Introduction to PAX Story Arc
This course is part of a series of courses based on issues of the multi-sensory, multimedia publication StoryArc1. Each course focuses on a key topic that young Christians of color want to know about yet are challenged to find relevant, thoughtful, biblically based resources that answer their questions. We have curated a diverse collection of Jesus centered art, scholarship, and storytelling, primarily created by people of color, that provides teaching, guidance, and opportunities for reflection. Many of the contributors are experts in their field, while others are everyday Christians on their own journey of discovery. Each has a valuable perspective to share on what it means to be a peacemaker and follower of Jesus in today’s world.
1. All StoryArc issues can be found online at madeforpax.org.

Scripture

Partner PAX
Learning Pillar Contemplative Activism
Rigor Level Medium

This study may be unlike any other Bible study you’ve participated in. In addition to studying Scripture,
you will also be reading essays and personal testimonies, experiencing spoken word and poetry,
meditating on visual art, and listening to or watching in-depth interviews and panels. We hope you will
experience this as a spiritual feast for your senses and your soul, inspiring you in your journey to learn
more about the character of God and the discipleship he calls each of us to.

Here is a bird’s-eye view of this six-week study:
Session 1 Opening Introduces the topic and creates space to reflect on the ideas,
teachings, questions, and doubts the group is bringing into the study.
Session 2 Manifesto Overviews the topic and explores the foundational spiritual
truth that guides the rest of the sessions.
Session 3 Myth Names and deconstructs common false beliefs and false
teachings about this topic within church and society.
Session 4 Material Delves into Jesus-centered, biblically based teachings on the
topic and its implications for how we live.
Session 5 Motion Explores meaningful ways to embrace relevant embodied
practices in our everyday lives.
Session 6 Closing Reviews the main themes from the study and facilitates next
steps to apply learnings in practical and meaningful ways.

Learning Objectives

This course takes you on a deep exploration of how the ancient Christian Scriptures shape us today. By the time you complete all six sessions of this study on Scripture, you will:

  1. learn how the entirety of the Bible points to Jesus and ways to be more like him;

  2. understand the risks of interpreting Scripture through biased filters or lenses; and

  3. gain tools for faithfully studying Scripture and applying it in our everyday lives.

Course Components

Opening

  • Opening | Introduction

    10 Minutes
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  • Opening | Reflection

    10 Minutes
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  • Opening | Poem

    10 Minutes
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  • Opening | Path Point Statements

    10 Minutes
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  • Opening | Application Activity

    10 Minutes
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  • Opening | Benediction

    10 Minutes
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Manifesto

  • Manifesto | Introduction

    Insert Manifesto - Declaration of PAX image

    In the previous session, we began to examine how we look at Scripture—the various factors and forces that affect how we interpret and feel about the Bible. This session is all about the Manifesto path point, or the big idea that we want to focus on. We will spend time with Scripture and an essay from the StoryArc, which each explore how the entirety of Scripture points to and flows from Jesus.

    The Bible is a sacred text. It’s been called a guidebook, a map, the ultimate story, and even 
    a love letter from God to us. The poems and prophecies, lamentations and letters, genealogies and gospels are divine instruments with a purpose: to help humanity become more like Jesus. During his time on earth, Jesus interpreted Scripture both for people who thought they knew it well, and for those who didn’t have a clue. He did this by preaching, but he mostly did it by living. 

    Whenever someone tried to quote Scripture 
    to condemn Jesus, he humbly showed them 
    it wasn’t his actions but their reading that was skewed. Today, Jesus is still doing what he did as an embodied human on earth. When we read anything in Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, we can look to Jesus to live out his Word and lead us into loving action.

    Edward Sun - SA3 Manifesto FNL

     

    10 Minutes
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  • Manifesto | Reflection

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    10 Minutes
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  • Manifesto | Essay Excerpt

    10 Minutes
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  • Manifesto | Application Activity

    10 Minutes
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  • Manifesto | Benediction

    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked

Myth

  • Myth | Introduction

    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked
  • Myth | Reflection

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    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked
  • Myth | Essay Excerpt

    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked
  • Myth | Poem

    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked
  • Myth | Application Activity

    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked
  • Myth | Benediction

    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked

Material

  • Material | Introduction

    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked
  • Material | Reflection

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    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked
  • Material | Essay Excerpt

    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked
  • Material | Artwork

    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked
  • Material | Application Activity

    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked
  • Material | Benediction

    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked

Motion

  • Motion | Introduction

    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked
  • Motion | Reflection

    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked
  • Motion | Guide Excerpt

    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked
  • Motion | Application Activity

    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked
  • Motion | Benediction

    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked

Closing

  • Closing | Introduction

    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked
  • Closing | Path Point Statements Revisited

    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked
  • Closing | Video Panel Excerpt

    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked
  • Closing | Lectio Divina

    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked
  • Closing | Benediction

    10 Minutes
    Lesson Locked

Scripture

Taught by Josué Perea

This six-session course offers a rich, multisensory exploration of Scripture that extends beyond traditional Bible study methods. Through biblical texts, essays, personal testimonies, visual art, poetry, spoken word, interviews, and panel discussions, participants are invited to engage both heart and mind while deepening their understanding of God’s character and call to discipleship. The study progresses from reflection and foundational truths to challenging common misconceptions, exploring Jesus-centered biblical teachings, and applying faith through practical daily practices. By the end of the course, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how the entire Bible points to Jesus, recognize the impact of interpretive biases on Scripture, and develop practical tools for faithful biblical study and everyday application.

Josué Perea

Meet Your Instructor,
Josué Perea

Guesnerth Josue Perea serves as Director of Black Lives and Contemplation for the Center for Spiritual Imagination, and Executive Director of the afrolatin@ forum. He was part of the team that founded the AfroLatine Theology Project and was Executive Producer of the documentary Faith in Blackness. His perspectives on AfroLatinidad and spirituality have been featured in prominent publications such as the New York Times, the New Yorker, and USA Today and his writing has been featured in Sojourners, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and anthologies such as Let Spirit Speak!, the Revista de Estudios Colombianos and Engaging Religion. A dedicated Brooklynite, he wholeheartedly believes that cultivating our inner lives through contemplative practice is instrumental for liberation, allowing us to embody Biggie's call to spread love "the Brooklyn way." 

Join this course’s forum conversations