Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
Politics and Religion
Snarky Review: Heretic, Too! by Matthew J. Distefano

Snarky Review: Heretic, Too! by Matthew J. Distefano

Last updated on: October 28, 2024 at 5:16 pm by Stuart Delony

0 Comments

Snarky Review: Heretic, Too! by Matthew J. Distefano 2024-10-28T17:16:11-04:00 Stuart Delony

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Image created with DALL·E and enhanced in Photoshop

Matthew J. Distefano’s Heretic, Too! doesn’t waste time playing nice with the usual Christian fluff. It’s the kind of book that makes you sit up, blink, and think, “Wait, did he just say that?” Spoiler: yes… he did. This isn’t a book for anyone looking to stay cozy in their faith bubble, but for those itching to rip it wide open.

Distefano starts strong by making a comparison that will likely ruffle more than a few feathers—Jesus as a Bodhisattva. Yeah, Jesus compared to a Buddhist figure. It’s not a pairing you’d expect in your Sunday School curriculum, but that’s exactly why it works. Distefano argues that Jesus’ path of compassion and self-sacrifice looks more like the Bodhisattva than the cultural Christianity we’re used to. Whether you agree or not, it’s hard to deny the argument, which makes you pause and think about the boxes we keep trying to shove Jesus into.

Then there’s the inevitable takedown of complementarianism—the idea that men should lead and women should, well, not. Distefano doesn’t tiptoe around this topic. He straight-up calls it what it is: sexist nonsense wrapped in bad theology. There’s no soft landing here. He dives into the messy patriarchy that’s still propped up in churches, challenging us to drop the tired gender roles and stop pretending they’re divine edicts. It’s a breath of fresh air, honestly, especially for anyone tired of hearing that their place is to sit down and be quiet.

But Distefano isn’t just here to tear things down. He also flips the whole conversation about sin on its head. Instead of the old-school, guilt-driven model—where sin is a black mark on your soul—he describes sin more like a disruption of peace. Think of it like a pothole on your spiritual road. You’re not born broken, you’re just getting off track. It’s a much more freeing perspective than the usual “you’re dirty and need to be cleansed” nonsense that gets preached.

Now, things get interesting when Distefano wades into the cannabis debate. That’s right—he goes there. He doesn’t give you a straightforward “just say no” approach. Instead, he wonders why the church is so obsessed with controlling people’s behavior, especially when it comes to what they do with their bodies. Is cannabis the issue, or is it the church’s tendency to police everything that’s the real problem? It’s a question that lingers long after you finish the chapter, making you wonder why the church picks such weird hills to die on.

What makes Heretic, Too! stand out is how unapologetically blunt it is. There’s no hand-holding here, no soft tones to make the medicine go down easier. Distefano takes the issues head-on and dares you to disagree with him. He’s not here to make friends; he’s here to make you think. And in an era where religious discourse often feels more like a pep rally than a meaningful conversation, that’s refreshing.

This book isn’t for those who want their faith packaged neatly and tied with a bow. It’s for the people who’ve been kicked around by religion and are sick of pretending everything’s fine. Heretic, Too! isn’t about answering all your questions—it’s about permitting you to have those questions in the first place.

So, if you’re tired of the same old church sermons and ready to dig deeper, Heretic, Too! will push you in the right direction. It’s not going to coddle you, but it will challenge you. Whether you end up agreeing with Distefano or not, you’ll find yourself thinking harder about what you believe—and that’s worth the price of admission.

In the end, Heretic, Too! feels like a necessary wake-up call for anyone who’s lost in the mess of modern Christianity. You don’t have to agree with everything, but Distefano’s call.

Ready to dive into some bold heresy?

Grab your copy of Heretic, Too! on Amazon now and join the conversation that’s shaking up the faith.

For more Snarky Faith, check out the podcast:

General Christian

About Stuart Delony

I’m Stuart Delony, a former pastor who walked out of the church but couldn’t shake the ways of Jesus. These days, I host Snarky Faith—a podcast and platform that wrestles with faith, culture, and meaning from the fringe. I’m not here to fix Christianity. I’m here to name what’s broken, find what’s still worth keeping, and hold space for the questions that don’t have clean answers. If you’ve been burned, disillusioned, or just done with the noise—welcome. You’re in good company. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

October 15, 2024

Are We Really the Pinnacle of Creation?

Next Post

October 29, 2024 Faith’s Quest to Bridge the Unknowable

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"I've seen Noah believers use the claim "every culture tells stories of a flood, so ..."

EarthGrowl

Noah Was Never About the Animals

"So we shouldn't obey God?"

Harold Porter

Noah Was Never About the Animals

"Great article, Stuart. Important insights.For many years, as a theologically "educated" Evangelical (all well pre-MAGA, ..."

