A comment on the dotCommonweal post I linked to, about the Conservative Bible Project (which, from all evidence, is a sincere effort), states (emphasis added):
The Commonweal blog has been striking to me because of the participation of people of diverse shades of faith within Catholicism, and because they have, by and large, been conversing in an urban manner....
I'm pretty sure she means "in an urbane manner," and means it as a compliment.
The phrase "conversing in an urban manner" calls to mind Robin Williams's joke about the New York Echo. ("HELLOOOO!" "Shut the ^$#% up!")