Is Empathy a Sin? Can caring too much ever become morally wrong? Dr. Joe Rigney and Dr. Alastair Roberts
Joe Rigney calls empathy a sin. Alastair Roberts says not so fast. Who’s right?
Today, we explore a question at the heart of pastoral care, public witness, and Christian leadership: Is empathy a virtue to be cultivated or a vice to be resisted?
Professor Joe Rigney and Dr Alastair Roberts joined Andy Kind. Joe is the author of The Sin of Empathy, a provocative work that argues that when empathy becomes "untethered" from truth, it ceases to be a virtue and can even become sinful. Alastair, a fellow theologian, has written a substantial critique, arguing that Joe's language has muddied important distinctions and potentially misrepresents a vital Christian posture. This conversation is not about labels, but substance - and we'll explore everything from scriptural foundations to gender roles, pastoral ethics, and theological nuance. Can caring too much ever become morally wrong?
Dr Joe Rigney serves as Fellow of Theology at New Saint Andrews College and is the author of several books, including Things of Earth and Strangely Bright. Joe Rigney, Dr. Joe Rigney, author of The Sin of Empathy.
Joe on X: @joe_rigney
Dr Alastair Roberts is a Teaching Fellow of The Theopolis Institute and professor for Davenant Hall, and one of the hosts of the Mere Fidelity podcast. He is a co-author of Echoes of Exodus: Tracing Themes of Redemption Through Scripture (2018).
Alistair's substack: https://argosy.substack.com/.
Alistair on X: @zugzwanged
oon Radiopaper: https://radiopaper.com/AlastairRoberts
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Classic: Can Humanism Exist Independently of Christian Influence? Theo Hobson & Andrew Copson
Justin Brierley moderates a thought-provoking discussion between Theo Hobson, author of 'God Created Humanism,' and Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association. The conversation examines whether humanist values of equality and human dignity are rooted in Christianity's shaping of Western culture or can develop independently from a secular perspective. What are the origins of secular humanism? And what is the sustainability of humanist values without religious foundations? This dialogue from 2017 explores the historical and philosophical underpinnings of modern humanism.
For more of Theo Hobson and his book
https://theohobson.wordpress.com/
Andrew Copson’s book is The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of
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Heaven: Dinosaurs, Angels, and Reincarnation? A Mind-Bending Look at the Afterlife
This week on Unbelievable. Do animals go to heaven? Do humans become angels? Do we start families in the afterlife? And what about reincarnation? Is that really off the table for Christians?
Andy Kind spoke with Princeton theologian Dr. Dale Allison Jr. and rising scholar Andrew Hronich for a mind-expanding conversation on heaven, what it is, who's there, and what we might do for eternity. You will not want to miss this one!
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Is the Turin Shroud the burial cloth of Christ? Alan Whanger vs Hugh Farey
More than a decade ago, Unbelievable? brought together two experts with very different conclusions about the Shroud of Turin—one of the most mysterious and debated Christian relics. Dr Alan Whanger, who devoted years to studying the Shroud, claimed to identify faint images and markings that point to its origins in 1st-century Israel. Meanwhile, Hugh Farey, editor of The Catholic Shroud of Turin Newsletter, has spent decades critically examining the Shroud literature and argues the evidence strongly supports a medieval origin.
Latest Developments (2020s):
Since that episode aired, there have been further scientific investigations and renewed debates. In 2017, Italian researchers used new dating techniques (notably, Raman spectroscopy and FTIR analysis) to argue for a possible 1st-century origin—challenging the 1988 carbon dating that placed the Shroud in the 13th or 14th century. However, these newer findings remain controversial and have not overturned the scientific consensus. The Shroud continues to spark interest not only among believers and sceptics, but also in fields as diverse as history, forensic science, and art restoration.
For Alan Whanger: http://people.duke.edu/~adw2/shroud/
For Hugh Farey: https://www.shroud.com/bstsmain.htm
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The Mystery of Morality | Alex O'Connor, Richard Swinburne, Jessica Frazier and Peter Singer hosted by Jack Symes
What grounds morality... and who counts? Is morality hardwired into us by evolution, shaped by culture, or guided by religion? In this live edition of the Unbelievable? Podcast recorded in London and hosted by public philosopher Jack Symes, four leading thinkers explore the origins and future of ethical thought.
From the role of emotions in our moral choices to the ethics of animal rights and cross-cultural disagreements, this conversation tackles one of humanity’s most enduring questions: what does it mean to be good?
Joining us are:
Peter Singer: World-renowned utilitarian philosopher and animal rights advocate (Professor of Bioethics, Princeton University)Jessica Frazier: Oxford scholar of comparative religion and Indian philosophy (Fellow, Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies)Richard Swinburne: Leading Christian philosopher and defender of theism (Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, University of Oxford)Alex O’Connor: Atheist thinker and host of Within Reason PodcastProduced by Theora Media x Unbelievable? x Within Reason,
00:00 Exploring the Roots of Morality
05:13 The Evolution of Moral Reasoning
11:00 The Role of Emotions in Ethics
17:33 Moral Disagreement and Its Implications
23:52 The Intersection of Ethics and Religion
30:04 Animal Rights and Moral Considerations
36:32 Cultural Perspectives on Morality
42:52 The Future of Moral Philosophy
Link to related content Alex O'Connor debates Ben Shapiro https://youtu.be/yspPYcJHI3k and Richard Swinburne debates Philip Goff https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQmBJDc2FCY
For Today's Guests: Richard Swinburne: users.ox.ac.uk/~orie0087
Jessica Frazier: theology.ox.ac.uk/people/dr-jessica-frazier
Jack Symes: jacksymes.co.uk
Alex O’Connor: alexoconnor.com
Peter Singer: petersinger.info
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