Undiluted: Rediscovering the Radical Message of Jesus

by Benjamin L. Corey

Are you ready to begin experiencing an undiluted Jesus?

Benjamin Corey confronts our vision of Jesus head-on, asking the hard question: Is what we see and hear in the modern church all there is to the message of Jesus… or is there a more radical side to Jesus than we have been led to believe?

Get ready to encounter a Jesus that is determined to turn over the tables of a stale, ineffective and boring gospel that seeks to escape from the world instead of transforming it.

This radical Jesus and His message...

• Invites us to reorient our lives not on Christian religion, but on the person of Jesus
• Calls us to live out faith in the context of authentic community with others, instead of isolation
• Includes the excluded and invites the outcast to have a seat at the table
• Responds to enemies with a radical, unexplainable love

Undiluted will invite you to step out of your comfort zone and into a process of rediscovering the radical, counter cultural, and life-changing message of Jesus. As you do, you’ll discover a more vibrant faith as you embrace an undiluted Jesus and His radical message!

***

“ Benjamin L. Corey is the fresh voice that will guide the next generation of Jesus followers into a more beautiful expression of Christianity. This book may just save Christianity from us Christians.”
– Frank Schaeffer, author of Why I Am an Atheist Who Believes in God.

“Benjamin L. Corey has a way of capturing the heart of Jesus and his message… You’ll find in this book a jolt of full-strength gospel and high-test challenge – along with undiluted encouragement.”

- Brian D. McLaren, author/speaker/activist (brianmclaren.net)

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Christianity, Christian, Theology, Faith, Philosophy

160 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2014

About the author

Dr. Benjamin L. Corey, is a provocative Christian author, speaker, and blogger. His articles are read by millions each year on platforms such as: TIME, Patheos, and Sojourners, among others. He has been an interviewed guest on CNN, HuffPo Live, and repeated appearances on John Fugelsang. He is a two-time graduate of Gordon-Conwell and holds his doctorate from Fuller Theological Seminary. Connect at www.benjaminlcorey.com

Reviews

[Wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Undiluted: Rediscovering the Radical Message of Jesus Benjamin Corey states that Jesus's message is diluted when we force it to fit our cultural framework and practice religion based on doctrine and political platforms. Corey compares this to the lesson Jesus taught in Matthew 6:24, that no one can serve two masters. To me the most important message in the book is that following Jesus isn’t about what we stop doing – such as drinking, smoking, swearing, etc. – but rather what we start doing – such as responding to hatred with love, sharing with those who are hungry and standing up for the oppressed.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads program

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Memoirs about the movement from fundamentalism to a richer, more vibrant faith has become something of a cottage industry. Everybody and their mother used to have a narrow faith and then through life and experience their matured and they were transformed. Think Rachel Held Evans, Matthew Paul Turner, Jonathan Merritt, Kathy Escobar, Marcus Borg and whoever else comes to mind.

But the specifics are different. Benjamin Corey's journey to the 'undiluted, radical message of Jesus' began when he attended seminary. In his case Gordon-Conwell (not exactly a bastion of liberalism in our age). He confronts different theological commitments and convictions, wrestles with the real faith of those who were different from him and is driven to a fresh reading of the gospels. This moves him, eventually towards Anabaptism, mission justice and compassion.

There is also ways in which pain has marked his journey. Probably the most poignant and difficult season that Corey describes is his family's adoption of two sisters from Latin America.

I got this book inexpensively on my Kindle and it was a worthwhile read for me. Corey's seminary story is not my own, but I saw other people make that journey from childhood faith to a thoughtful wrestling with Jesus. Corey's blog is excellent.

[Brent Soderstrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through GoodReads First Read program.

This is a book that will make you think about how you have viewed the gospels and how our society has really changed the meaning of what Jesus said in them. Corey will push you to be a Jesus follower, not necessarily a Christian follower. At least as that has become defined by our society.

Corey takes you on this journey through his own experiences while attending seminary. I started out thinking "Yeah I am sure that applies to a lot of Christians but certainly not me since I understand what Jesus was saying." I then read some of the chapters and was hit on the head with examples that Corey gave that were certainly me. Undiluted Community and Undiluted Love were chapters that really made me think.

Easy to read and a book that will make you think about things you thought you had down long ago.

[Adam Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent short book by Corey on the radical Jesus of the New Testament. Should be required reading for any youth ministry or high school Sunday school course. Great stuff.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the past year or so I've enjoyed reading Ben Corey's blog. He seemingly burst onto the Christian blog scene, going from not having a blog to having tremendous readership. This shows that he is striking a nerve, whether that nerve is one of people who agree with him and eagerly share his posts on social media, or those who disagree and see him as someone doing harm to the Christian faith.

