Discussion Questions - The Creed Room
“The Dialogue”
1. According to the author, The Creed Room, above all else, extols the devotion to the dialogue. What do you think he might mean by “the dialogue”? In what respects does this book demonstrate the value of dialogue?
2. Do you see the need for an antidote to social polarization and apathy? Do you view philosophical dialogue as a possible candidate for such an antidote?
3. What can be done to foster the kinds of dialogue that this book promotes?
The Creed Room Discussions
4. Do you agree with Sam's comments about religious labels, including his put-down of agnosticism?
5. What was your reaction to the book's portrayal of Judaism? Christianity?
6. What was your reaction to the Shaw-Sherman exchange on economics?
The Creed Itself
7. What aspects of “the Creed” did you find most compelling? Least compelling?
8. To what extent do you believe that this Creed could be seen as a useful synthesis for the way Americans view political and religious issues?
The Characters
9. Which characters did you view particularly sympathetically? Which ones did you dislike?
10. Do you believe that the “the Benefactor” behaved immorally in sponsoring this group?
11. In what ways did Sam Kramer grow emotionally or intellectually during the course of the book?
12. Would you want your child taught by Sam Kramer? Why/why not?
13. What was your reaction to Sam's decisions: (a) in dealing with the “incident” in the locker room, and (b) as to what to do with his life after May 2000?
14. Would you vote for Linda if she ran for office? Why/why not?
15. If you had one thing to tell one of the characters, what would it be?
Miscellaneous
16. In what ways was this book a call for more tolerance? In what ways was it a call for less?
17. To what extent do most people use strawmen in formulating the arguments that they disagree with? How did the book demonstrate the evils of using strawmen?
18. What should schools do differently to foster the kind of intellectuality that Sam so wished to develop?
19. Do you agree with Sam about how traditional religious values should alter the nature of our political discourse?
20. Do we need more philosophical novels? Or should philosophers stick to philosophy and novelists stick to telling stories?
1. According to the author, The Creed Room, above all else, extols the devotion to the dialogue. What do you think he might mean by “the dialogue”? In what respects does this book demonstrate the value of dialogue?
2. Do you see the need for an antidote to social polarization and apathy? Do you view philosophical dialogue as a possible candidate for such an antidote?
3. What can be done to foster the kinds of dialogue that this book promotes?
The Creed Room Discussions
4. Do you agree with Sam's comments about religious labels, including his put-down of agnosticism?
5. What was your reaction to the book's portrayal of Judaism? Christianity?
6. What was your reaction to the Shaw-Sherman exchange on economics?
The Creed Itself
7. What aspects of “the Creed” did you find most compelling? Least compelling?
8. To what extent do you believe that this Creed could be seen as a useful synthesis for the way Americans view political and religious issues?
The Characters
9. Which characters did you view particularly sympathetically? Which ones did you dislike?
10. Do you believe that the “the Benefactor” behaved immorally in sponsoring this group?
11. In what ways did Sam Kramer grow emotionally or intellectually during the course of the book?
12. Would you want your child taught by Sam Kramer? Why/why not?
13. What was your reaction to Sam's decisions: (a) in dealing with the “incident” in the locker room, and (b) as to what to do with his life after May 2000?
14. Would you vote for Linda if she ran for office? Why/why not?
15. If you had one thing to tell one of the characters, what would it be?
Miscellaneous
16. In what ways was this book a call for more tolerance? In what ways was it a call for less?
17. To what extent do most people use strawmen in formulating the arguments that they disagree with? How did the book demonstrate the evils of using strawmen?
18. What should schools do differently to foster the kind of intellectuality that Sam so wished to develop?
19. Do you agree with Sam about how traditional religious values should alter the nature of our political discourse?
20. Do we need more philosophical novels? Or should philosophers stick to philosophy and novelists stick to telling stories?