Fall 2025 Schedule
Please see below for the Fall 2025 Catalog of courses taught at Westminster-Canterbury as part of the Westminster/Wesleyan Lifelong Learning Institute. Copies of the catalog are also available at the Westminster-Canterbury Resident Hub. If you have questions about the course offerings, please contact Dr. Ben Fraser at benson.fraser@wcbay.com.
Course 1 - C. S. Lewis' "Cinderella" Fantasy, The Great Divorce
Presented by:
Dr. Terrence Lindvall, C.S. Lewis Endowed Chair in Communication and Christian Thought and Professor of Communication at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Course Description:
Professor Terry Lindvall invites you to join him on a bus trip to heaven, mapping out the curious journeys of various denizens in hell, in C. S. Lewis' "Cinderella" fantasy, The Great Divorce.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Monday, Sept. 8th at 4:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
In Lecture One, we will go behind the curtain and look at some of the literary sources and theological themes that form the scaffolding of the novel. How did Dante, John Milton, and George MacDonald inspire this very curious trip? As this is the preface to the work, this course invites you to read ahead with about five short chapters a week.
Lecture 2: Monday, Sept. 15th at 4:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
In Lecture Two (chapters 1-5), we board the bus, quarrel with some of our fellow passengers and ascend to the Bright Lands. Here we will meet an unappreciated Bohemian poet, historical characters like Napoleon, Virginia Beach city planners, and a smug liberal Anglican bishop. All of them are given an opportunity to stay in this glorious paradise leading to Heaven.
Lecture 3: Monday, Sept. 22ed at 4:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
In Lecture Three (chapters 4-9), we meet more people like ourselves (and your neighbor and family members). The zoo of motley characters includes a cynic, the occult forefathers of Edgar Cayce, and even an author like Sir Conan Arthur Doyle, author of Sherlock Holmes. We meet C. S. Lewis's great mentor, George MacDonald, whose works inspired him to write fantasy and children's novels. Lewis asks what are the relations of reason, of suffering, and of spirituality to the plan of God? Why do some people choose not to accept the mercy and grace of God?
Lecture 4: Monday, Sept. 29th at 4:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
Lecture Four (chapters 10-14) ends our journey. C. S. Lewis not only listens to artists like John Singer Sargent but must attend to his own convicting heart. In these final scenes, we meet ordinary people healed of their diseases and addictions and others celebrated for their love and joy. And here, Lewis turns his mirrors back on us, to ask if we will awaken and receive a gift of joy put at our feet.
Course 2 - Church History: The Age of the Christian Roman Empire, 312-590
Presented by: Dr. Benson P. Fraser, Westminster-Canterbury Fellow for Religious, Studies and Lifelong Learning at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Course Description: It is important to know something of our past and this is just as important for religious history as it is for the history of one's family or country. This set of lectures will examine the Christian Roman Empire--roughly 312 to 590 AD. Here we move from the beginning of the church (which was the subject of our study last semester) to the development of the Church during the Christian Roman Empire. In this lecture series we will look at events and people who shaped our world and the church.
*Note: This is the second series of lectures on the History of the Church.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Friday, Sept. 12th at 1:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
This lecture will address two major themes: the conversion of the Roman Empire and the development of the doctrine of the trinity. Both are major themes in church history and have had a lasting impact on western culture as well as on the church today.
Lecture 2: Friday, September 19th at 1:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
In this class lecture we will attempt of understand Christ in the Creeds and become acquainted with the beginnings of monasticism. Why the creeds? Only because they are the blueprint of what the church believes. Also, we will study how Creeds came into being as well as how they continue to nourish the church. Monasticism has been of interest to many in the church since it began. In this lecture we will try to understand the beginnings of monasticism and how it has contributed to the church both then and now.
Lecture 3: Friday, September 26th at 1:00PM in the Anderson Bayview Room.
