I have finished the race. After spending 8 years in seminary between Gordon-Conwell and Fuller Theological Seminary, last Friday I successfully defended my dissertation in Pasadena. Coming back in the room after the committee deliberated, and then being called “Dr. Corey” for the first time, was an emotional experience for me. It was a great feeling to know that my long journey is over. It was a terminal degree, so my chapter in life as a formal student is officially completed.... Read more
When Jesus died on the cross, I believe he served as the ultimate scapegoat– exposing the evil within us by allowing us to pin it all on him. While being the scapegoat who shines a light on our own darkness was supposed to be a one-time-deal, 2000 years later I believe we’re still pinning a good deal of our bad behavior on Jesus. While we profess Jesus with our lips, we’re still using those lips to spit on him. We’re still... Read more
I used to consider myself a person of at least average intelligence, but I’ve been trying to wrap my head around the idea of Christians supporting Donald Trump, and I just can’t do it. I tried, but I have failed miserably. Instead, I’ve just found myself left with questions. So, here are 5 questions I have for Christians who support Donald Trump: 5. How are you able to support someone who is famous for unwholesome talk and constantly putting people down?... Read more
This is post 2 of 3 on philosophical reflections on the cross by pastor and philosopher, Jeff Cook … How we see the cross matters. Benjamin L. Corey here wrote, “the character of God we think we see on the cross becomes our foundation of understanding who God is.” Is the cross required to keep an enraged Father from unleashing his wrath on dysfunctional humanity? Is the cross a method of appeasing a blood thirsty deity? Is God unable to... Read more
This is a first of three posts by pastor and philosopher, Jeff Cook, on philosophical reflections of the cross. … I have long believed that without pain, love is impossible. Real love requires sacrifice. The love I have for my boys is manifest in my persistent back pain from lifting them up over and again. I see it on hands covered in morning filth, a depleted bank account, and the recent massacre of my DVD collection (which we really shouldn’t... Read more
It’s political season, have you noticed? (Seriously, kill me now.) As part of that political season, pundits like to crack numbers, explore potential paths to victory, and discuss voter blocks. One of those voter blocks is yuge– in fact, it’s hard to win the presidency without it: The Evangelical vote. I know this block well– I grew up in it. I was one of them. I still hold many of the same theological values they hold, and if it were... Read more
This month we’ve been talking all things atonement as we prepare for Holy Week to arrive. So far we’ve deconstructed the Penal Substitution theory of the atonement on various grounds, and I have offered the suggestion that perhaps the Devil is the missing link (the agent of causation) within many atonement theories. Finally, I have suggested that the cross is best viewed from 50,000 feet where one can see an ancient battle between a benevolent God, and forces of evil. While... Read more
Yesterday MPT and I had the pleasure of sitting down with Rob Bell for EP36 of That God Show. We covered a lot of ground, from his new book, How to be Here, to leaving Mars Hill, why he seems so happy these days, and wide-range of other topics. As Rob always does, he left us with a lot to think about and digest. Since I primarily write for people who have undergone, or are in the process of experiencing... Read more
We’ve spent the last few posts deconstructing aspects of the Penal Substitution theory of the atonement that so many of us grew up with (series archive, here). Today we turn away from the necessary deconstruction and begin reformulating a healthy view of the atonement. When I was doing my graduate work at Gordon-Conwell before going to Fuller for my doctorate, I had the opportunity to study atonement theology– an encounter for which I will always be grateful. I entered those... Read more
Today we wrap up the deconstruction portion of my atonement series (you can find the rest, here) which thus far has looked at problems I see with the Penal Substitution theory of the atonement. In this final deconstruction post, I present the lingering questions Penal Substitution brings up in my mind. In our next post, I will begin to offer some ideas I think will help us rebuild a healthier and more biblical view of the atonement. So, if Penal Substitution is... Read more
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