"Our democracy sometimes feels more like a dystopia. The constant name-calling, raft of conspiracy theories, outrageous lies, and steady stream of disinformation put us on the defensive and make honest and compassionate communication increasingly difficult. Written with her signature intelligence and poetic flair, Marilyn McEntyre's compelling new book, Speaking Peace in a Climate of Conflict, shows us how we might reclaim the nobility of language and its power to heal. It could not come at a better moment." -- Paula Huston author of Simplifying the Soul: Lenten Practices to Renew Your Spirit "It's commonplace to lament the loss of civil discourse, but few do anything about it. For years, Marilyn McEntyre has been quietly shepherding us toward God's intention of language as a gift rather than a weapon. She's done it again. We need her brilliantly crafted words more than ever to show us again how to speak, live, and act in accord with the beautiful gospel.

" -- Leslie Leyland Fields author of Your Story Matters: Finding, Writing, and Living the Truth of Your Life "I can hardly imagine a more timely book at a more urgent time! Marilyn McEntyre has given us a startling reflection on words, metaphors, and poetry and how they illuminate or obscure the wide realms of politics, culture, and community. It is a book that is profoundly literate, vividly relevant, and plainly wise. It manages the rare feat of demonstrating both soaring vision and precise focus. The reader is startled into fresh insights that invite deeper forms of service and care." -- Leanne Van Dyk Columbia Theological Seminary.