What Happened to the Q Conference?
How a gathering for common-good Christian leaders has seemingly embraced a more divisive, ideologically charged vision of cultural engagement.
Several weeks ago, after discussing empathy on the podcast I cohost, a few folks messaged me about the upcoming THINQ Culture Summit, formerly the Q Conference. They noted that one of this year’s speakers is Allie Beth Stuckey. Stuckey recently published a book on “toxic empathy,” also the topic of her upcoming keynote.
Q has been in the evangelical ecosystem my entire professional life. Founded by Gabe and Rebekah Lyons in 2007, Q describes itself as “a learning community that mobilizes Christians to advance the common good in society.” Its most popular offering is an annual conference, once held in different U.S. cities but hosted for the last several years in Nashville.
Q has historically featured talks from Christian leaders in various sectors — business, technology, education, the arts, nonprofits, and the church. It has also hosted thinkers outside the Christian world who have something important for the church to hear. Previous speakers include Malcolm Gladwell,…
