BREAKING STRONGHOLDS
Season 2 - Study Guide
Episode 2: Trailheads
MEET THE CHARACTERS:
REDMOND QUINN
Redmond was born to be the next in line to receive “The Book” from his grandfather, Damon Dupre. Though Damon had two children, Richard and Evangeline, his son Richard was deemed “too weak” to be trusted with carrying on the family bloodline as a member of The Golden Order of the Ancient Light. Therefore, Damon’s strong-willed and power-hungry daughter, Evangeline, found a suitable person to father her son, whom she named Redmond Quinn. She chose the last name, Quinn, because it means “knowledge.” Redmond wants to know who his father is, and Damon has used that desire to motivate young Redmond to gain apotheosis: God-like knowledge, and eternal life. They believe this is achieved by completing the final step in The Book. To do this, Redmond must locate the girl who is considered the Spirit of Love (now known as Grace Williams) and the missing pages describing the final ritual in which she must willingly give her lifeblood. Redmond has hired Nick to find both Grace and the missing pages. When Nick located Grace, Redmond moved his headquarters to the town where she lived, Montgomery, TX. Since then, Nick has been on a quest to find the missing pages so that Redmond can achieve his lifelong goal of achieving apotheosis.
KARL
Karl is loyal to Redmond Quinn to a fault. He is a dedicated member of Redmond Quinn’s organization, known as The Clarity Way. Redmond has set up this pseudo-religion much like the secret Golden Order of the Ancient Light–with levels to achieve. The higher one progresses in the organization, the more secrets they learn and the more “powerful” they become. Karl trusts Redmond and does not want to lose what he sees as a privileged position as Redmond’s “right-hand man.” He is suspicious of Nick and jealous of people like Athena who have advanced more quickly through the levels than he has. Because he has achieved level 5, Karl is privy to the darker side of “The Clarity Way,” which includes instructions for spells and incantations used to gain desired attributes. He is completely caught up in the web of deception that Redmond Quinn has created.
TOMMY
Tommy and Chaplain Victor Raphael go “way back.” (Their story is fully told in the film, WE ARE STRONGER, found on our Reflective Media Productions Pando channel.) Both are veterans who have worked hard to heal their post-traumatic stress Injuries. They joined with others with similar injuries in a support group under the guidance of Chaplain Dan Jamieson years ago and attended a Mighty Oaks retreat. They have remained close friends through the years as Tommy went on to work at an equine therapy facility with veterans and Vic went on to become a chaplain himself. Tommy has fought cancer in the years since the two became friends. He is currently back in the hospital because the cancer is back.
CATHERINE
Catherine is the younger sister of Shelly, Ethan James’ late wife. She is “Aunt Catherine” to Ryan and Rylie. As a rebellious teen, Catherine ran from God and family. She has since come back to God and has become a counselor. She wants to get to know Ryan and Rylie better and be part of their lives now. When Ethan revealed to his kids that their mother had died by suicide, Ryan was relieved to finally know the truth. For him, it “explained a lot.” However, that information made Rylie feel even more angry and abandoned than before, with a new feeling of guilt that she might have been part of the problem. Her mother had always told her she was “too much.” Rylie does not want to process this new information with Ethan and Ryan, but instead wants to focus on finishing strong at school. She is pushing those thoughts and feelings away and has chosen to live with Aunt Catherine, who will give her the space she needs to deal with her feelings about her mother in her own time. Catherine is a loving presence who tries to help Ethan, Ryan, and Rylie through the grieving process.
JOURNAL PROMPTS:
After watching Breaking Strongholds Season 2, Episode 2, Journal your thoughts on the following questions. If you are viewing the series as a group study, discuss your answers with the group.
1. Until this episode, we only see Redmond Quinn and his “Clarity Way” promoting self-help and personal improvement. What does Karl do to gain courage in this episode that shows us that the “Clarity Way” is based on something darker and more secretive?
2. Courage and power are good only if they are derived from the right person for the right motives. In the Bible, Paul tells early believers to... "Be strong in the Lord, and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes." (Ephesians 6: 10-11) "For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." (Philippians 2:13) How are these messages from the Bible different from what is being taught at the Clarity Way Retreat?
3. After their trip to the bookstore, Sophie and her little brother, Henry, discuss what it means to be a hero. What makes a hero? Who does Sophie know with heroic tendencies? How can she be a hero in her world? How can you?
4. In this episode, we see two young men finding their purpose in life. One is young Redmond Quinn (in the flashbacks), and the other is Ryan James. Discuss and journal your thoughts about each character...
REDMOND QUINN - Who guided young Redmond and pointed him toward his purpose? And what “purpose” was that? What character traits describe Redmond Quinn as an adult after pursuing that path and purpose for years?
RYAN JAMES - How about Ryan? Who is speaking into his life and helping him find his way? What are the messages that he is being told in this series? From whom is he told he will find his purpose? Ryan is still young, but what sort of character traits do you see forming in him?
5. Well-meaning and loving people can still pass on wrong and hurtful ideas. Also, it is a sad reality that hurt people tend to hurt people and often cannot figure out how to stop the cycle without help. List some ways you see Ryan and others in the series filling up on Truth so they can have it to pour out to others.
6. In this episode, we learn why Redmond Quinn is looking for those “pages.” What is described on the pages, and what do Lindsey and Grace have to do with it?
7. What does Redmond believe he will achieve if he goes through with this final step described in the book? What question did young Redmond have about his personal past that might have motivated this obsession?
8. Our earthly family is our first introduction to life and what it means to love. If those families are oriented toward God and His will, a good foundation is laid for life. However, if they aren’t, we have things we must overcome. Strongholds must be broken. Ryan’s relationship with his father, Ethan, was very distant in the first episode. How is it in this episode? What is helping?
9. Write the following in your journal or on an index card: "See what great love the Father has lavished on you, that we should be called children of God!" 1 John 3:1
As believers in Christ, God is our Father. The perfect Father. Powerful. Strong. Just. Wise. Loving. Merciful. Good. He invites us to be part of His family through faith in Jesus. No matter our past, our future can be built on His word and truth–a new foundation.
Are you struggling with understanding what it means to put your faith in Jesus? Watch our Reflective Media Productions video called "How to Become a Christian - Christianity 101." You can find it on the Reflective Media Productions Pando page.
TALK WITH GOD:
Talk to God about your earthly father. Ask God to bring to mind things that were true about your father, whether they are negative or positive. Ask God to help you step back and look at the feelings you have when you think about your earthly father, whether he was present in your life or not. Pray that God will heal any pain you have from your childhood. This can be a very long process, and it is not to be done alone. Ask God to bring a mentor, a Christian friend, or even good media content into your life to help you process through your feelings about your childhood. Finally, ask God to show you how He is the perfect Father. Ask Him to show you His love for you as his child.
IMPORTANT:
If you are not familiar with the Bible, a great place to start is our reading plan found. We highly recommend The Bible Recap found here on Pando. And most importantly, if you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, please watch as Pastor Calvin Pearson (“Benjamin” in Breaking Strongholds) explains the Good News on our video, "How to Become a Christian."