Winter/Spring 2025 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 - Sustenance, Spaces, Symbols, and Souls: Religions’ Tangled Threads
Presented by:
Dr. Craig Wansink has his Ph.D. in New Testament from Yale University and has studied at universities in Japan, Jordan, Germany, and Israel. Since 1993 he has been a Professor of Religious Studies at Virginia Wesleyan University, where he also serves as the chair of the Department of Religious Studies as well as the Joan P. and Macon F. Brock Jr. Director of the Robert Nusbaum Center. In addition, he is the senior pastor at Second Presbyterian Church in Norfolk. Craig and his wife, Nancy Chapman, live in Virginia Beach.
Course Description:
This series dives into the profound ways religions shape human life, from the meals we share to the spaces we revere, the symbols we cherish, and the ways we confront death. We'll explore how dietary practices, sacred spaces, religious symbols, and funerary customs vary across faiths and how these differences can inspire both harmony and conflict. By unpacking these fascinating aspects of religious practice, participants will gain insight into how belief systems influence culture, identity, and the global landscape.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Tuesday, February 4th at 1:00 PM in the Anderson Bayview Room.
From Beef to Beaver, Wine to Wheat, and Shellfish to Champagne: The Challenges of Religious Food: Food is more than sustenance—it’s a reflection of identity, community, and faith. This hour explores how religious dietary laws and traditions shape cultures, create boundaries, and sometimes lead to misunderstandings or conflict. From the kosher and halal debates to fasting practices and forbidden foods, we'll examine the profound spiritual and cultural significance of what’s on the plate. How does what we eat (or don’t eat) connect us to the divine, and how does it divide us?
Lecture 2: Tuesday, February 11th at 1:00 PM in the Anderson Bayview Room.
From Bethlehem to Jerusalem: A Look at 10 Kilometers of Sacred Spaces and Religious Conflicts: Sacred spaces are at the heart of religious devotion, but they’re also hotbeds of conflict. This talk explores iconic sites in Bethlehem and Jerusalem, delving into their spiritual significance and the tensions they ignite among faith communities. By examining the history and politics of these contested spaces, we’ll uncover how sacred geography can both unite and divide. How do we reconcile the holiness of a site with the struggles over its control?
Lecture 3: Tuesday, February 18th at 1:00 PM in the Anderson Bayview Room.
From Swastikas to Crosses: When Religious Symbols Result in Conflict: Religious symbols carry profound meaning, but they can also become flashpoints for controversy. This hour examines the swastika, the cross, and other sacred symbols that have been misunderstood, misused, or politicized. We’ll explore how these symbols unite believers, provoke hostility, and challenge perceptions in a pluralistic world. How do we reclaim the sacred from the contentious, and what does that process reveal about the power of symbols?
Lecture 4: Tuesday, February 25th at 1:00 PM in the Anderson Bayview Room.
Sky Burial, Sallekhana, Incineration, and More: Religious Challenges of Navigating Death: Death is a universal experience, but how we approach it is deeply shaped by religion. Together we will delve into the diverse ways faith traditions confront mortality, from Tibetan sky burials to Jain Sallekhana, Christian cremation debates, and more. We’ll explore how these practices reflect beliefs about the afterlife, the body, and the soul, and how they sometimes challenge modern cultural norms. What do these rituals teach us about the intersection of spirituality and mortality?
Course 2 - Taking Care of our Brain!
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 brains health.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Tuesday, February 11th at 11:00AM in the Anderson Bayview Room.
Memory and Aging: 101: This lecture will explore the relationship between memory and aging, reviewing age-related memory concerns, differentiating normal versus abnormal memory changes, and providing practical science-based memory strategies. Additional topics will include how brain healthy choices in exercise, diet, stress reduction, quality sleep, mentally stimulating activities and social engagement affect memory.
Learning Objectives:
- Explore how aging affects the brain's structure and function, particularly in regions associated with memory, such as the hippocampus, and the impact of these changes on cognitive abilities.
