Unafraid - by Benjamin L Corey (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The creator of the popular Formerly Fundie blog on Patheos explains how the "American Christianity" we are currently taught is actually a fear-saturated distortion of biblical faith.

Benjamin L. Corey thought he was suffering a crisis of faith, but it turned out to be a spiritual awakening.

Corey became aware that the constant fear of hell and judgment that defined his Christian faith was out of sync with the idea that God acts from love, and promises to deliver us from fear. In the wake of this realization came newfound insights--from reading the Bible to re-examining American life and the church's role in the wider world. Corey learned that what he had been taught was a distorted version of Christianity that was not only untrue but caused real spiritual harm.

He also discovered that he wasn't alone. Many Christians are yearning to distinguish between the Christianity that has become a rigid American civil religion and the authentic Christian faith embodied in Jesus. As he recounts his own spiritual journey, Corey offers a powerful and inspiring message of hope for every Christian increasingly frustrated with the church today. Do not be discouraged, he assures them. You do not need to give up your faith; you can rediscover the reality of a vibrant Christianity that delivers us from fear and inspires and guides us all today.

From the Back Cover

GOD IS NOT TO BE FEARED!

Benjamin L. Corey thought he was suffering a crisis of faith. But what he was going through was a spiritual awakening. Corey documents his growing awareness that the version of Christianity he was raised with was built upon a foundation of fear--fear of our sins, fear of hell, fear of God's judgment, fear of becoming heretical, fear of getting the faith wrong, and much more. But he also knew that God was supposed to deliver us from fear. So how did Christian faith get so intertwined with fear?

Corey realized that fear does not express faith, since Scripture makes clear that love is both God's nature and God's mandate to us, and that these are fully incompatible foundations for faith. In the wake of this realization came newfound insights. Corey learned that what he had been taught was a distorted version of Christianity that was not only untrue but caused real spiritual harm.

He also discovered that he wasn't alone. Many Christians are yearning to return to the root of their faith, to learn how to distinguish between the Christianity that has become a rigid American civil religion and the authentic Christian faith embodied in Jesus and passed on by his disciples. As he recounts his own spiritual journey, Corey offers a powerful and inspiring message of hope for every Christian increasingly frustrated with fear-based Christianity. Do not be discouraged, he assures them. You do not need to give up your faith; you can rediscover the reality of a vibrant Christianity that delivers us from fear and inspires and guides us all today.

Review Quotes

"A powerful resource for Christians wanting to fully embrace the unconditional love of God." - Kristen Howerton, blogger at Rage Against the Minivan

"Shows us what it means to explore our faith and embrace life. Unafraid leads us to find an authentic and life-giving faith that isn't determined by needing to have it all right." - Trey Pearson, Christian musician

"One of the Best Books of 2017." - Englewood Review of Books

"Feels like a conversation you'd have with a good friend. This vulnerable and engaging book puts into words what many Christians have felt too afraid to say." - Caleb Wilde, author of Confessions of a Funeral Director

"In this compassionate book, Corey reminds us that we can face life unafraid." - Carol Howard Merritt, author of Healing Spiritual Wounds

"Whether you are paralyzed by spiritual fear or running from a God you no longer understand, Unafraid is a pause in the midst of panic--a chance to breathe into breakthrough." - Reba Riley, author of Post Traumatic Church Syndrome

"Vulnerable, passionate, and honest, Corey empowers us to let go of our anxieties, to take a chance on believing again, and to experience God with utter freedom, the way we were meant to." - Matthew Paul Turner, bestselling author of When God Made You, Churched, and Hear No Evil

"Benjamin L. Corey is the fresh new voice that is going to lead the next generation of Jesus followers into a more beautiful expression of Christianity." - Frank Schaeffer, New York Times best-selling author of Keeping Faith

"As Corey points out, too many of us say 'God is Love' but actually believe in a God who is Fear. Through these pages find a new path to love." - Diana Butler Bass, author of Grounded: Finding God in the World, A Spiritual Revolution

"Offers a life-boat to Christians who have been taught a frightening caricature of biblical faith and to recognize gospel faith that is joyous, life-affirming, and emancipatory." - Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary

"Will help many, many people retain or recover their Christian faith." - Brian Zahnd, pastor of Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Missouri, and author of Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God