Fall 2024 Schedule
Please see below for the Fall 2024 Course Catalog for the Westminster/Wesleyan Lifelong Learning Institute. Copies of the catalog are also available in Westminster-Canterbury Resident Services or on the WC Resident Hub at residenthub.org.
Course 1 - Economic Issues Facing our World Today
Presented by: Dr. Garrett Wood, who served as a Naval Surface Warfare Officer in the US Navy before leaving to attain his Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University. He publishes research on the intersection of defense and economics while teaching at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Course Description: This course addresses three topics that are import economic issues to our country today. The three topics addressed are: inflation, barter logistics and property rights. Each of these three classes will address on of these important issues.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Friday, August 30th at 11:00 a.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
“What Inflation Is And What It Isn't": Inflation is a simple concept clouded by jargon and bad but popular economic theories that conceal the real danger of recklessly printing money. That danger is malinvestment.
Friday, September 6th at 11:00 a.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
"Barter Logistics: Shadow Exchange On The Front Lines Of The Russia-Ukraine War": When the Ukrainian state fails to properly supply its soldiers they will often turn to trading weapons and supplies a.m.ong themselves, even if this is illegal. But without the state to enforce these trade contracts, how does any trade occur at all?
Friday, Friday, September 13th at 11:00 a.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
"Strange Tales Of Property Rights": There are a lot of strange human behaviors that make a lot more sense when we think about them in terms of property rights, or the lack thereof. I present a few of them here.
Course 2 - Narnia for “Grown-ups”
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: C. S. Lewis’ fantasy children series, The Chronicles of Narnia, sparked a cottage industry with their global popularity. "Narnia for Grownups" will be a light-hearted eight-week course exploring and playing with theological themes and subtle insights throughout C. S. Lewis classic stories. We will hop and a.m.ble through each of the seven books, beginning with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and ending with the Apocalyptic The Last Battle. Grown-up "students" are encouraged to read each book the week before, but may still attend class if they haven't, but may still be teased by Professor Terry Lindvall (whose new book on the Joy of Narnia: Teaching Middle School Students to Laugh again will be released sometime during the course). Be a kid again, even if it is just to play hooky.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Monday, September 16th at 4:15 p.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
Introduction: Awakening in Narnia: Introduction to Lewis and His Sources
Lecture 2: Monday, September 23rd at 4:15 p.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
"Always Winter and Never Christmas": The Gospel Story in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Lecture 3: Monday, September 30th at 4:15 p.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
"Do You Remember?": The Past Shaping the Present in Prince Caspian
Lecture 4: Monday, October 7th at 4:15 p.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
"To Find All That you Seek; There is the Utter East": Life's Journey in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Lecture 5: Monday, October 14th at 4:15 p.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
"Arabian Nights and Four Loves": The Exotic Adventures of The Horse and His Boy
Lecture 6: Monday, October 21st at 4:15 p.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
"It's All in Plato!": Descents into the Cave of The Silver Chair
Lecture 7: Monday, October 28th at 4:15 p.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
"The Laughter of Venus": Endings and Beginnings in The Magician's Nephew
Lecture 8: Monday, November 4th at 4:15 p.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
"Apocalypse Now": The Four Last Things in The Last Battle
Course 3 - The Wisdom of the Maasai
Presented by: Dr. Benson P. Fraser, Westminster-Canterbury Fellow for Religious, Studies and Lifelong Learning at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Course Description: The class is based on a book that will be released this September, 2024 from Carolina Academic Press called The Wisdom of the Maasai. The work is authored by Dr. Fraser and two colleagues and contains a collection of 70 original Maasai stories. The stories in this collection all come from Maasai communities in Tanznaia and are intended to instruct and entertain. Furthermore, the book discuss many of the entertainment-educational messages and moral lessons communicated through the stories that are passed down from one generation to the next. Come and enjoy the stories and pictures of the Maasai way of life.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Friday, September 27th at 1:00 p.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
The Culture of the Maasai. As the Maasai of Tanznaia move from being a warrior clan to adopting to the modern culture of their nation the challenge is to maintain their identity as a people. Stories are key to keeping their beliefs, rituals and culture from being overwhelmed by the modern ways and technology found in the larger Tanzanian society.
Lecture 2: Friday, October 4th at 1:00 p.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
Oral Literature as entertainment education. This class is based on a book just published (2024) by Carolina University Press by Benson Fraser, Steven Kiruswa and Willi a.m. Brown. There will be a brief lecture on the importance of story in traditional culture and in our modern culture. Also, some of the Maasai stories from the book will be read and explained.