Few people have influenced our culture and the church more than Augustine of Hippo. Through his writings and his life, he has shaped our world. This lecture will examine his life as saint and sinner as well as look at the beginning of the Papacy.
Lecture 4: Friday, October 3rd at 1:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
Finally, we will examine how Eastern Orthodoxy came into being and what it means for the church both then and now. Furthermore, we will look at the church's mission during the end of the 6th century.
Course 3 - Brain Health Matters!
Presented by: Dr. Scott W. Sautter, Diplomate, American Board of Professional Neuropsychology, Board Certified Neuropsychologist, and Licensed Clinical Psychologist. He is an adjunct professor at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Course Description: This class will provide beneficial advice for strengthening your brain's health.
Dates and Topic:
Lecture: Tuesday, September 23 at 3:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
Psychoneuroimmunology: Describe how the brain connects to the immune system, which affects our physical health by thought, word, and deed.
Course 4 - Contested Borderlands in Eastern Europe
Presented by: Dr. Sara Sewell, Professor of History at VWU
Course Description: During the 20th century, national borders in Eastern Europe underwent drastic changes. By the end of century, Eastern Europe looked radically different than it did in 1900. Contributing decisively to the border shifts were the two world wars, which concluded with massive geographical changes. This lecture series will examine some of the most significant border changes over the past two centuries, focusing on Poland, the Baltic states, the Balkans, and Ukraine. While it will cover important geo-political impetuses and consequences, it will devote special attention to how the changes to national borders affected the people who lived in these regions, for many border changes came with persecution, massive population shifts (i.e., ethnic cleansing), and genocides.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Friday, Oct. 3rd at 11:00AM in the Penthouse Lounge.
In 1025, Poland came under the leadership of Bolesław I ("the Brave"), who transformed the territory from a duchy to a kingdom. This kingdom reached its political and cultural apex in the 17th century as the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth. Subsequently, the Commonwealth went through an era of destabilization that left it ripe for picking by European powers, specifically the empires of Russia, Prussia, and Austria. Consequently, at the end of the 18th century, Poland as a nation-state ceased to exist until it regained its independence after the First World War. That independence, however, proved fleeting when Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939. After the Second World War, Poland once again regained independence, but until 1990 it fell under the heavy tutelage of the Soviet Union. These many political and territorial shifts affected the lives of the peoples who lived in north central Europe in dramatic ways. This class will examine the political, territorial, and social changes in Poland in the Modern Era. It will especially delve into why Poland's population plummeted in the first half of the 20th century as well as the consequences of this demographic decline.
Lecture 2: Friday, Oct. 10th at 11:00AM in the Penthouse Lounge.
With coastlines on the Baltic Sea, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have had a long history of struggle for independence. Today, they are all sovereign nation-states and members of both the European Union and NATO. Attaining independence in 1990/91 came after several centuries of being ruled over by the Russian Empire, Nazi Germany, and the Soviet Union—what many Baltic people refer to as "occupation." This class will examine the development of Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian national identity and how national identity helped the Baltic peoples achieve independent nation-states after the collapse of Eastern Bloc communism. It will also explore why the Baltic countries are highly invested in the current Russo-Ukrainian War.
Lecture 3: Friday, Oct. 17th at 11:00AM in the Penthouse Lounge.
In 1919, the victors of the First World War met in Paris and created the country of Yugoslavia—a patchwork nation-state comprised of Slavs of various stripes as well as Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, and Muslims. This new nation-state's vulnerability became clear in spring 1941 when the Axis powers invaded and partitioned the country. Led by Josip Tito, partisans battled Axis forces and managed to re-establish Yugoslavia after the Second World War. The country continued to exist until 1991 when it broke apart after the collapse of Eastern Bloc communism. Of all the former East European countries, Yugoslavia experienced the worse violence, as wars of independence resulted in genocide. This class will investigate the idea of "Yugoslavia" as well as why it came to be and why it fell apart. It will especially focus on the consequences of the geo-political changes on the Balkan peoples.