- Discuss evidence-based methods and lifestyle choices, such as cognitive training, physical exercise, and proper nutrition, that can help maintain or improve memory function as people age.
- Examine the difference between normal age-related memory decline and more serious conditions, such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease, and highlight early signs and intervention options.
Lecture 2: Tuesday, March 11th at 11:00AM in the Anderson Bayview Room.
Brain Boosters: Separating Fact from Fiction: This lecture will examine the science of different substances and activities that influence cognitive performance. It will cover the biological mechanisms of brain enhancement, evaluate the effectiveness of nootropics, supplements, exercise, and mentally stimulating activities, and guide participants on how to boost brain function effectively and responsibly.
Learning Objectives:
- Discuss the science behind the effectiveness of brain-boosting substances and activities, related to neuroplasticity and cognitive function.
- Discuss the scientific evidence supporting various brain boosters, such as nootropics, dietary supplements, physical exercise, and mental stimulation, to assess their benefits and limitations.
- Provide evidence-based strategies for enhancing cognitive health and avoiding possibly harmful interventions.
Course 3 - 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 Constitution protects religious freedom, free speech, fair representation, and sex equality, but societal changes have generated new, complex disputes about the scope of these rights. For example, some public-school teachers have been fired for failing to use transgender students’ preferred pronouns while other teachers have won court rulings that pronoun mandates violate their religious liberty. This five-part series begins with a history of basic rights and then takes up various high-profile fights about rights now playing out in the courts and political branches.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Thursday, March 6th at 1:00 PM in the Anderson Bayview Room.
Fundamental Rights under the Constitution: While the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution in 1791, it did not become a major force in American politics until the 1920s and later, largely as a result of Supreme Court rulings that the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment (adopted in 1868) made provisions of the first ten amendments applicable to the states. This lecture looks at the evolution of rights, giving attention to selected Court rulings on free speech, religious freedom, fair representation, and sex equality.
Lecture 2: Thursday, March 13th at 1:00 PM in the Anderson Bayview Room.
Religious Freedom: Does a local school board unduly burden the religious views of elementary school parents when it says that their children cannot opt out of lessons “celebrating gender transitions” and “same-sex playground romance”? Does the federal government infringe the free exercise rights of Western Apache’s when it allows a copper mining operation to destroy a sacred tribal site? Does Wisconsin discriminate against Catholic Charities in finding that its activities are insufficiently “religious” to merit a tax exemption?
Lecture 3: Thursday, March 20th at 1:00 PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
Free Speech: Does Congress violate the free speech rights of TikTok and its users when it requires ByteDance, the social-media platform’s Chinese owner, to sell TikTok to an American firm (in order to prevent the collection and misuse of users’ data by the Chinese government)? Can Texas, as a means of protecting minors against harmful salacious material, require online pornographic websites to certify that its users are aged-18 or older—or does such a regulation violate the free speech rights of the sites and adult users?
Lecture 4: Thursday, March 27th at 1:00 PM in the Anderson Bayview Room.
Fair Representation and Citizenship: When must states, consistent with federal law and the 14th Amendment, draw congressional districts with a Black majority? What constraints, if any, does the Constitution impose on partisan gerrymandering? The 14th Amendment says that “all persons born . . . in the United States . . . are citizens” thereof, but President Trump has proposed to end this “birthright citizenship.” What are his chances of success?
Lecture 5: Thursday, April 3rd at 1:00 PM in the Anderson Bayview Room.
Sex Equality: In 2020 the U.S. Supreme Court held that the 1964 Civil Rights Act bans discrimination “because . . . of sex” against gay and transgender employees. Now the Court is considering whether the guarantee of Equal Protection under the 14th Amendment prohibits Tennessee from barring “gender-affirming” medical treatments for minors who are transitioning. Multiple lawsuits are contesting various state laws excluding transgender athletes from women’s sports. Does sex equality equal gender equality?
