What are we talking about?

Clarifying our terms

I am always amused that a particular, trusted colleague and I—a dear brother in Christ with whom I share many overlapping interests—have completely reversed understandings of two terms which are central to our own work and to our work together!*

Each of us has a reasonable justification for the ways we use these, and other, terms. At this point, I don't think he and I are trying (very hard) to change each others' minds.

Because we have done the work of learning how we differ in our our understandings, we only occasionally need to pause for clarification in the course of our free-ranging discussions.

We have meaningful and fruitful dialogue with each other because we have clarified our terms.

Coming to terms

I have often felt tempted to compile a glossary of terms I often use and related concepts.

However, no definition completely captures the meaning of a word, especially as used by different people, from different communities, at different times, and for different purposes.

Rather than offer a list of definitions, I’d like to explore different terms and concepts in ways that open rather than close our capacity for mutual understanding.

Coming to terms, contains my reflections on terms and concepts I find interesting and important. I will probably most often start with someone else’s definitions or reflections, and add my own concepts and musings.

Later, however, I want to post each of them with commentary as I see how I’ve grown and deepened my understanding through fruitful interactions with others—and time.

Because I want to include you in the conversation, I will offer these conversation starters as posts under the Reflections tab for this site with

Coming to Terms | An Index of Reflections on Key Words & Concepts will track where everything is for future reference.

*My colleague and I keep threatening to do a whole podcast episode around these terms.

Stay tuned!