Search results for

The Dead Sea Scrolls have revolutionized understandings of Hellenistic Judaism, the Hebrew Bible, and the time period of Jesus. But why? Why do they matter? How were they discovered? Who wrote them? This two-part lecture will consider where these writings originated and why, as writings of a small Dead Sea community, they have made such a major impact on scholarship.

Jason Hensley, PhD, teaches religious studies at a private school in Los Angeles. He is a fellow of the Michael LaPrade Holocaust Education Institute of the Anti-Defamation League, a member of Civic Spirit's teacher education cohort, and the award-winning author of 10 books. His work has been featured in The Huffington Post as well as the BBC, and he has served as the historical advisor for a Holocaust documentary.

Fifty and Better was designed to offer university-level courses and lectures (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field, and to host social engagement activities for individuals age 50 and older.

As one saying goes, “The mind is what the brain does,” meaning that when we think, remember, move, dream, feel, etc., our brain (and wider nervous system) has something to do with it. So, what happens when that vital body system starts to fall apart? Why is it that an otherwise healthy leg cannot move during paralysis? Why is it hard for a person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease to remember what happened yesterday but to have no problem remembering grade school? Why do individuals with Ataxia or Parkinson’s shake, and why do the bodies of people with ALS slowly degenerate? During this lecture we will learn about some of the most life altering neurodegenerative disorders, what happens to the nervous system, and explore new therapeutics for these disorders.

Wesley Tierney is currently a PhD candidate in Neuroscience at Arizona State University. He studies the mechanisms of Herpes Simplex Virus infection of neurons. He has worked in various research labs for seven years ranging from social psychology, entomology, regenerative medicine, virology, and neuroscience.

Fifty and Better was designed to offer university-level courses and lectures (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field, and to host social engagement activities for individuals age 50 and older.

It’s the time of year for singing Christmas carols but most people don’t know the true stories behind the holiday’s most enduring songs. For example, “Jingle Bells” was actually first sung at Thanksgiving and had nothing to do with Christmas. We’ll look at the fascinating stories behind many of our most beloved Christmas songs, both traditional and secular, and the people who wrote them.

Cary Ginell is a Grammy-nominated writer and author of 12 books on American music. After a 30-year career in radio, he has spent the last 20 years as a public speaker, talking about music in classrooms, at conferences, and on cruise ships. Cary brings a lifelong passion for the recording industry to his work and is one of the world’s foremost authorities on his specialty, western swing. Cary previously served as President of the Association for Recorded Sound Collections, an international organization of music scholars and world-renowned institutions. He holds a master’s degree in Folklore from UCLA and a bachelor’s in Radio/TV/Film from Cal State University Northridge.

Fifty and Better was designed to offer university-level courses and lectures (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field, and to host social engagement activities for individuals age 50 and older.

Join Trekking Ambassadors for their 5k Fun-draising Trail run-hike on November 5th, 2022 to support local Santa Barbara Organizations on their mission to deliver critically needed solar lights and reading eyeglasses to remote villagers in the Mount Everest region!

This 5k trail run-hike is set in the beautiful foothills of Santa Barbara following the San Antonio Creek Trail which meanders up a fast, well shaded trail for a big portion of the course. Great for first timers and fun for those with experience that want to challenge their PR on a 5k.

Proceeds from this “FUN-draiser” event will benefit Santa Barbara Wellness Center, Unite to Light, Santa Barbara Waldorf School and the adventure hiking team. There will be a raffle for gift baskets; gift certificates for sport equipment and excursions; gourmet foods; luxury items and more. There will also be chair massages, a giant chocolate chip cookie bake sale and body composition/antioxidant readings.

To learn more and register for this fundraising event, please visit: https://trekkingambassadors.com/events


Date: November 5th, 2022
Time: 11am - 3pm PST
Price: From $45.00
Register Link: https://www.active.com/santa-barbara-ca/running/races/trekking-ambassadors-5k-fun-draising-trail-run-hike-2022

Piano faculty member Eric Kinsley will present an eclectic repertoire of chamber music with guest musician Caitlin Boruch on flute and other special guests.

Admission is free. Donations will be accepted. For information, call the Music Department at 805-493-3306 or visit CalLutheran.edu/music.

Sheridan Wigginton, PhD, and McNair Scholar Melissa Romero will discuss how Dominicans, Dominican-Americans and Dominican culture are taught to university students learning Spanish. This virtual presentation will pay special attention to how the books adhere to the cultural standards established by ACTFL.