Course 4 - Early Church History: How it all Began
Presented by: Dr. Benson P. Fraser, Westminster-Canterbury Fellow for Religious, Studies and Lifelong Learning at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Course Description: Church history is a vigorous drama about what we find ourselves living in. Who we are as a culture today has much to do with the history and growth of the church throughout the last two thousand years. This class begins a several part series of classes on the history of the Christian Church. We start at the beginning or early years of the growth of the church. Here we will examine its source, influence, missteps, development and impact on culture and the social structure that have made up our world—especially here is the west.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Friday, February 28th at 1:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
The Age of Jesus and the Apostles 6 BC-AD 70. The focus in this class is on the Jesus movement within the Hebrew religion and the persecution which followed. We will examine the lives of the apostles but most assuredly the apostle Paul in the early days of the movement. We will briefly discuss the events and activities which led the followers of Jesus to break with Jewish faith.
Lecture 2: Friday, March 7th at 1:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
The Wrath of Rome and the Persecution of Christianity. The persecution of the Christians led to the diffusion of the church throughout the known world. Of course, Rome was the political and social center of the world at that time having conquered much of the known world. Christianity was soon found its way to Rome and the conflict between the Romans and the Christians clearly had a decisive impact on both entities.
Lecture 3: Friday, March 14th at 1:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
The Rise of Orthodoxy and the Formation of the Bible. The church did not emerge out of Jerusalem fully developed its full development and beliefs evolved over time. Both the rise of church doctrine and the holy scripture will be examined and discussed in the lecture.
Lecture 4: Friday, March 21st at 1:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
Schools for Sinners and Interaction with Other Worldviews. The development of church structure took time and in some ways still is progressing today. The early churches were no different and the church structures of ministers, bishops, rituals and the like evolved over time. How this took place in the early years of the church and the influence it had on the church culture will be discussed in this class. Furthermore, how the church interacted with other philosophies and worldviews is examined as well.
Course 5 - The Rat Pack: A Five-Part Course for Westminster Canterbury
Presented by: Dr. Dennis Bounds, Writer, Author, and Adjunct Professor at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Course Description: The Rat Pack: A Five-Part Course
Informally organized in the late 1940s and active through the 1950s and 1960s, “The Rat Pack” was a group of musicians and actors who are closely identified with Hollywood film, television, music, and comedy scenes. The core of this group was made up by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop. In this course we will examine one of these Rat Pack members each week—from their beginnings to their triumphs, and to their lasting legacy. Clips from some of their films and TV appearances 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, April 1st, at 1:00 PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
Frank Sinatra (1915-1998). Frank Sinatra was a singer and motion picture actor and one of the most sought-after performers in the entertainment industry. He is considered by many to have been the greatest American singer of 20th-century. In this session, we will examine Sinatra, his volatile temper, and his performances in various media. Clips from his most notable performances will be shown. Discussion to follow.
Lecture 2: Tuesday, April 8th, at 1:00 PM in the Anderson Bayview Room.
Dean Martin (1917-1995): Dean Martin was a singer and actor who was a member, with Jerry Lewis, of one of the most popular comedy teams on stage and television and in motion pictures for 10 years. Martin then moved on to a successful solo career as a singer, an actor, and a television variety show host. In this session, we will examine Martin as he appeared in so many films and as himself. Clips from his most notable performances will be shown. Discussion to follow.
Lecture 3: Tuesday, April 15th, at 1:00 PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
Sammy Davis, Jr. (1925-1990): Sammy Davis, Jr. was an American singer, dancer, and entertainer. He encountered virulent racial prejudice early in his career, but he endured to become one of the first African American stars to achieve wide popularity. In this session, we will examine Davis and his public persona. Clips from his most notable performances will be shown. Discussion to follow.
Lecture 4: Tuesday, April 22ed, at 1:00 PM in the Anderson Bayview Room.
Peter Lawford (1923-1984): Peter Lawford was a well-known celebrity and starred in a number of highly acclaimed films. In later years, he was noted more for his off-screen activities as a celebrity than for his acting; it was said that he was “famous for being famous”. In this session, we will examine the actor and his public persona. Clips from his most notable performances will be shown. Discussion to follow.
