Gravity Commons Podcast

We talked with BEMA Podcast host Marty Solomon about what it means to be human. Many of us have inherited a theology that says being human is our main problem, something for us to overcome, but what if being human is actually the point of the gospel? What if God is inviting us to see our humanity as, in fact, very good news? In The Gospel of Being Human, Marty Solomon and Reed Dent invite you on a journey of curiosity, attention, and wonder--asking better questions about who we really are and what Scripture actually says about our identity.

Marty Solomon is a theologian, president and director of discipleship for Impact Campus Ministries, and the creator and executive producer of the BEMA Podcast. He and his wife Rebekah live in Cincinnati with their two children. Marty's previous book was titled Asking Better Questions of the Bible: A Guide for the Wounded, Wary & Longing for More. Find out more about Marty at www.martysolomon.com.

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We’re continuing our mini-series with Dr. Paul Penley about his book, What Jesus Meant: How Ancient Conversations Redefine Jesus’ Message. In this series, we talk about how we often misunderstand what Jesus meant because we don’t realize that he was participating in and responding to ancient conversations we don’t have immediate access to. Today’s topic: Jesus versus the temple.

Dr. Paul Penley is a New Testament scholar and former Bible professor at the college and seminary level. Paul writes books to share academic research insights which redefine our understanding of the Bible, but normally get lost in technical journals at graduate libraries. He loves seeing readers freed from the misdirection and disillusionment caused by bad Bible interpretation. Dr. Penley studied Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic on his journey to better understanding Scripture in undergraduate and post-graduate degrees. He studied biblical history on site in Israel, Egypt, Turkey and Greece and then picked up German and French while completing a Ph.D. from Trinity’s Divinity School. He has presented his original biblical and historical research in college courses and national scholars’ meetings, at Shabbat school and church retreats, at Bible conference centers and small groups.

Connect with Gravity Commons:

• Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we’ll answer it on a future episode.
• Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.

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Ben and Christy talk about St. Patrick's Day and how to celebrate it.

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• Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.

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This week on the podcast, we continue our mini-series with Dr. Paul Penley about his book, What Jesus Meant: How Ancient Conversations Redefine Jesus’ Message. In this series, we talk about how we often misunderstand what Jesus meant because we don’t realize that he was participating in and responding to ancient conversations we don’t have immediate access to. Today’s topic: Jesus versus the revolutionaries.

Dr. Paul Penley is a New Testament scholar and former Bible professor at the college and seminary level. Paul writes books to share academic research insights which redefine our understanding of the Bible, but normally get lost in technical journals at graduate libraries. He loves seeing readers freed from the misdirection and disillusionment caused by bad Bible interpretation. Dr. Penley studied Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic on his journey to better understanding Scripture in undergraduate and post-graduate degrees. He studied biblical history on site in Israel, Egypt, Turkey and Greece and then picked up German and French while completing a Ph.D. from Trinity’s Divinity School. He has presented his original biblical and historical research in college courses and national scholars’ meetings, at Shabbat school and church retreats, at Bible conference centers and small groups.

Connect with Gravity Commons:

• Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.
• Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We’re continuing our mini-series with Dr. Paul Penley about his book, What Jesus Meant: How Ancient Conversations Redefine Jesus’ Message. In this series, we talk about how we often misunderstand what Jesus meant because we don’t realize that he was participating in and responding to ancient conversations we don’t have immediate access to. Today’s topic: Jesus versus the separatists.

Dr. Paul Penley is a New Testament scholar and former Bible professor at the college and seminary level. Paul writes books to share academic research insights which redefine our understanding of the Bible, but normally get lost in technical journals at graduate libraries. He loves seeing readers freed from the misdirection and disillusionment caused by bad Bible interpretation. Dr. Penley studied Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic on his journey to better understanding Scripture in undergraduate and post-graduate degrees. He studied biblical history on site in Israel, Egypt, Turkey and Greece and then picked up German and French while completing a Ph.D. from Trinity’s Divinity School. He has presented his original biblical and historical research in college courses and national scholars’ meetings, at Shabbat school and church retreats, at Bible conference centers and small groups.

