Pentiment: A Game of Perception, Judgment, and Prejudice in the Historic Church [Free]
A Bible Study on the video game Pentiment
Not sure where to get started? Find our 101 Guide to using our curriculum here.
Opening Prayer
Begin with a prayer that sets the tone for the study, asking for openness and understanding as participants delve into the themes of light, darkness, and the Holy Spirit's guidance.
Sample Prayer:
Heavenly God, You welcomed rich and poor, powerful and powerless, friend and stranger. Open our eyes to see all people as You do and soften our hearts to repent of any favoritism. Guide our conversation today so that Your Spirit shapes us into a community marked by radical, Christ-like love. Amen.
Prep Questions
When have you felt left out or favored because of how you looked, dressed, or what you owned?
Think of a game, movie, or book that challenged your assumptions about a character. What changed?
What words come to mind when you hear “class hierarchy” or “prejudice”?
Link to Video
Shortened Transcript
Pentiment is a narrative adventure set in 16-century Bavaria. You play Andreas Maler, an artist who can freely mingle with every social class.
The game visually signals class & education through fonts and art styles, making you notice who “matters” in town.
Players quickly learn that bias—both their own and the town’s—shapes every relationship and outcome.
James 2 : 1-9 warns early Christians: claiming faith while showing preference for the wealthy is sinful partiality.
Two key Greek words appear: diakrino (discern) and prosopolempsia (favoritism / discrimination). God never shows prosopolempsia, and neither should we.
The medieval church often sat just below the nobles in the power ladder—an uncomfortable mirror for today’s churches that still wrestle with favoritism.
Like choosing Andreas’ actions, each believer decides daily whether to embrace or resist prejudice.
Guided Questions
Read James 2 : 1-9 aloud. Where do you see prosopolempsia (favoritism) in this passage?
How does Pentiment’s use of fonts & art make social bias impossible to ignore? What might be modern equivalents (clothes, accents, social-media profiles)?
The sermon says “discrimination separates us from God.” How have you seen favoritism harm a church or friendship?
Jesus held ultimate power yet “humbled himself” (Phil 2 : 6-8). What practical habits can help us imitate that humility this week?
Think about a group you might unconsciously overlook (age, income, fandoms, politics). What is one step to treat them as equals?
Activity
“Bias Markers”
Supplies: Sticky notes & pens.
Label four walls: Powerful • Educated • Skilled Trades • Peasants/Overlooked.
Invite participants to write modern-day examples (CEO, streamer, gig worker, unhoused neighbor, etc.)—one per note—and stick each on the wall they instinctively chose.
Walk the room silently, noticing where you placed certain people and why.
Regroup: What surprised you? Where did you catch your own bias? How might Jesus rearrange these notes?
After Questions
Did any note change walls after our walk-through? Why?
Which “wall” do you personally feel placed on most often?
How can our church ensure every wall has a seat at the table?
Spiritual Practice
“Seat-Swap Hospitality”
At your next meal, meeting, or game lobby, choose to sit or queue last, letting others pick first.
Intentionally greet someone you normally overlook; learn their story before sharing yours.
Journal nightly: “Where did I notice or resist favoritism today?” Pray for strength to grow.
Closing Prayer
Conclude with a prayer that acknowledges the Holy Spirit's presence and asks for continued guidance and protection in the journey of faith.
Sample Prayer:
Lord, thank You for confronting our hidden prejudices. Empower us, like Andreas in Pentiment, to walk every rung of society with kindness and courage. May our church become a living testimony that in Christ there is neither rich nor poor, insider nor outsider—only beloved neighbors. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Notes From The Nerd Pastor:
Pentiment shows how font choice, class ladders, and even dinner-table seating can expose the prejudice that still sneaks into church life today. James 2 calls that favoritism a sin, using a rare Greek word (prosopolempsia) that means judging people by their face or status. God never does that, and the game lets us practice not doing it either. By guiding Andreas to treat abbots and farmers the same, we rehearse the gospel truth that every neighbor—rich or poor, educated or illiterate—deserves the best seat at the table. Our challenge is to carry that posture from Tassing into our own sanctuaries, Discord servers, and friend groups.
Resource Notes:
Find basic information about the Pentiment on the wiki.
Helpful Nerd Terms:
Prosopolempsia – Showing favoritism; the rare Greek word James uses.
Diakrino – Healthy discernment; telling right from wrong without bias.
Journeyman – A craftsperson traveling to perfect their trade before becoming a master.
Abbey – A monastery where monks or nuns live, work, and worship.
Visual Novel – A game driven by text choices rather than reflex action.
Classism – Prejudice based on social or economic class.
Theological Themes:
Favoritism, Humility, Classism, Kingdom Equality, Bias & Repentance, Spiritual Discernment, James 2:1, James 2:2, James 2:3, James 2:4, James 2:5, James 2:6, James 2:7, James 2:8, James 2:9
Other questions? Ask in the comments below!