Lead Article

On May 19, 2008, Dr. Barry Corey, President of Biola, sat down for a conversation with Dr. Garry DeWeese, Professor of Philosophy at Talbot and Editor of Sundoulos, and Dr. Rick Bee, Senior Director of Alumni Relations, whose office publishes Sundoulos.

Sundoulos: Dr. Corey, on behalf of Sundoulos and Talbot’s alumni,
welcome! And thanks for the time you’re giving us.

President Corey: Thanks—it’s great to hang out with you for a bit!

Sundoulos: Dr. Corey, if you could sit down individually with our
alumni—for lunch, say—what would you want to talk about with them?

Corey: Well, I love a story, and I think I can be much more effective in my
role of service at Biola if I know the story of those who have gone out from
here. What has God done in their journey? What is it that formed and
shaped them during their years at Talbot that has made a difference in their
lives? What is it that has given them a sense of confidence in their ministry
through the interactions they’ve had with other students and faculty, and
what lessons have they learned along the way? I love to hear the stories
of our graduates, and the more stories that I hear, the more that weaves
together in my mind in terms of my leadership here.

I’d also want to know, what are the challenges that you’re facing in
ministry? What is it that you’re facing now that you didn’t anticipate when
you left Talbot? What feedback can you give to help us be better at what
we’re doing in preparing leaders?

I’d want our graduates to know that I love Jesus, and I love my family,
and I want to be a good husband and a good dad, and work within those
realms of responsibility while I serve in the capacity that God has called me
to here at Biola.

Sundoulos: You came to Biola from Gordon-Conwell Seminary. How
would you compare Talbot to Gordon-Conwell, or other evangelical
seminaries? What do you see as Talbot’s unique strengths?

Corey: Well, the snowplow budget is less here than it was at Gordon-
Conwell! [laughter].

I was just out at Gordon-Conwell last weekend. I spoke at
commencement, and it was wonderful to be back there again. We brought
our whole family back. What I find most profound and striking are
the common cords that are shared by institutions that are like-minded
in mission and in conviction. You can talk about the fidelity to God’s
Word, you can talk about the spiritual formation that goes on in the lives
of students during their years at seminary, you can talk about the globalmindedness.
Both schools, Biola and Gordon-Conwell, date back over
100 years—100 years of not wavering on that which is essential.

I’d say that one unique aspect of Talbot is what it means to have a vibrant
role in the life of a very robust university community. That was not a part
of the world I was in at Gordon-Conwell.

Another aspect is the part of the country where Talbot is located. I
think it affords Talbot and Biola some wonderfully rich opportunities,
in terms of what’s happening in the greater Los Angeles metroplex, the
global complexity of this vast sprawl in Southern California with all its
international flavor, our reach to the Pacific rim—that’s very unique here.

From the perch that I’ve held in different places through the years, Talbot
has been seen as a leading institution in helping other seminaries think
through what it means to nurture the spiritual life of a student during
his or her seminary years. That’s an area where I think other schools are
catching up, but we are leading the way in the whole area of Intentional
Character Development and the Institute for Spiritual Formation. I think
that comes out of the deep sense of piety that has been a part of the culture
of Biola since its early days, and in a way—refreshing to me—it still
pervades so much of our life here, both at the undergraduate level and in
our graduate schools as well.

I think another unique strength of Talbot is the role of the teacher. Faculty
members are around a lot, available, interacting with students in their
offices. I hear comments from Talbot students that teachers care, teachers
are there, listening and advising. There are activities in homes of faculty
members. That is a gift our students have that they may not realize is not
always as available at other institutions.

Other particular places of strength? Certainly in Biblical Studies, which
has always been a central part of Biola. Philosophy of Religion. Christian
Education. There are some real strong leadership pockets here that are
quite notable. Faculty here are very well known. I looked at the list of
presenters at the recent Evangelical Theological Society Annual Meeting.
There were so many by Talbot faculty, and I think that speaks of Talbot’s
infusion into the realm of evangelical scholarship. It’s remarkable.