Howard Pepper

Noah Was Never About the Animals

"https://media1.giphy.com/me..."

Stuart Delony

Noah Was Never About the Animals

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abuse & Power abuse coverups Abuse in the Church Advent AI AI and Technology American Christianity American democracy American Evangelicalism American Governance Antisemitism Apocalypse Culture Apocalyptic Theology Authentic Love Author Insights Authoritarianism Bible Bible & Scripture Bible Criticism Biblical Authority Biblical Interpretation Biblical Satire Book of Revelation book reviews Books and Reviews Capitalism Catholicism Charismatic Christianity Christian Activism Christian apocalypse culture Christian Commentary Christian Conservatism Christian Critique Christian Culture Christian History Christian Literature Christian Living Christian Music Christian Mysticism Christian Myths Christian Nationalism Christian Satire Christian Traditions Christian Zionism Christianity Christmas Church & Culture Church Abuse Church Accountability Church and State church corruption Church Critique Church Culture Church History Church Leadership Church Power and Abuse Churches of God Civil Rights Comic Book Analysis Commentary community Complementarianism Conservative Politics Conspiracy Theories Consumerism conversations cosmic philosophy Creation and Spirituality Creationism Critical Essays critical thinking Critique Cults Cultural Commentary cultural identity culture Culture and Society Culture Critique culture war Christianity Culture Wars Current Event Data & Religion Deconstruction Dominionism Dunning-Krueger Effect Easter Economics Editorial Education and Religion Election Emotional Health in Religion Emotional Wellness Empire End Times End Times Theology Environment Environmental Collapse equality Eschatology ethics Evangelical Culture Evangelical Hypocrisy Evangelicalism Evangelicalism Critique Evangelism existential journey Exorcisms Faith Faith & Culture Faith & Deconstruction Faith & Doubt Faith & Identity Faith & Politics Faith and Culture faith and doubt Faith and Mental Health Faith and Power Faith and Spirituality Faith critique Faith Deconstruction Faith Exploration Faith Formation faith journey Faith vs. Science Faith-based Scams False Prophets family Family and Relationships Family Gatherings Feminism Feminism and Conservatism football Gaza gender Gender and Power Gender Equality Gender Roles Geopolitics gospel music Grace Grief and Loss Growth and Change Gun Violence Hamas Healing and Recovery Healthcare Justice historical analysis History History and Religion Holiday Survival Holidays hope Humor Identity Idolatry in Modern Christianity Independence Day Intellectual Reads Interfaith Dialogue interview Israel Jesus' Teachings Kamala Kamala Harris Lament Late-Stage Capitalism leadership LGBTQ+ Literary Analysis Love MAGA Masculinity Meaning & Ethics Media Analysis Media and Religion Memorial Day mental health Militarism mimetic theory Misinterpretations Misogyny Modern Christianity modern culture modern faith Monasticism Music Music and Culture Mysticism Nationalism Nature and the Divine NCAA NDA opinion Orthodoxy vs Orthopraxy Pacifism Patriarchy Peace Personal Development Personal Growth Personal Reflection philosophy Philosophy of Faith podcast Political Commentary Political Humor Political Theology politics Politics & Culture politics & current events Politics and Religion pop culture Post-Evangelical power and control Power and Religion Power Dynamics Privilege Progressive Christian Progressive Christianity Prophetic Satire Prophetic Witness Prosperity Gospel psychology Psychology and Society Purity Culture Quantum Physics radical love rapture theology Recognizing Cultish Behavior Reflection and Critique Refugee & Immigration Policy Relationships Religion Religion & Culture Religion & Politics Religion & Spirituality Religion and Ethics Religion and Politics Religion and Public Safety Religion and Science Religion and Society Religion History Religion News Religious Accountability Religious Criticism Religious Critique Religious Diversity Religious Hypocrisy Religious Propaganda religious satire Reproductive Rights Resilience Resurrection Revelation sarcasm satire Satirical Guides Scandal Science & Spirituality Science and Religion science fiction review scriptural interpretation scripture Scripture & Misreadings Seasonal Holidays Second Amendment Sermon on the Mount Sex Sexuality and Culture Skepticism Snarky Faith Social Analysis Social Commentary Social Issues Social Justice Social Media Critique Social Trends society Society & Culture Soul Southern Baptist Convention Spiritual Abuse spiritual exploration Spiritual Growth Spiritual Practices Spiritual Psychology spiritual truths Spirituality sports Storytelling and Theology suffering Superstition & Faith Technology & Religion Televangelists Television Thanksgiving theocracy Theology Theology Gone Wrong Toxic Theology Trump Trump and Religion U.S. Politics UFO Uncategorized War War and Religion weaponized scripture Weaponized Theology White Supremacy Women’s Autonomy Worship Worship Culture

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was the father of King Solomon?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Samuel Jonathan David Saul