LA MIRADA, CALIF. — Biola University President Barry H. Corey’s first book, Love Kindness, urges Christians to reclaim the virtue of kindness — a principle Corey sees as forgotten and lost in today’s culture. Set to release in March 2016 by Tyndale House Publishers, Love Kindness offers a fresh look at what it means to be kind in today’s society.


“Kindness is not what we have been taught it is,” writes Corey. “It isn’t a soft virtue, expressed only by sweet grandmothers or nice Boy Scouts. Kindness is neither timid nor frail. Instead, it is brave and daring, willing to be vulnerable with those with whom we disagree. It is the revolutionary way that Jesus himself called us to live. The way of selfless risks. The way of staggering hope. The way of authenticity.”


Corey believes the Christian community tends to devalue the importance of kindness, opting instead for caustic expressions of certainty that push people away. In this book, filled with stories from his travels around the globe and experiences as a university president, Corey shows readers that kindness means living in the tension of “a firm center and soft edges.”


“I wrote this book as an alternative to the voices of barb wire-wrapped Christians who are picking fights from pulpits, blogs, talk shows, town meetings or political platforms,” said Corey. “I also wrote this book to demonstrate that kindness is not anemic or without conviction. Rather, it has the power to influence others, revealing the truth and grace of the Christian faith far more than the insecurity of confrontational posturing.”

A native of Boston, Mass., Corey has been president of Biola University since 2007. He previously served as vice president for education at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Corey received a bachelor’s degree in English and biblical studies from Evangel University and a master’s degree in American studies and a Ph.D. in education from Boston College. As a Fulbright scholar, he lived in Bangladesh, where he researched educational programs for children of the landless poor. He and his wife, Paula, live in Southern California and have three children: Anders, Ella, and Samuel.


Love Kindness is available for purchase in bookstores and on Amazon. Join the #lovekindness conversation on Twitter at @lovekindness6.


Biola University will host an event inspired by the vision of Love Kindness on March 23, titled “Love No Matter What: Politics, Sex, Race and the Way of the Cross,” in partnership with Biola University’s Center for Christian Thought and Center for Marriage and Relationships.


Corey is available for interviews and appearances. For interviews or a press pass for the event, contact Jenna Loumagne, media relations specialist, at (562) 777-4061 or jenna.loumagne@biola.edu.