The Williamsburg Charter

In complex culture, it does not matter where we find ourselves; we will always find a need to talk with one another. Here, we will be exploring some of the social dynamics and the conceptual strategies, which make social interaction possible.

The Brookings Institution studied the parameters of how the many peoples and faiths of our society can dialogue together. They convened a diverse group of religious leaders from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and secularist traditions. Their task was to consider how, within Constitutional parameters, religious dialogue might be structured. Their work product is also instructive as to how political discourse in our country might proceed.

Their work, which spanned several years, produced the “The Williamsburg Charter.”[1] The central theme of their conclusions included what they termed the “three Rs of religious liberty in a pluralistic society: a) rights, b) responsibilities, and c) respect.” These three Rs of trust are spelled out in the Charter itself:

1. Those who claim the right to dissent should assume the responsibility to debate.

2. Those who claim the right to criticize should assume the responsibility to comprehend.

3. Those who claim the right to influence should accept the responsibility not to inflame.

4. Those who claim the right to participate should accept the responsibility to persuade.

Their bottom line: listening and persuasion within a climate of respect is a recipe that can recapture responsibility within the framework of freedom. Bringing this attitude to dialogue is more likely to spawn productive discourse than divisive confrontation. The ideals of the Williamsburg Charter provide a framework where productive and meaningful dialogue can occur and the mitigation of stereotyping can flourish.[2]

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[1] Hunter, James Davidson, and Os Guinness, eds. Articles of Faith, Articles of Peace: The Religious Liberty Clauses and the American Public Philosophy. Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution, 1990.

[2] Excerpted from Kauffman, J. Timothy. Reconnecting the Church: Finding Our Place in Complex Culture. Bloomington, IN: Xlibris Publishing. 2010, pp. 205-206.