From the Page to the Porch
How The Soul of Civility is inspiring communities— and an invitation
Gracious reader,
When I wrote The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves, I hoped it would be more than a book. I yearned for it to become be a handbook for social, civic, moral and intellectual renewal in our world, which is the expressed goal of Civic Renaissance and this community.
In the two years since publication, I’ve been heartened to see leaders, citizens, and entire communities take up its challenge: to restore dignity, wisdom, and moral imagination to our life together.
This week, in Carmel, Indiana, that vision comes alive. The inaugural Civility Summit will gather leaders from across the country to ask: How do we embody civility where we live?
I’m grateful to Axios, The Christian Science Monitor, and C-SPAN for recognizing the urgency of this work — and to Carmel civic leaders for modeling what it looks like in practice.
The Summit is one chapter in the story, but the heart of it remains the same:
Civility is not about niceness or politeness. It is about treating others with dignity so that we can live freer, fuller, more flourishing lives.
If you’re new here, you can find the fuller vision in The Soul of Civility. And if you’ve been with me on this journey — thank you. I can’t wait to share more from this pivotal week.
What about you? In what ways do you strive to embody civility in your daily life — within your household, your vocation, and your community?
I would be honored to learn how you are cultivating dignity and renewal in your sphere, and to know how I might accompany or support you in that noble endeavor.
Even if you can’t join us in Carmel this weekend, don’t forget the resources I’ve created to help you embody civility right where you are:
The Soul of Civility Reading Guide — designed to enrich personal study and already embraced by book clubs, community reads, and church groups. Its aim: to help us think more clearly about the promise and possibility of the good life together.
The Soul of Civility in One Lesson — a poster distilling the core insights of my book, to serve as a daily reminder as we navigate the fragile art of life in community.
A few projects in the works:
A workbook for offices and workplaces to explore these ideas collectively.
A curriculum for primary and secondary schools, paired with a children’s book for classroom read-alouds. (If you are an educator or administrator and would like to join the working group offering feedback on this curriculum, please reach out at ahudsonassist@gmail.com.)
And now, I’d love to hear from you. What resources would most serve you as you seek to cultivate civility in your own life and community? This movement is built with you, and I am grateful for your presence in it.
Warmly,
Lexi
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