Social media was abuzz this week with reaction to Southern Baptist Convention leader Al Mohler appearing on a podcast with Christian nationalist Doug Wilson. The mere fact of them being in conversation is the most notable thing, because what they…
Forget empathy, the new war is on lament
Ever since Joe Rigney released his book about empathy being a sin, the TheoBros of conservative evangelicalism have been piling into his bus, demonizing empathy for those they run over as “the greatest rhetorical tool of manipulation in the 21st…
Rigney defends Cities Church as ‘normal’
A controversial protest last Sunday at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minn., is symptomatic of a spiritual sickness in American society, Joe Rigney told Tucker Carlson. Rigney, a conservative Calvinist pastor who believes empathy is a sin, helped start Cities…
Let’s talk about how Cities Church treats women
“David Easterwood is a pastor here. He is also the director of the Field Office for ICE in St. Paul. So someone who claims to worship God, teaching people in this church about God, is out there overseeing ICE agents,”…
Calvinist pastor prays for God to smite the people of Minneapolis
A professor at John Piper’s Bethlehem Seminary prayed on Sunday not for God to protect the terrified people of Minneapolis, but for God to protect ICE from the violent people of Minneapolis. “I’m a pastor in Minnesota. Here’s how I…
Empathy for enemies is the heart of the gospel
Recently, in some evangelical circles, a contingent of folks has begun talking about the so-called “sin” of empathy. Joe Rigney brought this discussion into the limelight in 2019 with a series of blog posts at Desiring God written in the…
Here’s who’s behind the war on empathy
When Donald Trump made his triumphal return to the White House, Joe Rigney could hardly contain his excitement. “The polls show that a significant majority of Americans favor the president’s goal,” the Baptist scholar noted, “but will we have the…
Why empathy is under assault today
If empathy were a person, she would be in therapy for abuse. After a life of virtue, empathy has been cast into the street by an array of detractors as varied as billionaires, psychologists and evangelicals. The wealthiest man in…
White evangelical men weaponize the gospel against women because they don’t respect women
“Do men desperately need respect, while women desperately need love?” This was the question posed by Sheila Gregoire on a recent episode of the “Bare Marriage” podcast. “That is the thesis of a lot of bestselling books in evangelicalism like Love and…
Basham and others link criticism of Budde to threat of female preachers
Conservative outrage over Episcopal bishop Mariann Budde’s appeal to President Donald Trump to show mercy is symptomatic of the heresy afflicting the Southern Baptist Convention, according to social media influencer Megan Basham. In response to Budde’s Tuesday sermon on unity…
Rigney out at Bethlehem Seminary due to Christian nationalism and infant baptism
Advocacy for Christian nationalism and acceptance of infant baptism have ended Joe Rigney’s presidential tenure at Bethlehem College and Seminary, an independent Baptist school aligned with Reformed theology. “His position on the relationship between Christianity and civil government is not…
Have you heard the one about empathy being a sin?
Empathy is in the news, and not in a good way. With recent controversial statements by John Piper and resignations of multiple staff at the church he put on the map and the seminary he led, attention has fallen to…