Course 4 - “The Shape of Things to Come” (with Apologies to H.G. Wells)
Presented by: Dr. Timothy G. O’Rourke (Ph.D., Duke, Political Science) served as Vice President and Provost at Virginia Wesleyan University from 2007 to 2019. Dr. O’Rourke is now Vice President Emeritus VWU.
Course Description: Publishing The Shape of Things to Come in 1933, H.G. Wells predicted the future through 2106, or roughly 173 years. This five-part series covers the time from the election of 1968 through 2025, the first year of the new administration (of whichever party). The perspective is one of a Time Machine with a rather modest chronological range.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Thursday, October 3rd, at 11:00 a.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
“ʻDéjà Vu All Over Again’? Why 2024 Might Be a Replay of 1968” An incumbent president has decided not to seek reelection and has been replaced by his sitting vice president on the Democratic ticket. The Republicans have countered with a candidate who suffered defeat in his last try for the presidency. While not literally at war, the country is actively involved in two hot foreign wars, disruptive mass protests are becoming more common on the domestic front, and there has been an assassination attempt. Inflation has been high and remains above the Federal Reserve’s target rate. In comparing 2024 to 1968, is it “déjà vu all over again,” as Yogi Berra once said, or as son Dale put the matter, can we say the “similarities are different”?
Lecture 2: Thursday, October 10th, at 11:00 a.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
“Fever Pitch? What Can ʻLower the Temperature of Our Politics’” The failed assassination has led to calls to “lower the temperature of our politics,” but our divisions are more than rhetorical. Only 28 percent think our democracy is working well (Gallup). Clear majorities of both Democrats and Republicans see the other party as a threat to a.m.erica (Ipsos). John G. Grove says what is needed is “a different way of thinking . . . one in which people don’t feel that every aspect of their life . . . is on the line every four years in a winner-take-all battle.” In a new book a.m.erican Covenant, Yuval Levin argues that the Constitution itself provides a roadmap that can guide us toward this different way. Is he right?
Lecture 3: Thursday, October 17th, at 11:00 a.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
“ʻForgive Us Our Debts’? Where the Parties Find Agreement, at Our Expense” “Crushing Debts Await Election Winners” headlined a recent Wall Street Journal article. Federal debt totals $35 trillion—a GDP equivalent last seen in World War II—and is projected (by CBO) to grow to $57 trillion by 2034; the annual deficit will average about $2 trillion over the s a.m.e period. The Social Security and Medicare trust funds are running low, both parties promise to avoid raising taxes on most voters, and a blue-ribbon commission has called for Cold-War-level defense spending to deal with an increasingly hostile world. Global debt, says CNN, tops $91 trillion, jeopardizing a.m.erica’s reliance on foreign investors. What is to be done?
Lecture 4: Thursday, October 24th, at 11:00 a.m. in the Anderson Bayview
Room. “Giving the People What They Want? What the Voters Are Saying” In a March 2024 Gallup poll, voters “unprompted” listed “immigration,” “poor leadership,” and the “economy in general” as the nation’s top problems (with “democracy,” “abortion,” “foreign policy,” and “debt” ranking far behind the top issues). Interestingly, a May 2024 Pew Research poll found that the only point on which a majority of Republican and Democratic voters could agree is that “the [in]ability of Republicans and Democrats to work together” is “a very big problem.” So can the two parties find common ground on the economy, immigration, and other divisive issues (such as the debt) and what sort of compromises might be achievable?
Lecture 5: Thursday, October 31st, at 11:00 a.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
“Time to Quit? Whether the Supreme Court Is Showing Its Age (or Its Tilt)” Asserting that the Supreme Court “is being used to weaponize an extreme and unchecked agenda,” President Biden has called for 18-year term limits on the justices so “that the Court membership changes with some regularity.” The Court, for its part, has handed down a series of decisions—on school loans and environmental regulation—that rein in executive discretion to interpret laws without consulting Congress. What do we make of the Court’s recent decisions on presidential immunity, agency power, bump stocks on guns, and racial gerrymandering? Is it the Court, the Executive Branch, or the Congress in need of reform? Does the separation of powers still work?
