Frank Woggon, PhD

Chaplain. Clinical Theologian & Educator. Author.

“Love sees others as intrinsically valuable and with dignity and possibilities. A pessimistic assessment, on the other hand, which insists with certitude that the human condition is inherently corrupted cannot support an open, appreciative, and dialogical approach to understanding the human experience and possibilities for transformation. Appreciative dialogue that is rooted in love for the world and its inhabitants transcends dogmatic certitude about the human condition and is open to discover new possibilities of seeing and naming the world, including one’s theological world.”

 

The Empathic God: A Clinical Theology of At-onement, p. 15

Books

The Empathic God

The Empathic God offers a re-interpretation of the Christian doctrine of atonement from the perspective of clinical spiritual care and develops a theological theory for spiritual care based upon that interpretation.

News

The Empathic God nominated for the 2026 Grawemeyer Award in Religion

March 18, 2025

I recveived an official notice that The Empathic God had been nominated for the 2026 Grawemeyer Award in Religion and that the nomination had been accepted. This is a great honor, and I am excited and humbled that the book is being considered for the award. The Grawemeyer Award in Religion honors and publicizes annually creative and constructive insights into the relationship between human beings and the divine, and ways in which this relationship may inspire or empower human beings to attain wholeness, integrity or meaning, either individually or in community. The recipient of the award will be announced in December. Stay tuned!

Podcast

JourneyTalks

November 29, 2024

JourneyTalks is a podcast that is hosted by the Rev. Jorge Sayago-Gonzales and focuses on how to connect with gratitude and inspiration in one's life. The first episode of season 2 features a conversation I had with Jorge in 2024 about gratitude, self-awareness, fears and challenges, and the wisdom on the journey that is life.

Podcast

Cruciform Conversations with Greg Arthur: A Conversation about The Empathic God

November 20, 2025

This podcast is the conclusion of a four-part series, which explores my book The Empathic God. Parts 1-3 were published as brief, reflective essays in Greg Arthur's Cruciform Reflections on substack. Greg is a contextual theologian and pastor, who seeks to cultivate the peace of Christ in a broken world. I highly recommend his reflections and podcast. In my conversation with Greg, we explore how my work as a pastor and chaplain inspired the book and themes of empathy in relation to the life and death of Jesus, emphasizing the therapeutic aspect of the Jesus event. We also discuss the prevelance of violence in society and how it presents a challenge to reconciling the concept of a violent God with the idea of redemption. And much more.