The Crossway Podcast Unpacking “Love Is Love” (Rosaria Butterfield)
Nov 26, 2025
Rosaria Butterfield, a former professor and outspoken author, shares her insights on the phrase 'Love Is Love.' She explores its historical origins and how it humanized LGBTQ experiences. Rosaria argues that love must be grounded in God's will, warning against redefining morality based on cultural slogans. She contrasts compassionate empathy with the Christian calling for gospel rescue. Reflecting on her own journey, she insists that identity in Christ transcends past affiliations, urging the church to awaken to cultural shifts and resist misleading narratives.
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Love Detached From Divine Authority
- "Love is Love" frames love as self-validating and detached from moral authority.
- Rosaria Butterfield argues this makes love an idol removed from God's moral anchor.
Love's Moral Anchor Is God
- The Bible locates love's integrity in God and his moral law, not in subjective feelings.
- Butterfield emphasizes that love is a transitive verb whose goodness depends on its object.
Offer Rescue, Not Mere Acceptance
- Do not accept compassionate redefinitions that normalize sin instead of calling people to repentance.
- Offer gospel rescue that confronts sin while showing love and pointing to Christ's transforming power.
