Can Friendship Bridge America’s Divides? National Thought Leaders Cornel West and Robert George Take the Stage at Whitworth on Nov. 6
Former presidential candidate Cornel West and Princeton University professor Robert George will appear together Friday, Nov. 6, at 4 p.m. in Cowles Auditorium for a conversation on “Christian Witness in a Polarized Moment.”
Former colleagues at Princeton, West, generally identified with the progressive left, and George, a leading conservative scholar, have remained close friends for more than 20 years and have been commended for their commitment to civil dialogue and for demonstrating how people with profoundly different viewpoints can pursue truth, mutual respect and genuine friendship.
Their conversations have drawn audiences across the country and inspired their recent book, Truth Matters: A Dialogue on Fruitful Disagreement in an Age of Division.
“Cultivating friendship across deep political difference feels almost impossible in our polarized context,” says David Henreckson, Ph.D., director of Whitworth’s Weyerhaeuser Center for Christian Faith & Learning. “I’ve long admired the way that Dr. West and Dr. George have demonstrated the virtues of truth-telling, intellectual humility and profound Christian faith. We need exemplars to show us a better way to pursue right relationships with each other – across religious, political and moral difference. It’s a rare gift for us to host two public scholars of their prominence, but more importantly, two individuals who model friendship so well. If you are only friends with those who already agree with you, as Jesus once said, what credit is that to you? West and George show us how we might expand our circles of love to include those who are unfamiliar, strange, or even – at first glance – our enemies.”
Following the discussion, Henreckson will moderate a Q&A session with West and George, giving audience members a unique opportunity to participate in a meaningful conversation. Such engagement is a vital part of Whitworth’s commitment to cultivating thoughtful discourse within its community.
“Through the Weyerhaeuser Center, the vision and network of Davey Henreckson, and this conversation between West and George, Whitworth continues to lead in equipping its graduates to hold convictions, listen sincerely to those who hold differing views, and, with civility and grace, remain in relationship,” Whitworth President Scott McQuilkin says. “These qualities, increasingly rare in today’s world, will take center stage on November 6.”
West is a philosopher, theologian, author and political commentator whose work has shaped conversations on democracy, race, justice and public life for decades. He gained renewed national attention through his independent campaign for president in 2024 and remains a prominent voice in American public discourse, appearing regularly on major media outlets including CNN, MSNBC, C-SPAN and PBS. He has held faculty appointments at both Princeton and Harvard universities and currently serves as the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary.
George is the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University and one of America's leading scholars of constitutional law, moral philosophy and political theory. He is the founder and director of Princeton's James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions, a nationally recognized center for the study of political thought and civic life.
The event is free and open to the public.
About Whitworth University:
Since 1890, Whitworth University has provided an education worth seeking. Whitworth is a private, residential, Christ-centered liberal arts institution in Spokane, Wash. We carry out our mission to provide an education of mind and heart through rigorous intellectual inquiry guided by Christian scholars committed to excellent teaching and to the integration of faith and learning.
Recognized as one of the top colleges and universities in the West, Whitworth has an enrollment of about 2,500 students and offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Contacts:
David Henreckson, Ph.D., director of Weyerhaeuser Center for Christian Faith & Learning, Whitworth University, dhenreckson@whitworth.edu.
Trisha Coder, associate director of media relations, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu.