Lecture 4: Friday, Oct. 24th at 11:00AM in the Penthouse Lounge.
From the 9th through the 13th centuries, northeastern Europe was dominated by the Kyivan Rus' Kingdom whose capital was Kyiv, Ukraine's capital city today. Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus all see the roots of their modern nation-states in the Kyivan Rus' Kingdom. This belief helps to explain why the territory populated by ethnic Ukrainians has been at the center of geo-political struggles for centuries. These struggles have been compounded by the fact that this region, with its fertile soil, has long been considered "Europe's breadbasket." Beginning in the 19th century, many ethnic Ukrainians actively sought independence from the Russian Empire; however, the nation-state of Ukraine did not come into existence until after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990/91. The current war between Russia and Ukraine has its roots in this complex history. This class will examine the genesis of the idea of a Ukrainian nation-state and how the struggles for independence affected and continue to affect the people who live in this region, including what many people consider to be genocide in the early 1930s under the Soviet Union, called the "Holodomor" by most Ukrainians.
Course 5 - Major Biblical Films
Presented by: Dr. Dennis Bounds, Writer, Author, and Adjunct Professor at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Course Description:
Biblical Films – especially those that include Jesus Christ as a character – are films that explore themes, settings, and characters from the Bible. In this four-session lecture series, we will examine four that approach their subject in different ways – reflecting the culture of their production. Clips from the films will be shown and each session lasts 60 minutes—with plenty of time set aside for questions at the end.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Tuesday, Oct. 7th at 3:00PM in the Anderson Bayview Room.
Ben Hur: In this session, we will examine the film Ben Hur (1959). We will examine casting choices (Charlton Heston as Judah Ben Hur—Stephen Boyd as Messala), camera, and staging choices. We will further discuss the narrative approaches the film took to the story of Jesus, as well as the reception of the film by audiences both here and abroad.
Lecture 2: Tuesday, Oct. 14th at 3:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
King of Kings: In this session, we will examine the film King of Kings (1961). We will examine casting choices (Jeffrey Hunter as Jesus—Robert Ryan as John the Baptist), camera, and staging choices. We will further discuss the narrative approaches the film took to the story of Jesus, as well as the reception of the film by audiences both here and abroad.
Lecture 3: Tuesday, Oct. 21st at 3:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
The Greatest Story Ever: In this session, we will examine The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965). We will examine casting choices (Max Von Sydow as Jesus—David McCallum as Judas Iscariot), camera, and staging choices. We will further discuss the narrative approaches the film took to the story of Jesus, as well as the reception of the film by audiences both here and abroad.
Lecture 4: Tuesday, Oct. 28th at 3:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
The Passion of the Christ: In this session, we will examine The Passion of the Christ (2004). We will examine casting choices (Jim Caviezel as Jesus), camera, and staging choices. We will further discuss the narrative approaches the film took to the story of Jesus, as well as the reception of the film by audiences both here and abroad.
Course 6 - One Blood: The Church and Race!
Presented by: Antipas L. Harris is the founder and president-dean of the Urban Renewal Center (URC) in Norfolk, Virginia. Harris has a Master of Sacred Theology from Yale University, a Doctor of Ministry in Leadership in the Church and Society from Boston University, and a Doctor of Philosophy from St. Thomas University.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Thursday, October 9th at 11:00AM in the Penthouse Lounge.
Part 1: The Church and Race! Faith and reconciliation are issues that concern us today. This class will address issues of how the church approached this issue.
Lecture 2: Thursday, October 16th at 11:00AM in the Penthouse Lounge.
Part 2: The Church and Race! Not since the civil rights movement of the 60s has our country been so engaged in the reconciliation conversation. There is a great opportunity today for our culture to change, to be a more perfect union.
Course 7 - Brain Health Matters!
