The BEMA Podcast is a walk-through of the context of the Bible and the Text itself, as well as surrounding history. We deconstruct our common readings of the Bible and attempt to reconstruct them through the lens of historical context. The main body of work is contained in Seasons 1–5, and we encourage you to start with episode 0 (or even -1) and continue in order through episode 204. Beyond that, we explore new topics, revisit old topics, and dive deeper into practical ways of living out the things we have learned together. BEMA Discipleship is a ministry of Impact Campus Ministries.
Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks burrow into three different ways to wrestle. Intertextual.Bible Sefaria Library BEMA 120: Truth and Light BEMA 502: The Four Pillars — Community BEMA 24: Creating a Space
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings begin the last leg of the journey through the Four Pillars, examining the commitment to wrestling. The Sin of Certainty by Peter Enns The Evangelical Imagination by Karen Swallow Prior The Gospel of Being Human by Marty Solomon and Reed Dent “Gulliver’s Travels: Week 13” by Karen Swallow Prior Artemis II — Wikipedia Pontius Pilate Discovers He’s in the Apostles’ Creed — YouTube Book Tour Dates Aberfeldy [Scottish town] — Wikipedia Dunkeld Cathedral — Wikipedia Fire of Notre-Dame — Wikipedia Curious by Ian Leslie Big Wheel (tricycle) — Wikipedia
Brent Billings and Reed Dent consider how to create the right conditions for discipleship. The Pastor by Eugene H. Peterson The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the third of BEMA’s four pillars, being challenged by the historical setting and practice of discipleship. The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah by Alfred Edersheim Nahum M. Sarna — Wikipedia Shmuel Safrai — Wikipedia David Flusser — Wikipedia Quest for the Historical Jesus — Wikipedia Albert Schweitzer — Wikipedia Rudolf Bultmann — Wikipedia Dead Sea Scrolls — Wikipedia N. T. Wright — Wikipedia E. P. Sanders — Wikipedia The Jesus Quest by Ben Witherington III Second Temple Judaism — Wikipedia Scholasticism — Wikipedia
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are wrapping their hands around the pillar of community, guided by Elle Grover Fricks. Sam Goes With Frodo — Scene from The Fellowship of the Ring (2001 film) Father’s Letter — Scene from Little Women (2019 film) “Hallelujah” from Handel’s Messiah — Choir of King’s College, Cambridge Palouse Choral Society “How far back in time can you understand English?” by Colin Gorrie — Dead Language Society Dedicated by Pete Davis
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the pillar of community from the perspective of Reed Dent. “5 Spectacular Japanese Joints” by Emi Shinmura — Fine Woodworking BEMA 356: Sabbath Practice — Friendship w/ Derrick James Rohr III “Followers, Not Admirers” by Søren Kierkegaard in Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the second of BEMA’s four pillars: the commitment to and experience of community. About Impact Campus Ministries (Definition of Success) Loneliness Sucks — Marty Solomon, YouTube Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks get the big picture about our holy book. Spiral Dynamics Illustration The Unseen Realm by Michael S. Heiser Review of The Unseen Realm — Brent Billings, Goodreads
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Rabbi Dr. David Rudolph, program director and professor at The King’s University, to talk about how the Council of Nicaea affected the dating of Easter and the implications of that for the Church and the Jewish people. Sign Up for the BEMA Messenger “The Council of Nicaea, the Dating of Easter, and Its Implications Concerning the Church’s Relationship to the Jewish People” by David Rudolph, Ph.D. Yachad BeYeshua Introduction to Messianic Judaism (Zondervan), edited by David J. Rudolph et al. A Jew to the Jews by David J. Rudolph Oxford Handbook on Jewish Christianity and Messianic Judaism [coming soon] Messianic Study Bible (Zondervan) [coming soon] “The Science of Worship” ( Bulletin of Ecclesial Theology ) via David’s website Covenant and the People of God , edited by David J. Rudolph, Jennifer M. Rosner, et al. New Testament after Supersessionism, David Rudolph (series editor) — Wipf and Stock The Voice of the Lord: Messianic Jewish Daily Devotional , edited by David J. Rudolph David’s website Special Guest: David Rudolph.