The Dark Art of Framing

Summit Ministries

For more on making good arguments and identifying bad ones fill out the form below.

Any time you're trying to communicate a message, you're essentially making an argument. The holiday season can especially be a time we find ourselves in many different arguments. Sometimes simple discussions about what football team to cheer for, or maybe more contentious one like whether or not a new cultural trend is good or bad for society.

Summit's president, Dr. Jeff Myers, shares something we all do when we make arguments. Just like movie directors, we only choose the "frame" that we want our audience to see. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. We only have so much time to make our points. Recognizing and understanding frames makes us better at communicating our convictions. Watch the video to learn more.

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  • Possible Discussion Questions
  1. Let’s say you’re talking with a person who gives what you think is a weak argument. How should you respond?
  2. If you were personally accused of being a “hater” because you’re a Christian, how would you present your defense?
  3. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being very well informed, how well informed do you believe you are on the following topics: abortion, tolerance, socialism, health care, right to bear arms, and environmental issues? What could you do to better spot the biased framing people present in their arguments? What steps are you willing to take to counter their arguments with well thought out counterarguments
  4. Have you ever found yourself unfairly framing an argument just to make your point? How could you present your argument in a more gracious way?