Spiritual vitality is the quality of life when you live from the knowledge that you are included, beloved & free. This is what you were made for and what Jesus reveals when we learn to follow His way. Discover practical personal and spiritual growth, and participate in what God is doing in the world, as you apprentice yourself to Jesus. Marc Alan Schelske is your guide on this journey. More information at https://MarcAlansSchelske.com
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Spiritual vitality is the quality of life when you live from the knowledge that you are included, beloved & free. This is what you were made for and what Jesus reveals when we learn to follow His way. Discover practical personal and spiritual growth, and participate in what God is doing in the world, as you apprentice yourself to Jesus. Marc Alan Schelske is your guide on this journey. More information at https://MarcAlansSchelske.com
Once again, influential Christian leaders are declaring empathy a sin. One influential Reformed theologian calls empathy "Counterfeit compassion" and names it "the greatest rhetorical tool of manipulation in the 21st century." For people whose central ethic is to love the neighbor as we love ourselves, this seems an odd hill to die on. Why is this happening? Well, when you look behind the scenes, the answer is pretty obvious. Empathy has the power to blow up hierarchical power dynamics.
Show Notes
In this conversation, we explore empathy, its significance in spiritual growth, and why certain Christian leaders (from a very particular theological perspective) are warning Christians away from empathy.Note: We had significant technical difficulties recording this, but the conversation was so good that I wanted to do my best to share it with you. The audio has been cleaned up as much as I can, and I have provided carefully edited captions on the video and a full transcription for you.
Takeaways
Empathy is about staying present to pain without being overwhelmed and actively bearing witness to others' emotional experiences.
Empathy differs from sympathy in that it connects us as equals.
Empathy is essential for healthy human relationships.
The accusation of empathy as a sin comes from hierarchical systems because empathy naturally opens the door to seeing how systems of domination and control are exploitative.
Personal healing is necessary for developing empathy so that we can face our selves truthfully, but empathy moves beyond personal feelings into tangible action that changes the work around us, including the systems we live within.
Empathy is a key aspect of following the way of Jesus.
Mentioned Resources
AND: The Restorative Power of Love in an Either/Or World (Felicia Murrell)
Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience (Brené Brown)
All About Love: New Visions (bell hooks)
Scroll down for a full transcript of this episode.
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More about My Conversation Partner
Felicia Murrell is a spiritual companion, speaker, certified master life coach, and former ordained pastor with over twenty years of church leadership experience. She's an author and serves the publishing industry as a freelance copy editor. With a deep understanding of what it means to be human, Felicia is dedicated to empowering individuals to embrace who they already are and who Love is inviting them to be.
Walking Otherward - My new book! Please pre-order it now. This is a 40-day devotional following the final weeks of Jesus' life and inviting us to exchange our natural self-centered, ego-defending ambition for the other-centered, co-suffering way love Love.
Transcription
The Apprenticeship Way with Marc Alan Schelske
Spiritual vitality is the quality of life when you live from the knowledge that you are included, beloved & free. This is what you were made for and what Jesus reveals when we learn to follow His way. Discover practical personal and spiritual growth, and participate in what God is doing in the world, as you apprentice yourself to Jesus. Marc Alan Schelske is your guide on this journey. More information at https://MarcAlansSchelske.com