Course 5 - Geological “Wonders” of Virginia
Presented by: Professor Christopher Haley of Earth Science, Chair of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Course Description: Stretching 430 miles at its southern border from the Atlantic Ocean to Cumberland Gap, a distance of covering over 1/6 of the width of the country at that latitude, Virginia presents uniquely complete cross section of the geology of the Middle Atlantic coast. The rocks underlying the Old Dominion span the last 1.2 billion years of Earth’s History. In this course we will explore the geology of Virginia through space and time emphasizing both the well-known “wonders” (Natural Bridge and Great Falls) and lesser known, more mundane, but surprisingly fascinating phenomena that you may have “wondered” about.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Thursday October 3rd at 1:00 p.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
Picture and Tools of the Trade. This lecture will cover the global history of the last 1.2 billion years, of which Virginia is a piece. This will also be a primer on the two important tools that geologists use to decipher geologic history: 1) rocks, the pages of the geologist’s history book, and how they are interpreted and 2) plate tectonic theory which revolutionized geology and how we understand the evolution of our planet. Finally, we will introduce the five geologic provinces that make up Virginia and which will serve as an outline for the next two lectures.
Lecture 2: Thursday October 10th at 1:00 p.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
Tobacco Country: The Coastal Plain and Piedmont. To many mountain-belt-trained geologist such as myself, the coastal plain seems like a flat, geologically uninteresting place. But deep beneath and within the thick unconsolidated sediments which underlie it, is evidence of a great catastrophe. The dyn a.m.ic barrier islands of the Eastern Shore are perhaps warning us of a possible catastrophic future of a different sort. The Piedmont region is a maddeningly complex array of met a.m.orphic rocks and younger sedimentary rocks. It is the most diverse province, containing hundreds of minerals not found elsewhere in Virginia. And it is the most difficult to interpret.
Lecture 3: Thursday October 17th at 1:00 p.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
Mountainous West. Our last lecture will focus on the three geologic provinces that make up the western mountains of Virginia. The oldest rocks in Virginia are found in Blue Ridge, the great spine of Virginia that is the narrowest, but the highest of the five geologic provinces. West of there, you are either standing on a ridge or in a valley. Thus, you must be in the Valley and Ridge Province which is made of sediments that accumulated over the course of 200 million years and folded and faulted into mountains you see today. And in the far western panhandle lie the Allegheny Plateaus which, when the Appalachians were forming, were not mountains at all but a low basin being filled with sediment from the rising mountains to the east.
Course 6 - What are the Uses and Dangers of Artificial Intelligence?
Presented by: Dr. Benson P. Fraser, Westminster-Canterbury Fellow for Religious, Studies and Lifelong Learning at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Course Description: There is a lot of speculation as to the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in our culture. Scholars and professionals are asking if it is useful, dangerous, or overestimated? These questions are up for debate in our present cultural moment. These lectures will shed light on these and other issues with regards to our use of AI. This class is a continuation and further develo p.m.ent into the use and dangers of AI that we began last semester. Each class lecture we will demonstrate at least one practical use of AI for you to consider.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Friday, October 18th at 1:00 p.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
Reintroducing Artificial Intelligence. What do we know about AI’s usefulness and danger? Does AI pose an existential risk for humanity? As you may have heard, some experts warn of the potential of AI to evolve beyond human control, posing a threat to humanity’s future. It this a real concern of just another exaggerated claim?
Lecture 2: Friday, October 25th at 1:00 p.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
Is AI Conscious, or will it soon become Conscious? This question is an ongoing debate a.m.ong scientists, philosophers, and AI researchers. We will address this issue and try to understand the reality of the situation facing our society. Important to this question is not just if AI possesses consciousness but, if it does not have consciousness today, will it possess consciousness in the future? Finally, we need to ask the question as to whether or not AI should be government regulated or temporarily paused.
Lecture 3: Friday, November 1st at 1:00 p.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
AI Control Problems. In this lecture we will address such issues related to AI as: explainability, unpredictability, incomprehensibility and uncontrollability. In discussing these issues, we will try to separate fact from fiction with regard to the terms above. In so doing we will ask: Can AI become less biased? Finally, we will ex a.m.ine the similarities and differences of personhood verses artificial general intelligence (AGI).