Lecture 5: Tuesday, April 29th, at 1:00 PM in the Anderson Bayview Room.
Joey Bishop (1918-2007): Joey Bishop was an American comedian who appeared on television as early as 1948 and eventually starred in his own weekly comedy series playing a talk/variety show host, then later hosted a late-night talk show with Regis Philbin as his young sidekick. In this session, we will examine the comedian and his public persona. Clips from his most notable performances will be shown. Discussion to follow.
Course 6 - Russian Revolution
Presented by: Dr. Sara Sewell, Professor of History at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Course Description: This lecture series provides an overview of the history of the Russian Revolution. It begins with an analysis of Russia before the Revolution. It then turns to the two revolutions in 1917: one in the spring and the other in the fall. Finally, it examines Russia and the Soviet Union in the first decade of Bolshevik rule under Vladmir Lenin and Joseph Stalin. The central question it interrogates is how did the Soviet Union develop into a repressive dictatorship under Stalin even though many Bolsheviks had advocated democracy?
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Friday, April 4th at 11:00AM in the Penthouse Lounge.
Russia before 1914: Before the outbreak of revolution in 1917, Russia was an autocracy, ruled by Tsar Nicholas II (1868-1918) of the Romanov Dynasty, which had governed Russia for three centuries. In a multitude of ways, Russia in the early 20th century resembled Russia from centuries earlier. At the same time, change was afoot, evidenced especially by the onset of industrialization, the loss in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05), and especially the Revolution of 1905. This lecture
examines key political and social developments in Russia prior to 1914.
Lecture 2: Friday, April 11th at 11:00AM in the Penthouse Lounge.
1917 Spring Revolution: With Russia’s entry into World War One in 1914, the incompatibility between Russian traditionalism and modernization were exposed in full view. This clash culminated in spring 1917 when working-class women in Petrograd (formerly known as St. Petersburg) took to the streets on International Women’s Day to protest wages, working conditions, the lack of equality, long bread lines, Russia’s participation in World War One, and the monarchy itself. One week later, Nicholas II abdicated, dramatically opening up public space for mass popular revolutionary activity. This lecture explores the outbreak of revolution in 1917.
Lecture 3: Friday, April 18th at 11:00AM in the Penthouse Lounge.
1917 Bolshevik Revolution: By September 1917, many revolutionaries were dissatisfied with the pace of change. Chief among them were the Bolsheviks, a Marxist revolutionary party led by Vladmir Lenin (1870-1924). Anxious for greater reform, the Bolsheviks spearheaded a second revolution in fall 1917, seizing power and pushing out many revolutionary leaders. One of the Bolsheviks’ first acts was to pull Russia out of World War One in March 1918. Although the Bolsheviks enacted reforms that many Russians supported, opposition to them was mounting quickly, and in 1918, a civil war broke out that pitted the Bolsheviks, or the “Reds,” against a loose conglomeration of enemies, the “Whites.” The Russian Civil War (1918-21) was exceptionally violent, causing the deaths of 7 to 12 million people, most of whom were non-combatants. This lecture focuses on the Bolsheviks’ coming to power and their efforts to consolidate power in the first years of rule.
Lecture 4: Friday, April 25th at 11:00AM in the Penthouse Lounge.
From Lenin to Stalin: With victory in the Civil War, the Bolsheviks, under Lenin, worked with dispatch to stabilize Russia after nearly a decade of war. Essential to their strategy was the consolidation of power, which was sometimes realized by putting Marxist principles into practice and at other times by deviating from Marxist theory. Indeed, in many regards, Marxist-Leninism was a political philosophy enacted on the ground under the circumstances of severe social dislocation. In 1924, Lenin died without a clear successor. This opened the door for a revolutionary back-seater, Joseph Stalin (1878-53), to maneuver adroitly to seize power by 1926. By 1930, Stalin had fashioned the Soviet Union into a brutal dictatorship, which many considered to be inconsistent with Marxist-Leninism. This lecture traces the evolution of the Soviet Union in its first decade under the leadership of Lenin and Stalin, focusing on the moves away from democracy and toward dictatorship.
