Skillet lead singer John Cooper takes aim at liberalism and woke culture with his new book, “Wimpy, Weak and Woke,” releasing Nov. 14 from Cooper Stuff Publishing. The platinum-selling rocker and podcast host, with more than four million downloads, says that “truth can save us from Utopian destruction.” Cooper’s first book, “Awake and Alive to Truth,” released in 2020, but this one, he said, is intentionally more edgy and controversial.
“This title is a little more provocative,” he said. “The premise of the book is that there’s this like this war against America, just the destruction of America. As I started studying it, I’m realizing what a whole bunch of other people been talking about for years. It’s not just against America, it’s against the Christian civilization or anything Christian.”
Cooper said that for years, people had been warning against moral relativism and anti-American propaganda, but he thought it sounded “alarmist.” But, he discovered, “they were right.”
“I wouldn’t be writing this book if I didn’t see so many Christians falling in line with the revolution against America and Christian civilization,” he said. “You have two separate ways, the principles of the kingdom of God and the principles of a secular Utopia.”
The book dives into topics such as critical race theory, the sexual revolution and even the ideas of Karl Marx, “just to show where these ideas come from and why they’re so antithetical to the gospel.”
Cooper speak from experience on the pressures of being canceled for conservative views, revealing “We’ve been canceled from a lot of people on the secular side. They’re just like, ‘I just want you to play music and leave this all alone.’ The difficult thing is you’re not allowed to be left alone right now. How can I live in a neutral world when they (are forcing the issues)?”
With decades of experience in the contemporary Christian music industry, Cooper knows about pushback and the delicate balance of trying to focus on the music. He recalled a story about a young female singer who was questioned on abortion by a mainstream outlet. She tried to bypass the topic to speak on her music, but the interviewer wouldn’t relent.
“I don’t blame her for not wanting to talk about abortion, I really don’t,” he said. “She wants to be a musician. Let her be a musician for crying out loud. But the world will not let us.”
Regarding the entire younger generation of musicians, Cooper believes the pressures from progressives are particularly difficult for them to navigate.
“I think if you’re if you’re looking at the CCM artists, certainly if you’re looking at people over 50, there’s more people in line with me,” he said. “But if you’re looking at the CCM roster, I would guess that 70% of the artists are either affirming of LGBT, don’t believe that it’s against the Bible, or else there’s some sort of middle ground place of sort of semi-affirming. Kind of like ‘Well, I don’t really know’ or ‘I don’t know an answer,’ or ‘I don’t know, and I don’t really care’.”
Cooper added that if a literal line was drawn and artists had to choose, “I think we would see a split in CCM. And I think the bulk of the young artists would not be on our side.” At the same time, he said, “if Andy Stanley is going to whiff on LGBT, then why wouldn’t a 18 year old kid that just wants to be a worship singer?”
Even though his book tackles hard and controversial subjects, Cooper said there is a “positive vision” that should give Christians hope.
“God is in control,” he said. “He’s unshakable.”
“We’re going to find out that the people of God are going to become more blessed, and the world is going to become more psycho. And eventually, I think like Nebuchadnezzar, there’s this wake up moment happen and then the light of Christ is so evident, right? That’s what I’m working towards. The kingdom of God, the principles of the kingdom, work 100% of the time.”
“Wimpy, Weak and Woke” by John Cooper releases Nov. 14 from Cooper Stuff Publishing. For more information or to order, click here.
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