Confident Pluralism
A Response
In response to Professor Carl Trueman’s engagement with “Confident Pluralism,” John Inazu shares some of his concerns about hot debates such as the Obama administration’s overreach in the transgender debate about locker room use. However, Inazu cautions that Trueman’s dismissive language towards opposing views does not foster constructive dialogue. Instead, he suggests acknowledging the complexity of transgender policy issues and our conflicting moral commitments.
Inazu also believes that some of Trueman’s critiques of the Left apply to the Right. He notes that some conservatives focus on unsubstantiated fears rather than the realities faced by their neighbors and acknowledges that accusations of bigotry, while sometimes off the mark, are not always unfounded. On the broader aspirations of “Confident Pluralism,” Inazu agrees with Trueman that pluralism relies on a healthy culture of diversity and that local-level interactions are crucial. Despite Trueman’s skepticism about the public square, Inazu remains hopeful that many people are willing to engage in serious discussions about coexistence and common ground. He wishes Trueman had highlighted more of the “confidence” in confident pluralism, emphasizing optimism and hope as virtues.
John Inazu’s full response can be freely accessed here.
About John Inazu
John Inazu is the Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion at Washington University. His latest book, Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect, was published by Zondervan in 2024. Other books include Liberty’s Refuge: The Forgotten Freedom of Assembly (2012) and Confident Pluralism: Surviving and Thriving Through Deep Difference (2016). Inazu is the editor of a volume on law and theology published in Law and Contemporary Problems and co-editor (with Tim Keller) of Uncommon Ground: Living Faithfully in a World of Difference (2020). Prior to law teaching, Inazu clerked for Judge Roger L. Wollman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and served as an associate general counsel with the Department of the Air Force at the Pentagon. He publishes a weekly Substack, *Some Assembly Required.
