Some forms of Christianity frame difference as dangerous—so empathy and curiosity are viewed with suspicion. But this week on Christianity Without Compromise, Liz Charlotte Grant, Christian Century columnist, is on the show with host Jake Doberenz to discuss how genuine curiosity—and even disagreement—can be acts of faithfulness. They talk about the power of talking with those you disagree with, unpack the fear beneath the doctrine of biblical inerrancy, and explore how Christianity might look if it welcomed empathy instead of certainty. Liz challenges the idea that being “right” matters more than being empathetic, calling the Church to embrace wonder and listen well—even across very deep divides.

Important Links:

• Liz Charlotte Grant’s Substack: the Empathy List
• Knock at the Sky: Seeking God in Genesis after Losing Faith in the Bible by Liz Charlotte Grant (affiliate)
• Liz Charlotte Grant on Instagram
• Christian Century Columns by Liz Charlotte Grant

Liz Charlotte Grant is an award-winning writer, columnist for The Christian Century, and the author of Knock at the Sky: Seeking God in Genesis after Losing Faith in the Bible. Her work focuses on politics, theology, and spiritual formation, often exploring the spaces between certainty and mystery. She runs the Substack newsletter The Empathy List and lives in Colorado.

Follow this show and Jake Doberenz’s writings at http://jakedoberenz.substack.com.

Should you say something when your church goes toxic—or stay quiet to keep the peace? On Christianity Without Compromise, Amy Fritz, host of the Untangled Faith podcast, joins Jake Doberenz to unpack the spiritual, emotional, and relational weight of speaking out. Drawing from her own journey from rule-following Christian student to institutional whistleblower, Amy shares what it takes to tell the truth when everything in church culture says to stay silent. Together, Jake and Amy examine why Christian institutions often protect their image over integrity, how toxic church environments form, and what it looks like to choose wisdom, love, and accountability at the same time. They confront the idolization of “God’s anointed,” the confusion between fruitfulness and faithfulness, and the corporate structures that reward performance over character—all while offering hope for those discerning what to do next.

Important Links

Diane Langberg: Narcissism and the System It Breeds (YouTube)

The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb: Searching for Jesus’ Path of Power in a Church that Has Abandoned It by Jamin Goggin and Kyle Strobel

A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing by Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer

Untangled Faith Podcast

Untangled Faith Substack

How Church Culture Can Turn Leaders Into Idols - David Ruybalid (Episode 35)

Religious Certainty and Being the Only Ones Saved - Scot Loyd (Episode 44)

When Spiritual Formulas Distract Us from Jesus - Christy Lynne Wood (Episode 39)

Guest Bio

Amy Fritz is the host of the Untangled Faith podcast and Substack, where she creates space for Christians to process church hurt, spiritual abuse, and power dynamics in faith communities.

Follow this show and Jake Doberenz’s writings at http://jakedoberenz.substack.com.

Christians have too often talked about abortion with labels instead of love. Angela Weszely, co-founder of ProGrace and author of Becoming ProGrace: Expanding the Abortion Conversation Beyond Life Versus Choice, joins Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to explore a faithful, grace-filled approach to abortion rooted in the teachings of Jesus. In this conversation, Angela explains why the Church’s political framing—whether pro-life or pro-choice—fails to reflect the Imago Dei in both the woman and the child. Drawing from her decades of experience in pregnancy resource ministry, Angela shares how a lack of nuance, poor language choices, and gender imbalance in church culture have alienated women and made the Church unsafe to engage this issue. Rather than offering a legislative solution, she calls for spiritual reformation—beginning not with changing others, but by examining ourselves.

Important Links:

• Center for Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation at Fuller Theological Seminary - https://fuller.edu/center-for-peacebuilding-and-conflict-transformation/
• Becoming ProGrace: Expanding the Abortion Conversation Beyond Life Versus Choice - https://amzn.to/49Rjvnv (affiliate)
• ProGrace.org

Angela Weszely is the co-founder of ProGrace, a nonprofit helping churches move beyond political categories in how they respond to abortion. With more than 20 years of experience in pregnancy center ministry, Angela now equips Christians to speak with grace, empathy, and theological clarity about abortion, gender, and spiritual formation. She is the author of Becoming ProGrace: Expanding the Abortion Conversation Beyond Life Versus Choice.

See Also: Why "Crotch Christianity" Misses the Gospel - SOLO Episode