The Sin of Empathy by Joe Rigney

 I had seen the recommendations and the numerous posts about The Sin of Empathy by Joe Rigney. A few years ago (well before the book) I watched the Man Rampant episode with Joe Rigney titled The Sin of Empathy and found it to be very interesting. Well, I finally read this book. I started it two days ago and finished the last chapter this morning. 

The Sin of Empathy: 
Compassion and its Counterfeits
by Joe Rigney

Something that might be helpful for consideration of this book, might be an excerpt from an appendix at the end of the book. The author is addressing one of the criticisms regarding the title of the book. He says, 

... numbering empathy among the other passions may be clarifying. An article on "the sin of anger" or "the sin of sexual desire" or even "the sin of loyalty" is comprehensible to many, even though we all know that not all anger or sexual desire or loyalty are sinful (the same would be true for fear, anxiety, and grief).  In each case, we naturally understand the phrase "the sin of anger" to mean "sinful anger," and we would need to actually read the article to determine whether there were clear definitions and proper distinctions made. 

The issue with "the sin of empathy" is that few people in the modern world can imagine empathy being sinful or negative. It is an incorruptible virtue, and thus ... questioning its value is considered irreverent, if not sacrilegious. But it's precisely empathy's inviolable status that makes it such a powerful mask for corruption.

There are two types of books that really grab my attention. One of them is a book that is introducing ideas that are almost foreign to me: things I hadn't thought about before. The other type is the one that puts constructed sentences to realities I've experienced. That is precisely what this book did. It offered a clarity to my own lived reality... things I've done, said, and watched happen. About halfway through this book I found myself thinking, "I wish every pastor I know would read this book."

So... If you are a Pastor, I am recommending that you read this book. If I were famous, that might mean more to some, but I am hoping that if you know me at all that you might give me the benefit of the doubt and grab a copy of this and give it a wholehearted consideration as you read it.