Book Review: Toxic Empathy

Have you seen those yard signs with statements such as “Love is love” or “No human is illegal”? Or maybe you’ve had co-workers repeat mantras like “Abortion is health care,” and you’ve felt uneasy because you’re not sure how to respond.

Allie Beth Stuckey, host of the podcast Relatable, published this book last October. It seeks to break down those statements and give Christians information to respond to them. Each of the five chapters in this book takes one of those statements (“Abortion is health care,” “Trans women are women,” “Love is love,” “No human is illegal,” and “Social justice is justice”) and addresses them from a biblical perspective.

Stuckey is clear that empathy itself is not wrong, but rather that “Toxic empathy bullies us into believing that the unwise, immoral, and unbiblical position is actually the righteous one.” She reminds us that Christians are “called to love, not just empathy” (page xiv).

Each chapter begins with a heartfelt story that someone might share to make you agree with their perspective. Then Stuckey breaks down the reality of that situation with researched facts and biblical support to help you understand what a truly compassionate response might look like. While there are some uncomfortable details about abortion and transgender surgeries, knowing the reality of such things helps believers know how damaging these beliefs are.

As Stuckey says, “The church must be what it has always been in times of tumult: a beacon of clarity to combat confusion, courage to combat cowardice, and compassion to combat callousness” (page 62). Her book will equip Christians with knowledge to respond to the pervasive lies in our culture.

Lydia Kinne

Lydia is a teacher, poet, and blogger, who serves various ministries here at Faith. You can read more of her writing and subscribe to her blog at lydiakinne.com.

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