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Do we have anything in common with the villains of the Bible?
The sins of wrath, idolatry, and abuse of power are closer to us than we think. How do we guard against them? We learn not only by following moral exemplars—we also need to look at the warnings of lives gone wrong.
In this fictionalized narrative, JR. Forasteros reintroduces us to some of the most villainous characters of Scripture. He shows us what we can learn from their negative examples, with figures such as Cain, Jezebel, King Herod, and even Satan serving as cautionary tales of sin and temptation. Forasteros vividly tells their stories to help us understand their motivations, and his astute biblical and cultural exposition points out what we often miss about their lives.
We soon discover that we might have more in common with these characters than we would like to admit. Take a fresh look at the scoundrels of Scripture, and find sound pastoral guidance here to walk the path of righteousness.
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JR. Forasteros
JR. is an author, pastor and podcaster in Dallas, TX. If he's not exploring the city, he's probably smoking a brisket in his backyard. His wife, Amanda, skates as Mother Terrorista with Assassination City Roller Derby. They prefer either to be travelling or welcoming guests around their table.
The Art of Empathy for the Devil
JR. asked some of his favorite artists to illustrate the villains in the book.
Reviews & Media
What are people saying about Empathy for the Devil?
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Home One Radio Podcast Interview
What else are we going to talk about on a Star Wars podcast besides Kylo, Vader and the Emperor? Josh and Blaine had some kind thoughts on the surprising format of the book, and we had a lot of fun nerding out over what we want to see from Kylo and the saga.
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In All Things Charity Podcast Interview
Since we’re a feminist podcast, we did a deep dive into Delilah’s character.
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Book Review in My Bathrobe YouTube Review
The primary thing I liked about this book was the fiction… JR. masterfully crafts the stories around the villains in the Bible. He gives us a perspective on them we may not have considered before. That gives us a glimpse into our own motivations… because we see ourselves in the villains.
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Voices in My Head
You have a talent for making connections through stories that feel dead to us… There were parts that made me pause because I had to stop and pray!
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StoryMen Podcast Interview
I was in the hotseat on my own podcast. We talk about where the book came from and I do a reading from the chapter on Jezebel.
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One More Thing Blog Review
The final chapter, on Satan, is undoubtedly the best – which is saying something, since I was told as much about halfway through the book and was so enjoying myself I refused to believe it. Forasteros presents a difficult, tension-fraught subject with a calm and rational – even generous –
approach. It is indeed hard to empathize with the devil and not something any of us particularly wants to do. Yet Forasteros earns the benefit of the doubt with the preceding six chapters and narratively weaves a beautiful expression of grace and love into the midst of great tragedy in a way that both informs and engages. -
This Nazarene Life Podcast Interview
This Nazarene Life shares stories of young Nazarene clergy. Though I don’t really count as ‘young’ anymore, it was an honor to get to share about my ministry and the book on the show. Host Brit Bolerjack is a fantastic interviewer, and we did a deep dive on Jezebel.