as cultural humility, can lead to profound changes in the way we view, accept and even forgive one another.

Can you have too much of a good thing when it comes to intellectual humility? The answer is yes, if it means becoming so obsessed with your shortcomings that you opt out of contentious conversations in the classroom, the workplace or the public arena, new studies suggest.

There are few people better able to offer perspective on the polarized state of the nation today than Michael Emerson. In an interview, Emerson, one of the foremost sociologists on race, religion and civility in the United States, offers incisive observations on how we got to where we are today, and what we can do to promote a more intellectually humble, respectful national dialogue.

Shortly before the 2016 election, we asked three leading scholars to reflect on humility and the presidency. The hope held out then was that should Trump be successful, the demands of the job would tone down his divisive rhetoric and lead him to become more humble. So how is Trump doing? The consensus in follow-up conversations: Not so good.

In a new book, “Faithful Measures: New Methods in the Measurement of Religion,” leading religion researchers across academic disciplines explore an array of evolving new tools and measures that can help deepen understanding of the role of religion in public and private lives today. They include ways to compare polls on factors from survey methodology to question wording for a clearer understanding of their value and potential bias.

Both the social networks provided by religious communities and the intrinsic belief of being cared for by a loving divinity appear to protect against loneliness, research indicates. Having a “best friend” in God can make a major difference, researchers in one study noted.

Amid voices of division, the people of Charlottesville, white and black evangelicals, Jews, Catholics, and people not affiliated with any religious group, lifted up messages balancing love, hope and moral non-equivalence at several sites surrounding the place where one of their own, Heather Heyer, was murdered. One might even call the public response at these memorials a profile in courage and humility.

Alvin Plantinga started out at a time when much of the academic community in philosophy was hostile to the idea of belief in God. Yet he became a leading figure in making belief in a divine reality an option to take seriously. More than a half-century later, his work in such areas as free will and evil, the role of God in the universe and the compatibility of science and religion continues to be a major influence in philosophy.