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.

Speaking

Practicing At-onement: Pastoral Psychotherapy as a Salvific Practice

September 4-5, 2026

I have been invited to give the keynote address at the annual conference of the Tennessee Association of Pastoral Therapists in Nashville, TN. My presentation will focus on attempting to answer the often asked question what makes pastoral therapy pastoral? Discussing shame as primary source of spiritual suffering and empathy as a healing response, I suggest empathic practices that locate pastoral therapy in the context of God's ongoing work of salvation and liberation. The conference will be at Belle Meade United Methodist Church with meetings on Friday afternoon and evening and Saturday morning. If you are in the vicinity and are interested, check out more information on the association's website.

Speaking

Beyond the Label

April 12, 2026

I had the privilege to preach at Crescent Hill Baptist Church in Louisville, KY. The sermon was about John 20:19-31, the story about "the doubting Thomas," and I interpreted the story to challenge the labels we put on others and on ourselves. The sermon was  grounded in an understanding of the Jesus story as God’s empathic and liberating initiative towards humanity that is ongoing and continues. My sermon makes the point that believing means to participate in God’s ongoing work of liberation and healing, confronting injustice and evil and responding to human needs in our communities without applying labels. 

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.