Shirley Mullen: Claiming the Courageous Middle

“If you have two choices, go with the one that’s going to ask you to become a larger person, not the one you think you are capable of doing in that moment. That would be my advice to women…. Do the thing that you don’t think you can do right now and ask God to make you adequate for that.”  — Shirley Mullen

Author and Houghton University president emerita Shirley Mullen joins us on the podcast to talk about making space for nuanced conversation and political engagement in a polarized society. 

What does it look like to inhabit a middle space in the midst of a polarized society? Author and academic Dr. Shirley Mullen joins us on the podcast to discuss her vibrant work on the task of creating space for the exploration of complex perspectives. In our conversation, Shirley describes a path toward a more nuanced view of those black-and-white issues that permeate our social and political discourse. She shares her own personal experience of staking out middle spaces and offers suggestions for those of us in academia who feel exhausted by the sensation of not fitting in on any side. And if you listen to the end of the credits, you’ll hear an excerpt from our conversation where Shirley talks about how the experience of women in academia differs depending on marital status.

So jump right in! We're so glad you're here.

— Ann Boyd

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

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