He is not doing harm to the Christian faith. What he is doing harm to is the Americanized version of the Christian faith that transforms Jesus into a flag waving general leading troops onto literal battlefields to kill the bad guys or metaphorical battlefields to take back America for Jesus. Many of Corey's blog posts point out the flaws in such Americanized Christianity. For example, he recently had a post about taking down American flags in churches.

This book serves as a testimony from Corey of how he got to where he is today and a foundation for the sort of Christianity he promotes on his blog. Basically, this book seeks to return us to the Jesus we find in scripture who preached a radical message which confronts any and all peoples. Corey shares how this message confronted him, getting quite personal in his stories about adopting his kids.

As I read I found myself wanting to follow the Jesus that Corey was writing about. You could say that Corey accomplishes what he set out to do as the reader will certainly rediscover Jesus. I highly recommend this book to any Christians. I could especially see this book being read and discussed by college students. It is the sort of book that Christians could read and be challenged by, but that their friends who are skeptical about faith could also read. Such books that appeal to both groups are few and far between, and are also a blessing.

[John Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome book that really takes you on Ben's journey out of American Christianity and into Jesus' Christianity! It isn't a book that actively refutes the opposition or reinforces its own with scripture or any other argument, but it gives an honest look into a journey that I am currently in the beginnings of and Ben is trekking through deeper and deeper waters. The book speaks truth on a multitude of levels and is brought home with how close it brings you to Ben. I have lost my only friends that I had when I was growing up due to starting this journey that the book describes, but I have grown so much closer to God and to my new found friends who may disagree, but love me the same. I feel like I have gotten to know Mr. Corey much better and can really follow him and his writings in a new light now that I know that he has gone through exactly what I am going through and can provide extremely helpful insight to the problems that I face on a regular basis.

[Kaelynn Judd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've owned this book for years, but never really got into it. Recently it was recommended to me again, so I revisited it and gave it another try. After all, the book is a short read. I read it in just a few hours while sitting on a plane. The writing style is simple and easy to understand. There isn't a lot of thought required to process any of the theology. It is very accessible to people in all walks of life.

This book is best for individuals who are slowly learning to step out of their fundamentalist upbringing. It is a gentle introduction to progressive Christianity. In the pages of this book, Benjamin Corey encourages the reader to focus on Jesus alone, to boldly live out Christ's teachings, to be inclusive, and to love selflessly.

I personally didn't get a lot out of this book. The author made a lot of points I agree with, but it seemed a little too basic and repetitive. I don't regret reading it, but I probably wouldn't read it again.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fresh read for anyone dissolutioned with the American fundamentalist church. He does a good job of explaining how culture affects our view of Jesus and how we don't always see it. He presents a view of Jesus that's countercultural and radical love of enemies. At just over 150 pages, it's a quick read but very thought provoking.

[Ryan Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the style of the book, combining his own story with reflections on biblical themes. He uses this approach to discuss how much the North American Church has "diluted" Christianity into something that is far removed from its original radical nature, an undoubtedly important message as Christendom finally crumbles.

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

For an apologetic piece of literature, this book was a refreshingly honest and hard-won critique of American Christianities. Corey argues that the antidote to our "cultural dillution" of the message of Jesus is to simply follow the words and actions of Jesus as they appear in the NT. While this book is a great tale of personal transformation due to those teachings, as well as a guide to the themes Jesus is said to have advocated over and over, I feel that bringing a historical lens to the messages would be a great addition. I would have loved to hear Corey's thoughts on the apocalyptic context in which the "message" first developed.

[Rick Bavera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent look at the state of Christianity in the US today.

Have we lost our way? Have we lost the real Jesus? Can we get back to him?

This book looks at that, and gives us hope to see that the answers are yes. The most important question and yes answer is the final one: Can we get back to him? YES.

[Michael Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book - well written and clear reminder of Jesus' core message and mission. I look forward to future works by Benjamin Corey. We need more scholarly and popular works willing and able to challenge our cultural norms.

[Dan & Bec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing

Very interesting and eye opening . I think every Christian should give this book a try . It makes you think and reconsider what your Christian identity is versus what it should be ..

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great call to how Christians should really live.

[Michele Paterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading from a Catholic perspective I found this very insightful. I can see myself reading it again.

[Mark Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've ever read on what it means to follow Jesus.