Course 7 - Big Directors with Big Ideas
Presented by: Dr. Dennis Bounds, Writer, Author, and Adjunct Professor at Virginia Wesleyan University
Course Description: There are many people involved in the making of a film and the most prominent of them is the director. In this series of five sessions, we will ex a.m.ine five of the top Hollywood directors--some from the golden age and some from today--and look at the “big ideas” which are both philosophical and theological that drive them to create some of the most popular and critically celebrated films. We will look at John Ford, Frank Capra, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, and Christopher Nolan. Each session will run for one hour with time at the end for discussion.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Tuesday, Nov. 12th at 11:00 a.m. in the Anderson Bayview Room
John Ford – Mostly known for westerns and war films, Ford has regularly tackled such ideas as the role of the individual in the grand scheme of life. We will ex a.m.ine a number of his films including The Searchers, The Fugitive, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. There will be time for discussion at the end.
Lecture 2: Tuesday, Nov. 19th at 11:00 a.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
Frank Capra – His films have looked at the way the common person is affected and affects the world around them. We will ex a.m.ine such films as It's a Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and It Happened One Night. There will be time for discussion at the end.
Lecture 3: Tuesday, Nov. 26th at 11:00 a.m. in the Anderson Bayview Room
Alfred Hitchcock – Known as the Master of Suspense, Hitchcock doesn't shy away from the big ideas in his films--the ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances. We will ex a.m.ine such films as Shadow of a Doubt, Rear Window, and North by Northwest. There will be time for discussion at the end.
Lecture 4: Tuesday, Dec. 3rd at 11:00 a.m. in the Anderson Bayview Room
Stephen Spielberg – The work of Spielberg goes from an ex a.m.ination of a boy's life and experiences to the horrors of war and implications of technology gone a.m.uck. We will ex a.m.ine such films as E. T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Schindler's List, and Minority Report. There will be time for discussion at the end.
Lecture 5: Tuesday, Dec. 10thth at 11:00 a.m. in the Anderson Bayview Room
Christopher Nolan – Whether it is the mind of a man who has lost his memory, to the journey into the world of dre a.m.s, Nolan has explored everything from the inner mind to the outer limits of space and how humans either understand or perish. We will ex a.m.ine such films as Memento, Inception, and Interstellar. There will be time for discussion at the end.
Course 8 - Plays that Ask the Tough Questions
Presented by: Dr. Benson P. Fraser, Westminster-Canterbury Fellow for Religious, Studies and Lifelong Learning at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Course Description: This class will ex a.m.ine three plays: H a.m.let, Shadowlands, and The Sunset Limited. All of these plays are great art, but they also ask hard questions. A play, as art, demands something of us. It forces us to look at ourselves and our society. In doing so it asks important questions regarding our humanity and our world. Great art will show us three things: truth, goodness, and beauty. In these plays we experience these three aspects of art not as abstract concepts but as dr a.m.as, that is as concrete struggles with their opposites: ignorance, evil, and misery. These plays are both entertaining and educational and as we engage them they may help us advance our understanding of truth, goodness and beauty.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Friday, November 22nd at 3:00 p.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
H a.m.let. Many people think that H a.m.let is the greatest play ever written. It is universal in its appeal, and it is in someways a meditation of death. At the end of the play the stage is littered with the dead bodies of many of its main characters. It addresses universal themes of death, darkness and uncertainty which pervade everything and every character in the play. Yet, if provides an important lesson for us all. Many think that Shakespeare has never written anything better than H a.m.let.
Lecture 2: Friday, December 6th at 3:00 p.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
Shadowlands. I first saw this play at the Queen’s theatre (now called Sondheim Theatre) in London. It was a last-minute choice for the evening, and I had to stand in line for hours to get a ticket, but it was worth it. The play deals with C.S. Lewis reaction to the death of his wife as recorded in the book A Grief Observed. In so doing it deals with the Christian response to suffering. Suffering, you may recall, is central to both Christianity and Buddhism. The play was made into a movie with Anthony Hopkins playing Lewis. There are flaws in both the play and the movie, but both are worth the time one needs to both watch and study them.
Lecture 3: Friday, December 13th at 3:00 p.m. in the Penthouse Lounge
Sunset Limited. I have not seen the play The Sunset Limited, but I have seen the movie made from the play several times. In the movie version of the play S a.m.uel Jackson plays the poor, life-affirming “Black” and he gives an absolutely a.m.azing performance. Tommy Lee Jones’ portrayal of the burnt-out “White” is also powerfully performed. (It is a joy to watch these two performers interact with each other.) This play is very philosophical and practical at the s a.m.e time, and it ask many of the big questions today. The writer Cormac McCarthy does not disappoint.