41st Annual Pepperdine Associates Dinner

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Convicted Civility

Religious scholar Martin Marty once famously wrote, "People who have strong convictions are often not very civil, and people who are civil often do not have strong convictions." These words resonated deeply with his contemporary Richard Mouw, who recognized the need for passionate intensity as well as gentle peacefulness in a phrase he coined as "convicted civility." Holding both conviction and civility, Mouw contended, is integral in civil discourse, and both serve as the banner under which faith is brought into public life.

Robert Gates has spent his career bringing diverse groups of people together and finding common ground through dialogue. As the former United States secretary of defense, and the first in U.S. history to be asked to remain in that office under a newly elected president, Gates is widely viewed as a champion of bipartisanship, compromise, service, and diplomacy.  Now the chancellor of the College of William & Mary, Gates is advancing those same virtues of civility in higher education, recognizing that we are a society fortified by the strength found in our differences and that, in order for us to succeed, we must always come together.

Join us April 8 as Dr. Gates shares lessons from his storied career and explores the values of courage, sacrifice, and accord that will move our nation forward.