[Robert Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Distill it down, process it through to get rid of everything that is NOT supposed to be there, work it over and over and over again. Heat it up, cool it down, concentrate the fibers into the most compact, most totaly unbendable and unbreakable thing. Now, grind it up finely, purely, making every surface of every crumb optimal. Now, filter through it an immense and powerful stream of truth and love... and you get Undiluted Christianity.

In many ways, Ben's journey he describes in this semi-autobiographical book is similar to mine. I was graced enough to have grown up an Anabaptist so my journey away from American Christianity wasn't as far as Ben's, but it still happened. Every chapter drives it deeper as to what it means when you strip away the cultural garnishes added to our faith to find that strong, deep, dark brew that is the radical Way of Jesus.

The most challenging chapter for me to read was the one on undiluted justice. For me, walking a path of radically seeking justice in my community and my relationships was the one place where American Christianity had a hold on me. As Anabaptist and Mennonite as I am, I was still, too much, the quiet in the land. But slowly, I've been stepping into that full strength liquor of the Way and have been seeking what it means to walk justly with our God. Ben's testimony and explanation in this book gives me hope.

If there is one complaint, it is that Ben focused a lot of his critique of American Christianity on the conservative right. And honestly, it is well deserved. But I do also, from my perspective, see a counter reaction by the Christian left to use many of the same apparati used by the Moral Majority to legislate and use "power from above" tactics to bring about God's justice, and, in some places, even using the American cultural story of "this great nation" to justify it. To me, it's just another side of the same coin to place Americaland in the role of the Kingdom. I applaud when politicians get it right and mourn when they get it wrong. But then I move on and put my hand back to the Kingdom plow and continue to do what a undiluted Kingdom person does. If Ben had included warnings to the "other side" to not make the same mistakes as the conservatives, this book would probably have been banned and burned by even more people as it threatens those in power.

Just kidding.

Like Mere Christianity was for the early 20th century, Undiluted is for the early 21st century. It takes this path of Christ and lays it out in very approachable, very clear basics. But it doesn't hold back much like "Jack" Lewis laid it out in his book.

This books is not for the faint of heart. If you go into it expecting your ego to be stroked, think again. This is like that cup of coffee that you poured out of the pot that had been sitting on the burner all morning. It will fight you every step of the way, it may go down hard, but it will also energize you. It will pop you out of your slumber with a "wow" and throw you head long into the oncoming traffic of the world, ready to face what comes.

Get ready. Brace yourself. Don't just sip. Drink deep of Undiluted.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

In April, 2014, I read this blog post:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/formerly...
and after reading more I fell in love with BLC's writing. His comments on culture and current events are great and something I wish I could often put into words, they are Christlike yet not what we normally hear in the south-nonvoilent, enemy love....

Then he wrote a book! And here it is Undiluted.
It doesn't address current events like the blog but goes through his own personal and intriguing story out of a religion of often times hate, exclusion and need for certainty to rediscovering the person of Jesus Christ and the freedom (and hardship) of being an actual follower of Him. BLC talks about several themes of our faith that have been diluted by our American culture, including community, justice, forgiveness. The chapter on Tension is a short version of Boyd's Benefit of the Doubt and sometime that I hope will become more common among Christians-we don't have to know everything or be 'right' and 'certain' about it all, we follow Jesus and learn along the way. He ends it all with Undiluted Story (a theme I already love) we have a big God with a big plan and we can be part of it, not in excluding others and our roughed American individual but by actually doing the things that Jesus said and yes that might make us more of a hippie or progressive but the identify crisis Christianity is facing isn't because of Jesus and His message, its because of his followers not actually following it.
Some of the writing with short sentences/paragraphs does feel choppy and blog-like but the message is so worth being a little annoyed by that.
So of course I can improve (with Jesus' help) in all these areas as well, but this book is a great way to starting to see these things in a different perspective. I own it so you can borrow if you like :)

Funny side note, once I started reading the blog, I talked about it all the time, I even asked for him to do a podcast because I wanted Caleb to hear it (he isn't a big blog reader) and he started one with Matthew Paul Turner. After listening one time, Caleb said something about 'what your friend said.' I had mentioned him so much that Caleb thought I actually knew BLC~lol.
Disclaimer-I don't know if I actually agree with everything he says (I do like Piper), but the great thing is with this type of faith, is that we can still support and fellowship while disagreeing about anything outside the message of Christ crucified.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fundamentalist upbringing means one is indoctrinated from birth to ensure a black-and-white world view. For some of us, this indoctrination produces a sense of (false) security; if we pray this prayer, are baptized in the proscribed manner, and stay within the boundaries of whatever sect we happen to belong to, we're rewarded in the end by a trip to heaven.

