Pathfinder is the foundational leadership program offered by The Philos Project. Consisting of online mini-courses and an in-person retreat for qualified participants, Pathfinder orients Christians towards the region where their faith was born and equips them to lead in the face of conflict. Graduates of Pathfinder emerge as Hebraic leaders that are equipped to tackle complex issues abroad and in their own backyards. Both the Pathfinder courses and the in-person capstone retreat are offered free of charge to all participants, and both are prerequisites for the Philos Leadership Institute, a fully subsidized trip to explore the Near East on the ground!
The Basic Pathfinder Course equips Christians to lead in the face of conflict and encourages them to forge their path, as leaders, towards the Kingdom of God. This course brings Christians back to their Biblical roots and challenges participants to embrace the earthly and heavenly duality of the Hebraic tradition.
This course outlines the history of the Jewish people and their relationship with Christians from Biblical times to the present day. It also examines the covenantal relationship between God and the Jews in the context of the Old and New Testaments and explains why Christians have a unique and urgent responsibility to fight antisemitism.
This course prepares Christian leaders for real-time engagement with the Near East by exploring the inner dynamics of one of the most polarizing conflicts in the world: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The course dissects the history and present-day realities of this complex conflict by examining primary texts and valuable secondary sources to explore the question of peace in the region.
This course provides a brief history of Islam while touching on the historical, cultural, and theological interplay between the three Abrahamic faiths: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. It also sheds light on the basic teachings and tenets of Islam and provides guidance on how Christians, Jews, and Western powers should engage with Muslims and the Muslim world today.
This course examines the history of various Christian communities in the East while exploring many of the key differences between Eastern and Western Christianity. It also provides guidance on how to foster improved relations between denominations and sheds light on the role that Christians play in the Near East today.
This course provides a brief history of the role that U.S. foreign policy has played in the modern Near East (special emphasis on the State of Israel). It also examines what constructive Christian engagement with foreign policy looks like and debunks common misconceptions about the U.S.-Israel relationship.
This course explores the historical and contemporary drivers of Near Eastern conflict and examines why the Near East, perhaps more than any other global region in the last century, has seen more and longer violent conflicts. It also touches on arms development and technological warfare and looks at the trajectory and ongoing security challenges of this conflict-ridden region.
This course examines the history and culture of Lebanon, a tiny country on the shores of the Eastern Mediterranean featuring a heterogeneous mix of religious and sectarian groups, including ancient Christian communities. It also explores where matters stand today following the latest downfall of the country that began in the fall of 2019 and reflects on paths that might lead to a positive future for Lebanon. The course is seasoned with relevant observations from the late Charles Malik, a prominent philosopher, and diplomat in Lebanon and on the world stage.
This course explores Syria’s internal dynamic from faith and ethnic relations, the evolution of its political system, and its relations within the region since 1946. Syria sits at the heart of the Near East, where generations of Muslim, Christian and Jewish families thrived, and at many times, survived turbulent and oppressive circumstances. This course will touch on that history, as well as causes and consequences of Syria’s civil war and the political and socio-economic challenges that lie ahead.
Shannon Walsh
Associate Director of Research and Education
