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Welcome to Lifelong Learning at Wofford

Religion/Philosophy   

Throughout the academic year, we offer classes, special events, social events, travel and clubs for the community to enjoy and explore. We offer two levels of participation with our program: annual memberships and friends. Annual memberships are $60 and enable members to register earlier each term for classes and events, receive a $10 discount on all classes along with a handful of other great benefits.  Friends of Lifelong Learning enjoy all of our offerings without the added perks of an annual member. To learn more, click on the Add/Renew Annual Membership.

Note: Annual members receive $10 off any class. Special events are excluded from this offer.

TIP! To browse our classes, click on a specific category below to search by interest area. You can also search for classes using keywords, an instructor's name or time of day by clicking on the magnifying glass icon in the menu bar above or click here.
  • Treasures old and new: Not the parables as you remember them 
  • Course Fee: $47.00
    Dates: 3/19/2026 - 5/7/2026 
    Times: 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
    Days: Th
    Sessions: 8
    Location: Central United Methodist Church (opens in new tab)  Education Building Norton Room
    Instructor: Rev. Thomas Steagald (he/him/his)
    Picasso said that art is a lie that reveals the truth. So are parables. Which is to say, Jesus’ parables are fictions that tell many different truths at once. Likewise, the gospels and Acts are full of stories that, while not parables, are parabolic: Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch, for example, or Ananias Praying for Paul, the argument among the disciples as to who was "the greatest." In this class we will revisit some familiar parables—The Pharisee and the Publican, The Widow's Offering, The Prodigal Son, plus some of the parabolic stories in hopes of discovering some things we have not yet seen or heard. This class is open to all, even if you took the parables course during winter term since we will be discussing a new set of parables.
 

  • Becoming in the now: Presence and purpose later in life  with Willie Armstrong

  • This class is in session. Contact the office at 864-274-2917 for more information.
  • Days: W   Date: 3/18/2026 - 5/6/2026
    Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM        
    This reflective class is designed to help you explore the meaning of presence, identity and ongoing becoming later in life. Rather than focusing on what has been lost or what lies ahead, this class centers on the value of the present moment; where life is still active, relationships still matter and purpose continues to unfold. Through guided reflection, conversation and gentle teaching, students are invited to rediscover peace, awareness and dignity in the "now." We will honor lived experience, welcome memory without becoming trapped in it and affirm that "becoming" does not end with age, it simply changes shape. 
 

  • Ghost stories: A Southern legacy. Is the South a haunted land?  with Kay Stricklin

  • This class is in session. Contact the office at 864-274-2917 for more information.
  • Days: Tu   Date: 3/17/2026 - 5/5/2026
    Times: 11:15 AM - 12:45 PM        
    In the South, we all know some ghosts personally. We know even more stories about ghosts. In this class, the instructor will share some popular and peculiar stories that haunt us. Bring some of your own from wherever you found them. We’ll share them and wonder about them. Why do they fascinate us so? Along with the legends of spirits that live beside us, actual historical events are oftentimes related. We will touch on those subjects as well. Come have some fun and, maybe, simultaneously get chills sent up your spine.
 

  • Reading Steven Pinker: The role of common knowledge in society  with Richard Wallace

  • This class is in session. Contact the office at 864-274-2917 for more information.
  • Days: M   Date: 3/16/2026 - 5/4/2026
    Times: 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM        

     

    Steven Pinker is a psychologist and linguist at Harvard University. Over his long and distinguished career, he has published a number of influential books on social psychology, including his most recent, "When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows: Common Knowledge and the Mysteries of Money, Power and Everyday Life." We will read and discuss this book on the nature and importance of common knowledge for social coordination. Bill Gates suggests this as a top five book to read this winter! 
 

  • Revising history: From the Bible to Stalin's regime to the events of January 6th   with Yossi Liebowitz

  • This class is in session. Contact the office at 864-274-2917 for more information.
  • Days: M   Date: 3/16/2026 - 5/4/2026
    Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM        
    A cynical Russian view claims “the job of a Russian historian is to predict the past.” This class will consist of a critical exploration of how our precious narratives may need to be questioned. Such investigations will include: “Whatever happened to my hero Columbus?” “Is there a statute of limitations to taking down statues?” and “Was King David a mafioso?” Get ready for a thrilling intellectual and emotional ride. Please purchase or borrow the book "The King David Report" by Stefan Haym.
 

  • Thanks for the memories: A theology of your life  with Kay Stricklin

  • This class is in session. Contact the office at 864-274-2917 for more information.
  • Days: W   Date: 3/18/2026 - 5/6/2026
    Times: 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM        
    Much of what we know about ourselves comes from our memories: What they tell us about where we have been and what we have done and thus, who we have become and where we may yet go. In this class, we will use a method of reflective spiritual autobiography to explore our life and its meaning. Sifting through our life events and experiences, we will use historical critical tools to discern the stories our life is telling us. Myths, legends, folk tales and traditions will help us understand and advance our personal journey. We will respect the persistent call of the human search for meaning. Please bring along a journal and art supplies that you enjoy using. 
 

  • What's happening in American Protestantism?  with James Ellis Griffeth

  • This class is in session. Contact the office at 864-274-2917 for more information.
  • Days: W   Date: 3/18/2026 - 5/6/2026
    Times: 11:15 AM - 12:45 PM        
    American Protestantism has been beset by challenges, disagreements, conflicts and splits in recent years. The conflicts have been brewing for decades and continue to grow. The class will explore the struggles and study the theology and interpretation of scripture which are beneath the surface of these conflicts. Christian Nationalism, a fairly new Protestant movement (not a denomination), will also be explored. The class format will primarily consist of lecture illustrated with slides plus time for questions. Students will receive a Google Drive link to access slides and related materials.
 

 

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