Jon-Paul Lapeña

Credentials: AA, College of the Desert: Palm Desert / BA, San Diego State University / MDiv, Harvard University / PhD, Yale University (present)

Denomination: Non Affiliated

Specific Field: Biblical Studies

Biography: 

Jon-Paul Lapeña is a first-generation college student born to farmworkers and raised in the desert landscape of California’s Coachella Valley. His research focuses on the New Testament and early Christianity, with a particular interest in healing and health practices in the ancient Mediterranean. His dissertation examines whether modern frameworks of addiction can meaningfully engage with ancient medical, philosophical, and religious discourses on substance use. By identifying patterns of addiction in antiquity, analyzing rhetorical critiques of drunkenness, and challenging entrenched historical interpretations, his work seeks to disrupt narratives that perpetuate stigma and discrimination against individuals with addictive behaviors.