Presented by: Dr. Scott W. Sautter, Diplomate, American Board of Professional Neuropsychology, Board Certified Neuropsychologist, and Licensed Clinical Psychologist. He is an adjunct professor at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Course Description: This class will provide beneficial advice for strengthening your brain's health.
Dates and Topic:
Lecture: Thursday, October 16th at 1:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
Salutogenesis: Explain the sense of coherence effect on mental health.
Course 8 - More Fresh Fights About Constitutional Rights
Presented by: Dr. Timothy G. O'Rourke (Ph.D., Duke, Political Science), now retired, served as Vice President and Provost at Virginia Wesleyan University from 2007 to 2019.
Course Description: The first four lectures in this five-part series revisit constitutional controversies centered on Transgender Rights, Fair Representation, Free Speech, and Executive Authority—with a focus on recent and upcoming U.S. Supreme Court decisions. The fifth lecture departs from the immediate legal focus to consider the birth dearth, a topic dangerously neglected (until recently at least), with profound consequences for the health of our Republic and world politics.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Thursday, November 6th, at 2:00 PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
"Game On (or Off): Can Transgender Athletes Participate in Women's Sports?" The Court in June ruled that the 14th Amendment doesn't prevent Tennessee from blocking gender-affirming medical treatments for minors. In its new term the Court will decide whether states can ban transgender athletes from women's sports. (A 2025 presidential executive order called for a national ban.) Two cases on appeal to the Court question whether schools violate the 14th Amendment when they withhold from parents' information about their children's gender transition. In July the U.S. Department of Education found that transgender-friendly policies (on bathrooms and sports) in five Virginia school districts violate federal law.
Lecture 2: Thursday, November 13th, at 2:00 PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
"Polls Apart: Why Won't the Debates on Gerrymandering and Citizenship Go Away?" This fall the Court will consider whether Louisiana must maintain two majority Black congressional districts (or whether this amounts to racial gerrymandering). Relatedly President Trump has encouraged red states such as Texas to redraw districts to increase Republican representation—an initiative bound to spawn litigation that will reach the Court. In the next year the Court is almost certain to consider the legality of Trump Administration's effort to revise the meaning of birthright citizenship.
Lecture 3: Thursday, December 4ed, at 2:00 PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
"Money Talks: Do Campaign Finance Laws Abridge Free Speech?" In June the Court ruled that a state law requiring pornographic websites to verify the age of users does not violate the First Amendment. In the upcoming term, it will hear a challenge, on Free Speech grounds, to a federal law limiting how much a party can spend in coordination with its own candidates. The Court also will decide whether a state ban on conversion therapy (to help gender-dysphoric patients follow their birth sex) abridges Free Speech. Several cases involving school district policies that either require or forbid the use of gender-affirming pronouns for teachers and students are making their way up to the High Court.
Lecture 4: Thursday, December 11th, at 2:00 PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
"Tall Orders: Are the President's Executive Actions Transforming the Constitution?" Bypassing Congress, President Trump has issued an unprecedented number of executive orders and regulatory actions, seeking to change the status quo on such matters as immigration, birthright citizenship, transgender persons in the armed services, and presidential authority to fire independent agency and civil-service employees. While the Trump Administration won a Supreme Court victory against nationwide injunctions in June, federal courts continue to issue rulings blocking key Administration initiatives. When the legal dust settles, will the Constitution's separation of powers look the same?
Lecture 5: *Thursday, December 18th, at 1:00 PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
"No Kidding: Will the Birth Dearth Transform Our Democracy and Global Politics?" The U.S. birthrate has been below replacement levels for five decades. In the next 75 years, the population of the United States will remain fairly flat while its people grow older, with profound implications for Social Security and Medicare finances. Beyond our shores, China, Japan, and South Korea—countries with collapsing birthrates—are expected to see their populations decline by half between now and 2100, with unpredictable consequences for U.S. foreign policy. Is the birth dearth an existential crisis?
