Medford/Jacksonville Courses   

Who will control the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in the last two years of President Trump’s administration? That will be the major topic of this course. We’ll also discuss some major state governor races, certainly including Oregon and California. Election laws, campaign spending and developing issues will also be topics for classes. All viewpoints will be welcome. No background information is essential for participants, only an interest in our country.

This course will introduce students to the concept of political theology using the Gospel of Mark as an example of standing in the breach between temple and court collusion while exercising nonviolent resistance toward authoritarian power. Americans have been taught that church and state should be separate, but religion and politics have experienced a lover’s quarrel throughout history. We will look at Pope Leo XIV as an example. While the course has a Christian biblical slant, it will be of general interest. All viewpoints are welcome. The instructor will facilitate class discussion of five or six pages of assigned readings from his unpublished manuscript during each class. Students are encouraged to bring personal experience to bear. Seating will model a class oval.

Share ideas, make new friends and celebrate women in an updated answer to the salons of the French Enlightenment. Find common ground and camaraderie with other women via conversation and intellectual stimulation using modern pop culture as the catalyst for discussion— like a book club, but with films. At the first meeting, students will jointly select themes, which can range from angels to zeitgeist, diving deep into topics that touch women across ages, cultures, communities and circumstances. Weekly emails will include film titles and links to quotes, articles, visual artistic works and music that will become touchstones to recall personal stories and insights to share in discussions at the following sessions. Classes may include a short meditation. 

NOTE: Students will watch one to two films weekly at home before class, chosen from current selections on Netflix, Amazon Prime and/or other popular streaming services available via free trials. 

Do you have a person or topic you think children might be interested in reading about? Writing a book could be the way to share an interesting subject. In this course, we will explore the wonderful world of “faction” — a portmanteau of fact and fiction, a genre that uses real documented historical events or figures as a foundation for a fictional narrative. Books will be written with the 8- to 12-year-old age group in mind. Participants will conceive and develop their words into a manuscript for a 32-page picture book. Art will not be required. Our small writing community will encourage, support and provide feedback. Writing will be done outside class; class sessions will be spent collaborating. This class is appropriate for both experienced and inexperienced writers.