Some years ago Professor Stanley Hauerwas of Duke University was lecturing at a church-related university. On that occasion, he wrote later, “I suggested that if the church was going to begin seriously to reflect on these matters, it should start by requiring all those currently in the church, as well as anyone who wished to join the church, to declare what they earn in public. The suggestion was greeted with disbelief, for it was simply assumed that no one should be required to expose their income in public. After all, nothing is more private to us than what amount we earn.”

Actually, there seem to be two other bits of information that Americans don’t like to mention in polite company. In a national survey Robert Wuthnow discovered that people feel comfortable in sharing consumer tips – where to find bargains, good deals, etc. But they are enormously reluctant to mention their personal net worth and their debts as well their salaries.

Of course these inhibitions, when considered in isolation, may be of little significance. Perhaps it is true, as one respondent said in the course of Wuthnow’s national survey, that it would be just “tacky” to share that sort of information.

But we suspect that this sort of politeness is woven into a much larger web of customs that signifies the silent working of a taboo. In turn that taboo makes it harder for Americans to engage in candid and serious conversations about giving over a stretch of time. In the course of the coming conversations we will gladly share the evidence that prompts us to speak of the existence of a taboo.

In the meantime we would encourage you to reflect upon one question. America is home to hundreds of different kinds of small groups. “Most of us probably are vaguely aware of small groups that meet in our neighborhoods or at local church and synagogues,” Robert Wuthnow wrote in 1994. “But we may not have guessed that these groups now play a major role in our society.” Wuthnow then went on to “estimate the total number of small groups currently [1994] in the United States at approximately 3 million groups.”

Wuthnow’s panoramic view of this explosion of energy inspires all sorts of questions. Here we will mention only the query that has moved us to launch this web site.

Why aren’t there more clusters of people who engage in disciplined conversation about the mysterious art of giving?