Intellectual "opponents" Cornel West and Robert George to Model ‘Civic Friendship in a Polarized Age’ at George Fox University

NEWBERG, Ore. — In an era often defined by deep ideological and political divides, George Fox University will host a rare conversation between two of America’s most influential public intellectuals on opposite sides of the political spectrum.

Close friends and former Princeton colleagues, Dr. Cornel West and Dr. Robert George, will discuss the topic “Civic Friendship in a Polarized Age” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 16. The free discussion, open to the public, will take place in Canyon Commons.  Due to limited seating, reservations for the complimentary event are suggested and can be secured via this link.

Though they represent vastly different intellectual traditions – one a conservative lion of natural law theory and the other a prophetic voice of the Black radical tradition – George and West join one another not as opponents, but as “brothers in Christ.” This is not another political debate; it is an exploration of what it truly means to be a neighbor in a divided world. Rooted in a shared faith, this dialogue moves past the noise of the day to demonstrate what genuine civic friendship looks like. 

The upcoming conversation is anticipated to emphasize unity, seeking common ground and reconciliation rather than exacerbating existing divides. “In an era defined by political tribalism and the collapse of public trust, what does it actually look like to disagree — deeply, even fiercely — and still remain friends?” asks Joseph Clair, Associate Provost for Humanities and Honors at George Fox. “These two men hold profoundly different views on politics, economics, and society — yet they have modeled, for decades, something increasingly rare in American life: genuine friendship across the ideological divide. Their dialogue will explore what civic friendship requires of us, what makes it possible, and why it may be the most urgent practice a democracy can cultivate. This is not a debate. It is a demonstration.”

West, warmly regarded as “Brother West,” is the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary. A prolific author and philosopher, he has previously served as professor of the practice of public philosophy at Harvard University and holds the title of professor emeritus at Princeton University. In 1980, he became the first Black man to receive a PhD in philosophy from Princeton. His work is dedicated to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with a steadfast focus on truth-telling and the pursuit of love and justice.

George is the sixth McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University and director of Princeton’s James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. A former judicial fellow at the Supreme Court of the United States and recipient of the Justice Tom C. Clark Award, George has chaired the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and served on the President’s Council on Bioethics. He is widely recognized for his leadership in natural law theory and his commitment to civil rights and religious freedom.

George Fox University is Oregon’s largest private university. It is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as a “Best National University.” More than 4,000 students attend classes on the university’s campus in Newberg, Oregon, and at teaching centers in Portland and Redmond, Oregon. George Fox offers more than 60 academic programs at the undergraduate level, accelerated online degrees for working adults, and 21 master's and doctoral degrees.

Contact: 

Carly Reumann

creumann@georgefox.edu

503-554-2101