"We" hold the key to truth; "They" do not. "We" are the truly happy ones; "They" are not really happy, as no one can be happy unless living as "We" are supposed to. "They" are worldly, immoral, miserable, trapped in whatever our definition of sin is.

In this world view, the author, Benjamin L. Corey, would very much fit into the "They" category.

Yet some of us begin to question, as we move into the world, this all-or-nothing view. We meet people outside of our little insular groups, and find not some enemy to be avoided, but friends, brothers and sisters. This questioning puts us on diverse paths. Some of us leave faith behind entirely. Some of us fall apart, unable to reconcile the echoes of cognitive dissonance from our past with who we are now. Some of us struggle to strain the truth from the deceptions that we are taught in order to keep us compliant and quiet.

Some of us do all of the above, and eventually are able to find that raw message of Jesus that is LOVE. Not just love for those who are just like us - far from it; he is very clear about that! Jesus taught a love that emphatically reaches out to ALL of humankind - a radical, transformative love that has no political, social, economic or gender boundaries.

This love is a polar opposite of the Americanized Christianity that has become ubiquitous in our culture, a cult selling the idea that if I don't hate this or that group, tote my gun to church, hoard and hide my possessions, believe that Jesus was a capitalist, and display an American flag (properly!) at every opportunity, I'm goin' to end up in that fiery lake. God Bless 'murica.

Jesus was a radical. He did not conform to his culture, and Corey presents this with an unflinching truthfulness that is a challenge to all of us who consider ourselves Christian.

Thank you, Benjamin, for this book. Its pages give voice to the clear, radical message that I have long felt and believed in. I believe that the message of Jesus can still be heard above the din; my hope is that other Christians will begin to walk as he walked and challenge others to do so.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book Benjamin Corey reverses the usual understanding of "watering down the gospel." Through the discussions in this book, he demonstrates that a rigid, fundamentalist/conservative Evangelical dogma and beliefs are, in fact, watering down the gospel by becoming too much like the surrounding culture. He writes from an American perspective and argues against the popular American versions of Christianity. This book describes his journey out of rigid Christianity to a fluid, progressive one; a journey that begins when he enrolls in seminary.

Benjamin argues against the kind of exclusionary, tribalism that is common among Americanized Christianity. He argues against the extreme individualism that permeates much of what is valued - individual sin, repentance, and salvation - and argues for a more inclusive Christianity - community, social justice, non-violence. He argues that the gospel is spoken of by Jesus and Paul as "offensive" not because the boundaries are so narrow, but because they are so wide and broad. The gospel is offensive because of who it lets in, and not because of who it keeps out. Benjamin argues that the gate is narrow not because it is so difficult, but the gospel is so offensive to institutional and conservative religion.

Benjamin argues against the more widely accepted views of atonement and salvation that employ violence as a means of atonement. He argues for a non-violent atonement. It is because Jesus was so non-violent, that people became violent against him which resulted in his execution on the cross. The gospel is not merely about individual salvation but about restoring and reconciling relationships - between humankind and with communities of humans to God.

This is a call to set aside rigid, black-and-white versions of Christianity and embrace a nuanced, fluid one in which we do not have all the answers, but in which together as community we pursue the questions and journey together in the quest for answers.

[Steve Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably three stars for me, but five stars for some, so we'll compromise.

For anyone who grew up in a stifling, right wing American Christianity and has tried to leave it behind and wants some affirmation or inspiration for your journey, this is the book for you. Or for anyone who still drinks those waters but is willing to listen, this would be a great invitation to another way. So there are the five stars.

On the flip side, Corey needs a more careful editor for a few awkward sentences and prose problems and for a little overly repetitive working of the title. For me too, as someone who spent some time in my 20s around conservative evangelicalism but has never been a fundamentalist, this book doesn't tell my story. Sometimes, it reads like Corey's found another way of following Jesus that's defined by bounded beliefs and a set lifestyle, but doesn't depend on a living Jesus you're following.

