Just got back from three and a half weeks in Europe (still not sure what time zone I’m in), and Aaron Simmons and I dove straight into the deep end of why democracy feels like it’s falling apart. We’re wrestling with this massive question: what do you do when reason-giving just seems to fail completely – when people either dismiss everyone who disagrees as morally bankrupt, or assume their own views are so obviously correct that any pushback must be irrational? We wandered through everything from whether I should keep eating at this barbecue place covered in MAGA signs (still haven’t decided), to how 81% of white evangelicals support the least Christian president we’ve ever had, to whether Western civilization can survive without its Christian roots, with a delightful detour into heavy metal pit ethics because apparently that’s how we process political theory now. The whole conversation convinced us we need more voices thinking about these tensions together, which is why we’re launching this Democracy in Tension summit where a bunch of our philosopher and theologian friends will tackle these questions from different angles – because honestly, Aaron and I don’t have answers, but we’re pretty sure the questions matter enough to keep wrestling with them, even if it makes us uncomfortable about where we get our barbecue.
Dr. Simmons is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Furman University. You can follow his Substack ‘Philosophy in the Wild.’
Previous Episodes with Aaron
REGISTER NOW for the “Democracy in Tension” Online Summer Summit!
Democracy today faces profound challenges – polarization, inequality, populist authoritarianism, and widespread cynicism are eroding the foundations of democratic life. Yet, what if democracy's greatest strength lies not in eliminating these tensions, but in productively embracing them?
Reimagine democracy as a space for productive tension—not uniform agreement.
Engage new tools to resist polarization, cynicism, and political despair.
Explore how religion and democracy can coexist in pluralistic societies.
Transform political enemies into adversaries through agonistic engagement.
Confront the forces eroding democratic life with bold, practical insight.
Connect with scholars and citizens committed to revitalizing democratic imagination.
ASYNCHRONOUS CLASS: All lectures will be released on Monday, July 28th. You can participate fully without being present at any specific time. Replays are available on the Class Resource Page.
COST: A course like this is typically offered for $250 or more, but we invite you to contribute whatever you can (including $0) to help make this possible for everyone!
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Guests this year include John Dominic Crossan, Kelly Brown Douglas, Philip Clayton, Stacey Floyd-Thomas, Jeffery Pugh, Juan Floyd-Thomas, Andy Root, Grace Ji-Sun Kim, Noreen Herzfeld, Reggie Williams, Casper ter Kuile, and more!
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