Iselin Frydenlund's concept of critical civility emerged from empirical studies of the violent conflict in Sri Lanka (doctoral dissertation, University of Oslo 2011). The conflict had many dimensions, one of them being the ethno-religious. Frydenlund's doctoral study focused on the religious dimension and identified a conflict line within the community of Singhalese Buddhist monks, between those who supported the Singhalese government's violent politics and those who made concrete efforts to help Tamil civilians, often with a danger to their own life. In opposition to the vast majority of their colleagues and fellow Singhalese Buddhists who defined the monk's social role as a duty to serve their own community and the Singhalese nation, these monks argued for compassion and empathy on the basis of their own understanding of Buddhism.
The GOBA Blog - Page 15
In her paper Religion, Civility and Conflict, Iselin Frydenlund suggests a term with much potency and power – descriptively and normatively – as she puts forth and analyzes the concept of critical civility. The way in which the concept complements notions of tolerance and basic politeness and also challenges accepted norms, allowing for a religious basis for such challenges, is useful and rich. I would like to suggest one additional point which makes critical civility, as Iselin conceptualizes it, a truly complex virtue in a religious context.
The great sociologist of religion Peter Berger once said that
Samtlige innleggsskrivere er kritiske til "Ingen liker å bli lurt", og som aksjonsleder synes jeg de fortjener et svar. Jeg skal konsentrere meg om Notto R. Thelles innlegg, og kommentere noen hovedpunkter hos Skoglund.