Course 7 - An Introduction to the World’s Major Religions
Presented by: Dr. Benson P. Fraser, Westminster-Canterbury Fellow for Religious, Studies and Lifelong Learning at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Course Description: Religion is this modern age is still an important feature of human life. Although religions belief is waning in the West the vast majority of human beings around the world still perceive themselves to be religious. This class will examine and discuss various aspects of religious beliefs from four of the largest religious communities worldwide. A brief introduction to Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism be presented and discussed. Even if you are not religious these religious beliefs significantly influence our world today, so I invite you to join us.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Friday, May 2nd at 1:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
Judaism. Judaism originated around 4,000 years ago in the Middle East and is one of the oldest monotheistic religions in the world. It centers on the belief of one God (Yahweh) and follows the teaching of the Torah, Judaism’s foundational text, which is part of the Hebrew’s sacred writings.
Lecture 2: Friday, May 9th at 1:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
Christianity. This class will examine the Christian church worldwide and try to make sense of the impact and growth of the world’s largest religious community. Included in this lecture will be a look at why the Christian faith is decreasing in the West but growing in much of the rest of the world—especially Africa.
Lecture 3: Friday, May 16th at 1:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
Islam. Is the second largest religion in the world and may soon be the largest. This monotheistic religion is based on the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad who is considered the final prophet in a long line of prophets that includes figures such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Join us for a quick look at Islam today.
Lecture 4: Friday, May 23rd at 1:00PM in the Penthouse Lounge.
Hinduism. Hinduism is the third-largest religion in the world and in many ways the most diverse. It’s origins dating back over 4,000 years in the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism has over a billion followers primarily in India and Nepal. Join us as we explore this very interesting religious faith.
Course 8 - Building Bridges to our Community Through Faith and Service
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.
Course Description: This set of lectures is intended to examine how we can build a better society, and the part faith communities plays in this process. By examining four important areas affecting our community in Hampton Roads, Dr. Harris will help us understand the needs and suggest powerful insight into how we can respond to these challenges. Join us for this enlightening lectures.
Dates and Weekly Topics:
Lecture 1: Thursday, May 8th at 11:00AM in the Anderson Bayview Room.
The Need for Leadership that Builds Bridges: How Faith Compels Us to Work Together. In a world marked by division and conflict, the need for leadership that unites people across cultural, racial, and ideological boundaries has never been greater. This course explores the essential role of faith in shaping leaders who build bridges and foster collaboration in diverse communities. Drawing on theological principles, historical examples, and contemporary challenges, students will examine how faith compels individuals to engage in reconciliation, justice, and mutual understanding.
Lecture 2: Thursday, May 15th at 11:00AM in the Anderson Bayview Room.
Together We Build a Better Community: A Faith Perspective on Diversity Equity and Inclusion. This course offers a faith-based approach to understanding and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in communities and organizations. Grounded in theological principles and ethical frameworks, participants will explore how faith traditions can inspire transformative practices that embrace diversity, promote equity, and foster inclusion.
Lecture 3: Thursday, May 22nd at 11:00AM in the Anderson Bayview Room.
What about the Children? Reversing the Unintended Segregation in Hampton Roads. This course addresses the historical and contemporary factors contributing to unintended segregation in Hampton Roads and its profound impact on children and communities. Focusing on education, housing, and social systems, participants will explore how policies and practices have perpetuated racial and economic divides. Through a lens of justice, equity, and advocacy, the course challenges leaders to envision and implement strategies for creating more inclusive and equitable environments for the next generation.
Lecture 4: Thursday, May 29th at 11:00AM in the Anderson Bayview Room.
A Hand-Up: A Meditation on Acts 3 and What It Means for Us Today. This course offers a deep, reflective study of Acts 3 and its enduring relevance for contemporary life and ministry. Centering on the story of Peter and John’s encounter with the lame man at the temple gate, participants will explore the spiritual, social, and practical implications of offering a “hand-up” rather than a “handout.”