That said, I find his picture of following Jesus compelling in many ways, and I resonate with the basic insight behind the title that you can dilute and water down an experience not just by making it less rigorous but by adding all kinds of garbage to it.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading John Pavlovitz book, If God is Love, Don't be a Jerk, I was reminded that I had read Undiluted some time ago and it might be worth rereading. Indeed it was! Both books follow similar themes of about acting out of a sense of justice, not empty rule-following. God loves us. All he asks is that we love each other and behave that way. Jesus gives specific examples of what that means such as welcoming strangers (immigrants), feeding people, healing people, comforting children and keeping them safe – all the things good people do. Act with kindness. Don't exclude people who are different from you. Tell the truth. Forgive each other completely. Think what the world would be if Christians truly acted that way. Both books deserve a place in my bookcase, side-by-side. There's an old folk song that went, 'They will know we are Christians by our love." That's the basic message. That's the heart of the commandments. If we truly concentrated on just that one thing, the world would be a much different place. It seems a simple message but both these books affected me profoundly and I will revisit them again.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book points out how christianity in America has allowed cultural influences and religious tradition to dilute the authentic teachings of Jesus. The book points out some of the major issues in America with being "religious" instead of being true to the teachings of Jesus. The ideas discussed in the book are great to think about as we examine our own faith and practice to determine if we are being authentic followers of Jesus or simply being mindless followers of some watered down version. There are some awesome and worthwhile points made in the book but, unfortunately, the author fails to clearly define and delineate what authentic faith looks like even though he correctly points out what authentic faith doesn't look like.

If you enjoy stories about personal life transformation, questioning your beliefs, looking for authentic and genuine belief in Jesus then this book is fantastic. However, if the typical postmodern drivel isn't your thing then you should look elsewhere.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Undiluted is a passionate attempt to call all would-be followers of Jesus to a more faithful, in Corey's words, "Undiluted" life in Christ. His is an increasingly familiar story of one raised in Christian fundamentalism that has had his world-view cracked open to see a new way of being a human being in God's world. In the author's case the change occurred during the time of his seminary education. I found this book most interesting when Corey shared from his own story, particularly the story around the difficulties he and his wife encountered during and after the adoption of two sisters from Latin America.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have ever read. Finally breaking down what is going wrong with religion and Christianity in this country. My husband and I have never been able to commit to a church. After reading this book I understand why. I finally understand Jesus, myself, and why some things in the church just did not feel right. The judgement, anger, and trying to make politics our religion has got to stop. Just follow Jesus. I have changed so much and my view of the world has changed so much after reading this book. I have a long way to go, but I am finally okay with that. That is part of our story, our journey with God.

[Paul Froehlich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Benjamin Corey's view of Jesus was transformed when he attended seminary at Gordon-Cronwell in Massachusetts. This book describes how he lost the Christian religion he had arrived with, and embraced a Jesus who was countercultural -- instead of one that conformed comfortably with American culture and GOP politics. Corey explains his faith journey in a conversational style that is easy to read, though he is a tad repetitious. Suffice it to say that an "undiluted" view of Jesusian teaching is far more challenging than, say, Sarah Palin's Jesus, whom, she recently tweeted, would have supported the Second Amendment.

[Floyd Larck · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book started out fine as the author spoke about rediscovering Jesus. As I read more I soon discovered his disdain for most anything American including "American Christianity" as he calls it. By the end of the of the book (thankfully it's only 158 pages) one can see the author wrote the book to promote his own anti-American, anti-Republican and pro-socialist beliefs. For one to believe in doing for others his book has and overabundance of references to himself. Particularity the use of "I" is one I find odd for one with beliefs such as his.

Instead of an Undiluted message about Jesus I found a warm-over political agenda.

[Aysha Bisimwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am absolutely loving this book. I think its one I will have to read over, as there is just so much to take away from each page. It is a great descriptor of how our culture has seeped in and affected how we view our relationship with the gospel. This book is challenging me to reevaluate how I do life, how I think about God and how I live the message of Christ: To truly love God with all my heart & love my neighbour as myself. Recommended to anyone who is questioning, doubting, frustrated & even if youre not. It will challenge you to take your faith walk to the next level.

[Jerry Peace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Startling challenge by Corey to just embrace Jesus' words and life and just "do it." Jesus says, "Follow me," and Corey alternately urges and demands that, once we tear away the economic and political and cultural and, yes, even religious, superfluous and profligate revisions and drink in the Gospel, undiluted, we do indeed follow. The middle chapters-Undiluted Tension, Difficulty, Justice, and Love, are particularly exciting.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid Effort. In this book, Corey puts forth a clear message that no matter what you think of Jesus, you are more than likely wrong in at least some aspect. He challenges very nearly every reader on at least some issue, and in that vein he truly shines. But in the end, he just can't quite fully overcome his own particular bent, and ultimately this mars what could have been a truly stellar work. Still a worthy read, but could have been even better.