What Does It Mean to Be Human? The Gospel of Being Human | Reed Dent

What does it mean to be human before God — and what if our humanity isn't a problem to overcome?

In this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Dan Johnson sits down with pastor, campus minister, and author Reed Dent to discuss his new book The Gospel of Being Human: How Asking Better Questions of the Bible Reveals Who We Are (co-authored with Marty Solomon of the BEMA Discipleship Podcast, NavPress, April 2026).

Reed challenges one of the most deeply held assumptions in Christian culture: that being human is a flaw to fix. Drawing on Scripture — from Genesis to Jonah to the death of Moses — he makes a compelling case that the gospel isn't about escaping your humanity. God doesn't want to replace your humanity. He wants to partner with it.

This is a rich, honest conversation about Christian identity, human dignity, and what it looks like to live as an image-bearer of God.

In this episode, you'll learn:

· Why the gospel is good news before it's bad news — and how that reframes everything

· How framing humanity as fundamentally broken shapes the way we read Scripture, pray, and relate to God

· What Jonah's story reveals about mercy, anger, and the deeper questions the Bible is really asking

· How Genesis 2 and the story of Eve reframe sin, guilt, and moral complexity

· Why the death of Moses challenges what our true aim as human beings should be

· How to walk someone through an identity crisis rooted in belovedness, not shame

· Why a richer biblical view of humanity offers a path forward for those disillusioned with the church

· What Psalm 139 teaches us about holding anger, brokenness, and trust together

About Reed Dent Reed Dent is a pastor, campus minister, and co-author of The Gospel of Being Human alongside Marty Solomon. Reed has spent years working with college students — including at the University of Wisconsin–Madison — walking 18-to-23-year-olds through questions of faith, identity, and following Jesus. His work is shaped by the conviction that Scripture, read on its own terms, consistently affirms the dignity and goodness of human beings made in the image of God.

Resources & Links

· The Gospel of Being Human by Reed Dent & Marty Solomon (NavPress, April 2026): navpress.com

· Asking Better Questions of the Bible by Marty Solomon

· BEMA Discipleship Podcast: bema.tv