Dr. Lonnie Polson, chair of the Division of Communication, will singlehandedly take on Rodeheaver stage and the entire Gospel of Mark on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Recited from memory, the presentation weaves together Polson’s many years of theatrical experience with the ornate language of the King James Version for one memorable performance.

“The Bible is history but it’s also a story,” Polson said. “We don’t read the Bible in its fullness when we leave out the dramatic element, the human element.”

Polson said most biblical scholars agree that Mark’s Gospel was based on the first-hand experience of the Apostle Peter.

Consequently, he will recite the entire performance from Peter’s perspective.

“The whole idea in a nutshell is if Peter came to your church to preach the Gospel, what would he say,” Polson said.

Although Polson has not performed the Gospel of Mark in years, the presentation has been a significant part of his theatrical career.

He delivered the gospel as a faculty recital in 1996 and has delivered an edited version of the Feb. 3 performance in churches and Christian colleges.

Memorizing the entire book originally took Polson around a year, but he said he was surprised at how easily the lines have come back to him this time around.

Polson said he hopes the performance will communicate the relatability of the Bible to a modern audience while encouraging others to  commit portions of the Bible to memory.

Tickets are available at bjutheatrearts.com at $8 per person.

A livestream of the recital will also be available by visiting bju.edu/live/.