James Calvin Davis ’92

Religion professor's new book reaches out to the 'muddled middle'

February 7, 2011

James Calvin Davis ’92

In an era of overheated rhetoric, what better way to practice civility than to write a book about it? James Calvin Davis ’92, associate professor of religion at Middlebury College, has done just that. His most recent book, In Defense of Civility: How Religion Can Unite America on Seven Moral Issues that Divide Us, argues (civilly) that religious and moral perspectives have a place in the public square.

“The problem isn’t religion,” he says. “It’s a restricted understanding of religion.”

The former mathematics, religion and English triple major is an expert on Roger Williams, a 17th-century Puritan who advocated for religious freedom. Davis earned a master’s in divinity from Union Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in religion from the University of Virginia.

Civility, he says, isn’t necessarily about being polite and tolerant. “It doesn’t require that we shy away from deeply felt convictions,” he explains. “There are ways to make our arguments, yet remain humble to the possibility that we may be wrong.”

In Defense of Civility is aimed at what Davis calls “the muddled middle,” that large group of Americans who “are dissatisfied with the extremes in public debate. My hope is that the book will appeal to them because it presents a public debate that is more complicated, more messy—which is a good thing.”