Facing Challenge
In November we dig into challenging issues of mental health, refugees, international politics, and peace between people of different faiths.
Sundays, 9:15 a.m, in the Assembly Room unless otherwise noted.
For a look at Adult Education offerings through December, download the brochure: Adult Education Nov Dec 2017 (pdf).
Dealing with Depression and Suicide
Larry Alphs
November 5
Depression and suicide are common mental disorders that have an impact on our ability to function. They severely impact those living with these disorders and their families and friends. Globally, more than 300 million of God’s people suffer from depression, the leading cause of disability. Explore new insights into understanding and managing these diseases.
Larry Alphs currently works for Janssen Pharmaceuticals and serves as co-moderator of adult education at Nassau. He is a psychiatrist and neuropharmacologist by training. For the past twenty-five years he has worked as a clinical scientist in the pharmaceutical industry, doing Phase I-IV work in a variety of disorders including schizophrenia, suicidality, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, epilepsy, neuropathic pain, and traumatic brain injury.
Ongoing through May 13
In-Depth Bible Study: First Corinthians
George Hunsinger
9:15 AM
Maclean House
Class will be held on: November 12 & December 3, break for the Holidays and resume on January 7 (no class January 14)
George Hunsinger returns for the 21st year to lead this verse-by-verse examination of the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians. Bibles are available for use during the class. Find them on the Deacon Desk by the church kitchen. Class meets next door in Maclean House (Garden Entrance).
November 5, 12, 19; December 3
A Romp through the Bible (Fall: Old Testament)
William R. (Bill) Phillippe
9:30 AM
Niles Chapel
True to the definition of romp, “to play boisterously,” Phillippe will move participants quickly through the 39 books of the Old Testament and do it with a style he believes the writers would approve, even if the some biblical interpreters might not. One reviewer of Phillippe’s book says, “Phillippe’s work will be seen by some as blithe and brash. That’s the best part. He takes us on a tour of what and where and why the Bible happened, and by peeling off the dusty old trappings he brings to light an enchanted story about people, and a God, we’d like to know better.” Copies of the book will be provided free to the first 12 participants.
William R. (Bill) Phillippe, upon retirement, chose to move to Princeton primarily so he could worship and engage at Nassau Presbyterian Church. He is a retired Presbyterian minister and author of A Romp through the Bible, and most recently, The Pastor’s Diary. Bill has served a number of churches as pastor, was a Synod Executive for 10 years, and has served as Acting Executive Director of the General Assembly Mission Council.
Classes in Niles Chapel are not recorded.
Refugees Matter
Deborah Amos
November 12
Deborah Amos of NPR will bring us an update on current refugee resettlement developments, with a focus on the Canadian scene. Deborah is taking a Princeton University class to the province of Manitoba to report on Canada’s private resettlement program, where individual Canadian families sponsor a refugee family until they get established.
Deborah Amos covers the Middle East for NPR News with reports heard on “Morning Edition,” “All Things Considered,” and “Weekend Edition.”
China’s Rise and U.S. Security Interests in Asia
Tom Christensen
November 19
How does the growth of China’s economic, military, and political power pose challenges and opportunities for the United States and its Asian allies and security partners? Explore the response to North Korea’s nuclear weapons development and China’s maritime disputes with its neighbors.
Thomas J. Christensen is William P. Boswell Professor of World Politics of Peace and War and Director of the China and the World Program at Princeton University. At Princeton he is also faculty director of the Masters of Public Policy Program and the Truman Scholars Program. From 2006-2008 he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs with responsibility for relations with China, Taiwan, and Mongolia. His research and teaching focus on China’s foreign relations, the international relations of East Asia, and international security. His most recent book, The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power (W.W. Norton, 2015) was an editors’ choice at the New York Times Book Review and was selected as “Book of the Week” on CNN”s Fareed Zakaria GPS. Before arriving at Princeton in 2003, Professor Christensen taught at Cornell University and MIT. He received his B.A. with honors in History from Haverford College, M.A. in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania, and Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University. He has served on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and as co-editor of the International History and Politics series at Princeton University Press. He is currently the Chair of the Editorial Board of the Nancy B. Tucker and Warren I. Cohen Book Series on the United States in Asia at Columbia University Press. He is a member of the Academic Advisory Board for the Schwarzman Scholars Program. Professor Christensen is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a Non-Resident Senior Scholar at the Brookings Institution. In 2002 he was presented with a Distinguished Public Service Award by the United States Department of State.
This class was not recorded.
Muslims and Christians Working Together in Peacemaking
David Shenk
November 26
In a world where complex conflicts sometimes divide Muslins and Christians and where mutual suspicion can build walls, come and hear several stories of partnerships and meaningful dialogue between Muslims and Christians committed to peacemaking. The goal is to build bridges of loving and respectful connection between Christians and Muslims, while faithfully confessing Christ.
David Shenk spent much of his life as a Mennonite missionary among Muslims in Somalia, Kenya, and the US. He was born in Tanzania to frontier missionary parents. He now continues to travel and teach worldwide about Christian/Muslim dialogue. A prolific writer, his most popular book, originally published in 1980, is A Muslim and a Christian in Dialogue by Badru Kateregga and David W. Shenk.
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