Called to Build Bridges in Divisive Times
Shirley v. Hoogstra
Bridge-building work, by its nature, will be in the most vulnerable and contentious spaces of our times
Shirley V. Hoogstra
Shirley V. Hoogstra delivered the T.B. Maston Foundation Lecture in Christian Ethics at the Dallas Baptist University back in 2018. She left students with a powerful message that emphasizes:
- Building bridges, not résumés;
- Respecting the dignity of each person; and
- Seeking the common good.
Hoogstra also named the four ingredients to create confident pluralism: (1) respect, (2) humility, (3) trustworthiness, and (4) love.
Trustworthiness is built after investigating all of the facts that underlie the differences before opining publicly.
Shirley V. Hoogstra
About Shirley Hoogstra
Shirley V. Hoogstra is the President Emerita of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities [CCCU], an educational association representing over 185 colleges and universities around the world. She graduated from Calvin University and University of Connecticut Law School with honors. Prior to the CCCU she was a partner and trial attorney in New Haven, CT. Shirley speaks on higher education and has appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Times, World Magazine, Christianity Today, and various podcasts, radio, and news programs. She is a regular speaker at conferences and on campuses across the country. Shirley has contributed chapters on bridge building and covenantal pluralism, and she writes regularly for CCCU’s Advance magazine.