Course 9 - Technology and Social Media: Shaping Contemporary Culture
Presented by: Dr. Benson P. Fraser, Westminster-Canterbury Fellow for Religious, Studies and Lifelong Learning at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Course Description: Digital technology and social media aren't just tools—they're transforming how we think, communicate, and even perceive reality. In this class we will examine who "human attention" has become a scarce, commodified resource. In so doing we will take a deep dive into how algorithms amplify extremes and thereby are polarizing society. Finally, we consider how propagandists, influencers, and AI shape bespoke realities.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Friday, November 7th at 1:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
Overview of the Technology Shaping Contemporary Culture. This first lecture will introduce the components of the attention economy. In so doing we will survey how contemporary platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are engineered to prey on psychological vulnerabilities, driving extreme content to maximize engagement. Algorithms, influencers, and small communities create tailored realities that fragment shared truth and make consensus harder. These platforms, coupled with the power of AI, make a formidable social force within our culture that is often used to reshape politics, social interaction and civic trust in subtle yet profound ways.
Lecture 2: Friday, November 14th at 1:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
How Attention Became the World's Most Endangered Resource. Drawing on key ideas from Chris Hayes, The Sirens' Call we will examine how our attention has become commodified and why that matters deeply—for individuals and society. In this lecture we will use the story of Odysseus to illustrate how modern smartphones can be understood as present-day sirens.
Lecture 3: Friday, November 21st at 1:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
Attention, Algorithms and Social Media. This lecture will delve into the argument made by many scholars that Social Platforms (Facebook, Twitter or X, YouTube, etc.) shaped minds, politics, and societies. This, they claim, is done using algorithms to exploit psychological vulnerabilities, which, in turn, amplify extremism. The argument suggests that algorithms are designed to maximize attention and engagement not truth or well-being. Arguments both for and against this position will be explored.
Lecture 4: Friday, December 5th at 1:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
The Hidden Power of Modern Propagandists. This lecture explores the hidden power of modern propagandists in shaping public opinion. We will address the argument that niche influencers, algorithms, and online communities collaborate to create 'bespoke realities.' This argument then tries to explain how this situation erodes trust in democratic institutions.
Course 10 - Brain Health Matters!
Presented by: Dr. Scott W. Sautter, Diplomate, American Board of Professional Neuropsychology, Board Certified Neuropsychologist, and Licensed Clinical Psychologist. He is an adjunct professor at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Course Description: This class will provide beneficial advice for strengthening your brain's health.
Dates and Topic:
Lecture: Tuesday, November 25th at 3:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
Grateful Heart Healthy Brain: Apply a healthy brain lifestyle through the power of gratitude.
Course 11 - A Leg Lamp and Christmas Lights: An Examination of Christmas Films
Presented by: Dr. Dennis Bounds, Writer, Author, and Adjunct Professor at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Course Description: Christmas time is a time for celebration and family. It's also time for traditional Christmas Movies.
These Films deal with some aspect of Christmas tradition such as Christmas trees, presents, family, and the birth of Jesus. In this two-session lecture series, we will examine two films that are almost always shown during this holiday: A Christmas Story and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Clips from the films will be shown and each session lasts 60 minutes—with plenty of time set aside for questions at the end.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Tuesday, Dec. 2nd at 11:00AM in the Anderson Bayview Room.
A Christmas Story. In this session, we will examine the film A Christmas Story (1983). We will examine the history of the making and marketing of this film, its cast and themes, its literary origins, as well as the reception of the
film by audiences and critics.
Lecture 2: Tuesday, Dec. 9th at 11:00AM in the Anderson Bayview Room.
National Lampoon's Christmas. Vacation: In this session, we will examine the film National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989). We will examine the history of the making and marketing of this film, its cast and themes, it's connection to previous and later films in the "National Lampoon's Vacation" series, as well as the reception of the film by audiences and critics