Human beings live in a world of differ­ence, as we naturally make distinctions and set boundaries.

Often differences, though noticeable, are irrelevant to what is going on at the moment. At other times, differences assume importance because of their value, to the point that we often seek them out to enhance our lives.

Moral conflict is a clash between oppos­ing parties based on differences in deeply held philosophical assumptions about being, knowledge, and the world. The existence of moral difference is neither surprising nor problematic in itself, but how we respond to such a clash can create disturbing conditions that warrant careful attention, creative inter­vention, and scholarly study. Moral conflict, although a compelling challenge in society, opens rich opportunities for interpersonal learning, improved relationships, and creative collaboration.

This chapter summarizes various lines of work on this important subject. We begin by defining moral difference and moral conflict and then summarize the work that we and our colleagues have done on this issue over the years—including the theoretical and meth­odological influences on our work. We then move to work on transcendent communication with special emphasis on dialogue as a form of discourse that holds hope for the transforma­tion of intractable conflicts. Finally, we present practical guidelines and concluding thoughts.