All about the Bass

“I learned a lot from this wonderful book. Some delightful things about elephant-whispering and turning up the treble. But also some profound things that I have been thinking and writing about for decades. Scott Burson showed me in these pages that I still have much to learn about cultivating Christian civility.”


—Richard Mouw, President Emeritus, Fuller Theological Seminary





“All about the Bass is like a course on listening: it will enlighten, challenge, inspire, and—most important—equip you to understand more people better. And I can’t think of anything the world needs more right now than this effort, these skills, and this vision.”


—Karen Swallow Prior, author of On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books





“I wish I could take Scott Burson’s book back in time and give it to myself when I was a young Christian. It would have saved me from so many communication mistakes. It would have helped me be a better family member, friend, citizen, and pastor. It would have helped me be less of a ‘noisy gong and clanging symbol,’ and more of a person whose communication conveys the sweet music of love. It’s never too late to learn the valuable lessons offered in this practical, readable, intelligent book.”


—Brian D. McLaren, author of Faith After Doubt





“This is a remarkable and insightful book that invites readers to live their convictions courageously, with humility and civility. Burson applies Moral Foundations Theory, bass and treble, to help us understand the intuitions and stories behind the music of today’s culture wars. This book should be essential reading for anyone seeking to expand the circle and love their enemies.”


—Doug Daugherty, Dean of Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University





“In our increasingly tribalized culture, Scott Burson’s All about the Bass offers a compelling way forward. This is a marvelously clear Christian adaptation of Moral Foundations Theory (MFT), which is a valuable gift in itself, but Burson does more. Guided by the gospel, Burson leans on the insights of MFT to cast a winsome vision for remaining faithful to our convictions while compassionately sowing peace, empathetically building bridges, and courageously seeking reconciliation. This is essential reading!”


—Kent Eilers, Professor of Theology, Huntington University





“Here is a wonderful book that can help heal the fractious dialogue in our churches and society. It clearly presents the keys for how to accomplish this and the inspiring stories provide hope for success.”


—John Sanders, Professor of Religious Studies, Hendrix College





“In a culture defined by greater anger, louder voices, and stronger indignation, Scott Burson offers a different way for Christians to engage the world around them. He counters the fallacies of our time with a call for humility, empathy, and relational generosity—in other words, with the way of Jesus. Our interactions, both in person and online, will benefit greatly if we heed his words.”


—Rod Reed, Chancellor, Indiana Wesleyan University





“In a noisy culture longing for radical hospitality and extra measures of kindness, Scott Burson offers a quiet voice with practical wisdom and personal messages that keep the reader turning the pages. Read, reflect, and apply, then repeat the cycle to discover new rhythms of grace and bridge the generational and relational divides. I highly recommend!”


—Keith Newman, President, Southern Nazarene University





“In All about the Bass, Scott Burson persuasively argues for a higher calling of conviction and compassion, beginning with the search to find common ground and culminating with loving your enemies.”


—Arthur C. Brooks, Professor, Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School





“In a time when the messengers have often upstaged the message, and conflated being right with leading others to the light, what a timely call for Christ-followers to imitate the gospel of reconciliation. Peppered with powerful stories, weighty points of theology, practical application, and whimsical pop cultural awareness, Scott’s thoughts could not have come sooner, nor cut me more deeply.”


—Steve Wood, Associate Professor of Theatre, Indiana Wesleyan University