On November 14, 2023, "Wimpy, Weak, and Woke: How Truth Can Save America from Utopian Destruction," written by Skillet front man, John Cooper, hit the shelves. Within a few scant hours, several one-star reviews appeared on Amazon. Since I had already read one third of the book and benefited from Cooper’s content, I posted a short a short line on Facebook in a show of support for the book:

Disregard all the petty and cowardly reviews of the new John Cooper book. Wimpy, Weak, and Wokeis an important book for followers of Christ to digest and meditate on.

Almost immediately, leftists assaulted my Facebook wall with inflammatory language, targeting both John Cooper and me. Within 48 hours, I received almost three hundred negative responses to my post.

What is that draws the ire of this small army of protesters? Several themes emerge in Wimpy, Weak, and Woke. First, this book is unashamedly biblical. John Cooper is a man of the Book. He is unwilling to compromise the truth of Scripture. Page after page, he articulates a Christian worldview that is faithful to the testimony of Scripture. For that reason, his critics mock him with vicious criticism and scathing reviews.

Second, Cooper’s writing is bold. This writer pulls no punches. He is quick to tell that truth and is unafraid of confronting the wolves. His writing is reminiscent of J.C. Ryle, who wrote:

Strive to live a courageous life. Confess Christ before men. Whatever station you occupy, in that station confess Christ. Why should you be ashamed of him? He was not ashamed of you on the cross. He is ready to confess you now before his Father in heaven. Why should you be ashamed of him? Be bold. Be very bold. The good soldier is not ashamed of his uniform. The true believer ought never to be ashamed of Christ (Holiness, 302).

Third, Wimpy, Weak, and Woke exposes the lies of the enemy. Mr. Cooper addresses the social justice movement. He confronts cultural Marxism and gnosticism. And he deals with sexual sin directly. He clearly states at the beginning of the book, “This is the woke gospel: salvation through virtue signaling.”

Fourth, this book uncovers the truth about postmodernism and "progressive Christianity." The ugly underbelly of each movement is revealed, which is moral relativism made popular in our generation. Cooper writes:

Christians have embraced progressivism as a counterfeit way of expanding what they believe is the gospel of the Kingdom. Progressives are attempting to build their perfect world - utopia. When Christians cannot discern the difference between the Kingdom of God and utopia, they get duped into building secular utopia, which often makes them the tip of the spear against utopia’s number one enemy - traditional Christianity.

John Cooper put everything on the line in this book. Clearly, he understands the stakes. He writes, “These days it is the person who is devoted to biblical truth who is accused of being divisive. Those who hold fast to the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God are treated as outdated and retrograde. We are viewed as the religious leaders of Jesus’ day who rejected Him.”

I commend Wimpy, Weak, & Woke to the next generation of Christian leaders. John Cooper will encourage you to be faithful in the Christian life. He will embolden you to stand strong when the persecution is fierce. And he will inspire you to march steadily to the shores of the Celestial City.