A faith, a culture, and a political movement – Islam has represented all of these throughout history. Many Americans find the subject of Islam mysterious, even worrisome, as they reflect on the rise of terrorist movements across the globe. This two-part course seeks to promote a broad, objective understanding of the world’s second-largest religion. Among the topics to be covered is the life of its charismatic founder, the Prophet Muhammad; its core rituals and beliefs; its sectarian diversity; the rise and fall of Muslim power and influence, from the 7th through the 19th centuries; and the issues posed by a reinvigorated Islam today.

This Mere Existence is a celebration of our true human nature and a call to embrace that human nature for the sake of those with whom we share the planet. This Mere Existence attempts to: remind us that we are highly evolved beings capable of empathy and reciprocal altruism, and naturally endowed by our creator with inalienable human rights; motivate people to join worldwide efforts to restore those rights to all of our sisters and brothers, and provide nonviolent strategies for restoring human rights to their central place in human existence. People of all spiritualties are welcome to join the conversation.

Get a jump on the holiday spirit, as we explore the origins of many of the popular toys and games that brightened our childhood years (and those of our grandkids, too). From Barbie dolls and Teddy Bears to Legos and Lionel trains, they serve as wonderful emblems of creative inspiration and marketing genius. Bring your own favorites along, and share your own stories of why they meant so much back then and why they continue to evoke fond memories today!

This course will cover the history of vision aids from antiquity to the 20th century. Because of time constraints, it will be more of a survey than an in-depth analysis. The instructor will include examples of eyeglasses in art and the symbolic use of eyeglasses. Actual examples from the 18th to 20th centuries will be displayed.

This two-session course will explore the procedures of electing the American president in 2020, including the party nomination process, the general election in November, and the vote of the Electoral College. The course will give special consideration to the Electoral College because of the possibility that the College can, as happened in 2016, select an individual for the presidency who did not receive the most votes in the general election.

Airing statewide on PCN, PA Books is a weekly television program featuring authors of books about Pennsylvania. Topics on the program range from the earliest Native Americans to the American Revolution, Gettysburg, the Industrial Revolution, organized crime, the Amish, scrapple, biographies of prominent Pennsylvanians, and more. This presentation covers many facets of Pennsylvania history, including some little-known stories the presenter has learned while hosting this program.