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings join Reed Dent to talk about his perspective on the pillar of Text. Drawing Hands by M. C. Escher — Wikipedia The Wall Street Journal , September 12, 2001 (PDF) “September 11” by Scott Cairns “Trump's name to appear on coronavirus stimulus checks sent to Americans” — Fox News “Trump Seeks To Stimulate Economy By Sending Rare Autographed Photo To Every American” — The Onion Reviews of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003 film) — Reed Dent, Letterboxd Reviews of Wake Up Dead Man (2025 film) — Reed Dent, Letterboxd The Poetics of Biblical Narrative by Meir Sternberg Cross Vision by Gregory A. Boyd Crucifixion of the Warrior God by Gregory A. Boyd “The Bible Talk: Part 1” by Reed Dent “The Bible Talk: Part 2” by Reed Dent “The Bible Talk: Postscripts” by Reed Dent
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings launch a new 12-part reflection on the Four Pillars of BEMA. BEMA 203: You Are Here BEMA 78: Silent Years — Essenes Brent on Instagram
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Brad Gray and Brad Nelson of Walking the Text to talk about the Lord’s Prayer and all of the projects they have in the works to cover this foundational practice of our faith. Walking the Text The Sacred Thread The Lord’s Prayer (2025 film) Bringing Heaven Here by Brad Gray and Brad Nelson Review of Bringing Heaven Here — Marty Solomon, Goodreads Review of Bringing Heaven Here — Brent Billings, Goodreads “Space philosopher Frank White on ‘The Overview Effect’ and humanity’s connection with Earth” by Leonard David — Space Didache — Wikipedia Special Guests: Brad Gray and Brad Nelson.
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings begin Session 10 of the podcast and discuss what comes next. “Patient Trust” by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin Josh’s Memorial Service [occured on February 15, 2026] Impact Campus Ministries
Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, Reed Dent, Elle Grover Fricks, and Josh Bossé close out Session 9. This is Josh’s final episode, both in the sense of recording date (October 7, 2025) and release date. The Gospel of Being Human by Marty Solomon and Reed Dent Asking Better Questions of the Bible by Marty Solomon Fiadh Grover-Fricks at 6 months Fiadh: Like Mother, Like Daughter Introducing Maple Maple on Instagram Josh Bossé on CaringBridge BEMA 465: Qohelet’s Reflection Living Unoffended by Brant Hansen Good Books, Big Questions (Karen Stiller’s new podcast) Walter Brueggemann’s website Festschrift — Wikipedia God in the Fray: A Tribute to Walter Brueggemann by Tod Linafelt and Timothy K. Beal Finally Comes the Poet by Walter Brueggemann The Word Militant by Walter Brueggemann Hopeful Imagination by Walter Brueggemann Out of Babylon by Walter Brueggemann The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann
Brent Billings and Reed Dent close out this series in an unorthodox format, talking about the virtue of love and what it means to be fully known and fully loved. Wishful Thinking by Frederick Buechner
Brent Billings, Reed Dent, and Josh Bossé talk about hope and the potential it leans into. Four Quartets by T. S. Eliot Wishful Thinking by Frederick Buechner “Holy, Holy, Holy” by Sufjan Stevens — YouTube BEMA 430: It’s a Wonderful Life Hope — BibleProject BEMA 52: Jonah — Potential Special Guest: Mitch Lavender.
Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Reed Dent talk about the virtue of faith and the idea of trusting the story. “Bad Theology: A Quiz” by Scott Cairns — America Magazine Wishful Thinking by Frederick Buechner Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis The Gospel of Being Human by Marty Solomon and Reed Dent Asking Better Questions of the Bible by Marty Solomon Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell Gravity and Grace by Simone Weil Zero at the Bone by Christian Wiman Mark 8 — Reed Dent, Campus Christian Fellowship
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined again by special guest Dr. Sandra Richter to talk about her latest book, Abigail and the Waterfall. Abigail and the Waterfall by Sandra L. Richter Stewards of Eden by Sandra L. Richter Rev. Dr. Ethan Johnson “My Journey into Coal Country” — Sandra Richter, Substack “My Journey into Coal Country, II” — Sandra Richter, Substack [Part III coming soon] Plant with Purpose The Great Spiritual Migration by Brian McLaren Mount Hermon Mount Hermon Women’s Retreats Candy Darter (fish) — Wikipedia Hellbender Salamander — Wikipedia Black Beauty by Anna Sewell — Project Gutenberg Special Guest: Sandra Richter.
