Empathy for the Devil: Finding Ourselves in the Villains of the Bible Paperback – November 7, 2017

“Sometimes we get closer to truth by taking the opposite perspective from the one we typically take. Empathy for the Devil gets us closer to truth by exploring the dark side, the devil’s side. Like a series of narrative proverbs, we can learn something about what is right by looking closely at what is wrong.” (Thomas Jay Oord, author of The Uncontrolling Love of God)

“This is a beautifully written, compelling, and important book that will make you see the villains of the Bible and yourself in a whole new light. Highly recommended.” (Matt Mikalatos, author of Sky Lantern)

“Empathy for the Devil is unlike anything you’ve ever read. Part fictional anthology, part nonfiction, the pages of this book bring ancient antagonists to life in ways that will both shock and inform you. It’s Wicked for the spiritual formation set. Every one of us knows what it’s like to linger before a mirror, seeing a deep secret or two we withhold from the world, wondering if others really understand our hearts, anxious about whether or not we want them to. When JR. told me he was going to write a book about how relatable the villains of Scripture are, I thought if anyone could pull it off, he could. And he has. The people in these pages are infamous for the worst things they ever thought and did. Plenty of us can probably relate to the fear of being remembered for our faults, what we got wrong. But beyond the darkness there is always a light to move toward. This book shows us the cost of selfish ambition and the choice we have to be protagonists in a story much larger than ourselves.” (Clay Morgan, author of Undead: Revived, Resuscitated & Reborn)

“The deepest truth usually dawns on us through the power of a story. Nowhere do we find more explosiveness than in the stories of Scripture. We love these stories because they’re not whitewashed or edited. We see ourselves in our human rawness. JR. Forasteros has done two things quite well in this book: narrated the story of the dark characters of Scripture and introduced them into our lives in believable terms. If we can own them rather than castigate them, we may find the saving grace of God that delivers us from evil.” (Dan Boone, president, Trevecca Nazarene University, Nashville)

“We underestimate the power of looking to our greatest enemies. We forget that they are like us more than they are unlike us and that if we can learn to see ourselves in their eyes, to bridge the gap between ‘us’ and ‘them,’ tremendous healing and peace can be found. Never has there been a time in history where this message is more needed, and JR. tackles the subject with creativity, wisdom, and grace. You don’t want to miss this book.” (Allison Fallon, author of Packing Light)

“Reading Empathy for the Devil is like realizing your whole life you’ve been trying to see the stars through the wrong end of the telescope. Carefully researched and creatively written, Empathy for the Devil gives us a new kind of Copernican Revolution. It reframes the way we think about the other and the Other. I feel like I can see the stars with fresh eyes―or maybe for the first time.” (Tom Fuerst, author of Underdogs and Outsiders)

“The most compelling question any great story seeks to answer is why? Why did Cain kill Abel? Why did Delilah seduce Samson? Why did Judas betray Jesus? These questions are all the same question: Why does evil exist? And, more to the point, why does it exist within us? In Empathy for the Devil, JR. Forasteros tells seven gripping stories about the most infamous characters of the Bible so we can learn why they did what they did, and, in turn, why we do what we do. Tread lightly, reader: when JR. parts the veil over Jezebel’s face or grants us entrance into Herod’s inner sanctum, you’re unlikely to discover the evil adversaries you booed in Sunday school. Rather, you’re going to find yourself subtly nodding your head. You will see these misunderstood men and women of the Bible in such arresting, startling new ways that you may even catch glimpses of yourself in their eyes. The question you have to ask yourself then is why?” (Blake Atwood, author of The Gospel According to Breaking Bad)

“A provocative exercise in literary invention that casts key biblical figures in an intriguing new light, from Cain to Judas to―yes―even Satan.” (Josh Larsen, co-host of Filmspotting, editor and critic at Think Christian, author of Movies Are Prayers)

“It’s easy to pass over the villains of the Bible, dismissing them as foils of the story, convinced that they’re not like us. But JR. Forasteros says, ‘Not so fast!’ Even though we rightly admire the heroes of the Bible, JR. holds up the mirror of Scripture and invites us to ask, Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the vilest of them all? It’s not who you think. Empathy for the Devil is a creative, insightful, provocative look at the villains of the Bible, not just as cautionary tales but also as exemplars of the human condition―our common lot. Here is wisdom: by identifying with these ‘bad boys and girls’ (Oh, my villainous heart!), JR. helps us see how we can become incarnational models of God’s redemption in Christ.” (Rodney Reeves, dean, Redford Professor of Biblical Studies, Southwest Baptist University)

“A tendency of triumphalist Christianity and American exceptionalism, and really just human pride, is that it tends more and more toward ignoring its own weaknesses and sin. Empathy for the Devil helps curb this tendency by exploring the shapes and contours, the colors and smells, of our faults. These expanded and gentler retellings of biblical villains’ stories create much-needed space for our own brokenness and for God’s grace to transform, not just triumph over, the devil in all of us.” (Tim Basselin, associate professor of media, arts, and worship, Dallas Theological Seminary)

JR. Forasteros is the teaching pastor at Catalyst Community Church in Rowlett, Texas, and is an active blogger and podcaster on the church and pop culture. He blogs at NorvilleRogers.com, where he reviews films and books, and is the cocreator and cohost of the StoryMen podcast. JR. has a master’s degree in religious studies, New Testament, and early Christianity from the University of Missouri–Columbia. He lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife, Amanda.