Connect with Gravity Commons:

• Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we’ll answer it on a future episode.
• Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We’re continuing our mini-series with Dr. Paul Penley about his book, What Jesus Meant: How Ancient Conversations Redefine Jesus’ Message, where we talk about how we often misunderstand what Jesus meant because we don’t realize that he was participating in and responding to ancient conversations we don’t have immediate access to. Today’s topic: Jesus versus the wealthy.

Dr. Paul Penley is a New Testament scholar and former Bible professor at the college and seminary level. Paul writes books to share academic research insights which redefine our understanding of the Bible, but normally get lost in technical journals at graduate libraries. He loves seeing readers freed from the misdirection and disillusionment caused by bad Bible interpretation. Dr. Penley studied Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic on his journey to better understanding Scripture in undergraduate and post-graduate degrees. He studied biblical history on site in Israel, Egypt, Turkey and Greece and then picked up German and French while completing a Ph.D. from Trinity’s Divinity School. He has presented his original biblical and historical research in college courses and national scholars’ meetings, at Shabbat school and church retreats, at Bible conference centers and small groups.

Connect with Gravity Commons:

• Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we’ll answer it on a future episode.
• Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.

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Ben and Christy talk about Lent: what Lent is, what fasting is for, and how to create more space for Grace to meet us.

SHOW NOTES:

The article Ben referenced about Lent and fasting: gravitycommons.com/how-to-fast-for-lent/

Connect with Gravity Commons:

• Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.
• Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.

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Timothy McCain is back on the podcast to talk about his new book Jesus Can't Fix Racism, where he argues that racism has survived in the Church not because Christians failed to pray, but because they refuse to change.

Timothy McCain is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in leading and developing initiatives across various sectors. He is the founder and CEO of TMM Publishing, which focuses on helping professionals and through leaders turn ideas into books and scalable platforms, emphasizing ownership and sustainability. McCain's work includes consulting, coaching, and public speaking, guiding individuals and organizations from vision to implementation.

SHOW NOTES:

Good Lord Rose Kickstarter campaign: http://kck.st/4qavaUB

Connect with Gravity Commons:

• Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.
• Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.

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We're starting a new mini-series with Dr. Paul Penley (yes, Christy's husband!) about his book, What Jesus Meant: How Ancient Conversations Redefine Jesus’ Message. In this episode, we talk about how we often misunderstand what Jesus meant because we don't realize that he was participating in and responding to ancient conversations we don't have immediate access to. Today's topic: Jesus Vs. the Rabbis.

Dr. Paul Penley is a New Testament scholar and former Bible professor at the college and seminary level. Paul writes books to share academic research insights which redefine our understanding of the Bible, but normally get lost in technical journals at graduate libraries. He loves seeing readers freed from the misdirection and disillusionment caused by bad Bible interpretation. Dr. Penley studied Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic on his journey to better understanding Scripture in undergraduate and post-graduate degrees. He studied biblical history on site in Israel, Egypt, Turkey and Greece and then picked up German and French while completing a Ph.D. from Trinity’s Divinity School. He has presented his original biblical and historical research in college courses and national scholars’ meetings, at Shabbat school and church retreats, at Bible conference centers and small groups.

Connect with Gravity Commons:

• Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.
• Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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We talked with philosophy professor Michael W. Austin about how Christian nationalism is contrary to Christian virtues AND American values, and offers us a better form of civic engagement. In his book American Christian Nationalism: Neither American Nor Christian, Michael accessibly explains the meaning and history behind nationalism and systematically shows how the ideology contradicts American values like liberty, equality, and justice as well as Christian virtues like humility, faith, hope, and love. Ultimately, he argues that the Beloved Community, first developed by Martin Luther King Jr. and others, offers a better model for an authentically Christian and American community.

Michael W. Austin is Foundation Professor of Philosophy at Eastern Kentucky University and Bonhoeffer Senior Fellow of the Miller Center for Interreligious Learning and Leadership of Hebrew College. He has published 12 books, including Humility: Rediscovering the Way of Love and Life in Christ and QAnon, Chaos, and the Cross: Christianity and Conspiracy Theories.

Connect with Gravity Commons:

• Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode.
• Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners, and get our list of curated links each week to all things edifying and interesting.

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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy