The Center for Responsible Citizenship (CRC) recently welcomed Dr. Joshua Bowman to speak at Lee University. Bowman is a Lee alumnus and the executive director of the Ciceronian Society, an organization focused on the professional development and intellectual discipleship of Christians. 
 
Bowman earned his doctorate in politics from the Catholic University of America and later taught at Hope College and Heidelberg University as an assistant professor. His writing reflects a concern for American public life. In articles, papers, and his book, “Imagination and Environmental Political Thought: The Aftermath of Thoreau,” Bowman urges moral and environmental mindfulness, offering insight into social and political thought from a Christian perspective. 
 
Bowman’s lecture, “Civil Discourse in an Apostolic Age,” addressed Christianity’s role in a world that no longer assumes its paradigms. His talk encouraged institutions like Lee to remain faithful to Christ amid cultural shifts, continuing to love and serve while remembering that God has already won the cosmic war. 
 
“The most civil thing Christians can do in any age is to be the church … We need each other for encouragement, strength, remembrance, and connection,” said Bowman. 
 
Lee freshman Ana Langley said, “The world is becoming increasingly individual and digital. Clinging to the local church as a sanctuary for community and truth will be beneficial for preserving the light.” 
 
Bowman’s message of Christian nonconformity has remained relevant throughout history, but perhaps especially in a society that often prefers what Cicero described as “peace without honor.” Bowman urged that the church not trade its honor for approval. 
 
“This new country wants civility at the expense of what is true … We cannot love one another by lying, and we will not love our enemies by becoming like them,” he said. 
 
Dr. Tom Pope, professor of political science and director of the CRC, responded to the lecture, saying, “As a Lee alumnus, Bowman reminded us how we can best equip students to engage in dialogue in a world altogether new.” 
 
The Center for Responsible Citizenship at Lee University cultivates conversations about healthy community through a variety of holistic programming. The CRC encourages students to become responsible Christian citizens by engaging thoughtfully with their communities and traditions. 
 
For more information about the CRC, or to get involved with its activities, visit leeucrc.com or contact [email protected].