The presentation is part of Wigginton’s 2021-22 research as a Fellow at the Dominican Studies Institute at the City University of New York.

The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required by 5 p.m. Oct. 12. Register at https://bit.ly/3cboTY8. Participants will receive a confirmation email and the Zoom link prior to the event.

This event is sponsored by the Department of Languages and Cultures, the City University of New York Dominican Studies Institute and the Afro/Latin-American Research Association.
For more information, contact Marisol Rodríguez, Department of Languages and Cultures assistant, at marisolrodriguez@CalLutheran.edu.

The One County, One Book 2022 selection for Ventura County is Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America by Mayukh Sen. Cal Lutheran will present a panel of professors and alumni — Samuel Claussen, PhD; chef Antonio Sessa ’15; and Michaela Reaves, PhD — to talk about the role of food (such as chocolate) in American history and culture.

Taste Makers, Sen's debut book, published in November 2021, explores America’s modern culinary history through the lives of seven pathbreaking chefs and food writers. The W.W. Norton description of the book asks, "Who’s really behind America’s appetite for foods from around the globe?” This group biography features seven women, all immigrants, who left an indelible mark on the way Americans eat today, from World War II to the present.

The event is sponsored by the Ventura County Library and the History Department. For more information about the panel, contact Michaela Reaves at reaves@CalLutheran.edu or 805-493-3381.

For more information about the One County, One Book program and a link to additional events, including the author’s presentation on Nov. 12, visit https://www.vencolibrary.org/i-want/one-county-one-book.

Each fall, the university gathers to celebrate its mission and values, and marks the occasion with a festive convocation. We celebrate what it means to be a future-focused, values-informed university.

The program includes installing the Board of Regents, commissioning the Convocation, and recognizing the Christus Award honoree. This award is given annually to individuals in recognition of their contributions to strengthening the bridge between the church and the university, or who have made significant contributions to higher education in the ELCA. This year’s recipient is the Rev. Dr. R. Guy Erwin, president of United Lutheran Seminary. Erwin was the fourth bishop of the Southwest California Synod of the ELCA from 2013 to 2020. From 2000 until he was elected synod bishop, he held the Gerhard and Olga J. Belgum Chair in Lutheran Confessional Theology at Cal Lutheran.

Admission is free. The event will be livestreamed at CalLutheran.edu/live.

The Founders Day Convocation is sponsored by the Division of Mission and Identity. For information, contact Mission and Identity at 805-493-3589 or missionandidentity@CalLutheran.edu.

“Flipping the Script” is a history lecture series that highlights people, groups or events in world history that are typically ignored or considered irrelevant in mainstream cultural narratives.

For the second lecture in the series, Chris Kimball, PhD, will discuss the Jackie Robinson story. Although Robinson’s story is well known, less reported is the impact of integration on Black professional baseball. As Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, the “Negro Leagues” experimented with white players. That fascinating story further highlights the remarkable nature of Robinson’s achievement.

The series will continue with:
Dec. 1: David Nelson, PhD, “Japan’s Schindler: Sugihara Chiune and the Power of the Visa”
Jan. 26: Michaela Reaves, PhD, “Making the World Safe for Democracy: World War I?”
April 20: Samuel Claussen, PhD, “Hear Me Roar: Powerful, Violent Women of the Renaissance”

This series is presented by the History Department faculty and other experts, focusing on different periods in world history. The series is sponsored by Cal Lutheran, the Thousand Oaks Grant R. Brimhall Library and Ventura County Library, and generously funded in part by a Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation grant. For information, contact David Nelson at dnelson@CalLutheran.edu.

Thursdays through Saturdays, Nov. 10-12 and 17-19, 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 20, 2 p.m.

Shakespeare in Love is a wildly funny and romantic play based on the Academy Award-winning movie of the same name. The play is set in the outrageous world of Elizabethan theater as a young Will Shakespeare struggles to write Romeo and Juliet. Filled with sword fights, farcical comedy, on- and off-stage drama, a touching love story, and even Queen Elizabeth I, the play imagines how Shakespeare might have begun his journey to becoming the greatest writer in the English language. Shakespeare in Love is adapted for the stage by Lee Hall, based on the screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard.

Admission is $10; free with Cal Lutheran ID. For information, call 805-493-3452 or visit CalLutheran.edu/theatre. Presented by the Theatre and Dance Department.