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Access to higher education may be freely available online, but recently, Providence University College went a step further and making the expertise of its faculty freely available to the public in person. A seven-part public lecture series was held in February and March, consisting of seven separate topics addressed by seven different Providence faculty members. The series ran concurrently in Winnipeg at the McNally Robinson Bookstore Community Classroom (1120 Grant Ave.) on Saturday evenings, and in Steinbach at the Eastman Education Centre (385 Loewen Blvd. E) on Tuesday evenings.

Faculty biographies, lecture descriptions and downloads of audio, presentation slides and handouts for each lecture can be found by following the links below. If you have any further questions, please phone 204-433-7488 ext. 272.

February 2 & 5
“Just Faith: The Christian Call and Response to Social Justice”
Dennis Hiebert, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology

Listen to Dennis Hiebert's lecture here. Download handouts and presentation slides (as a .zip file) here.

February 9 & 12
“Animals in Biblical Literature: Musings on the Ethical Implications”
Michael Gilmour, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English Literature

Listen to Michael Gilmour's lecture here. Download handouts here.

February 16 & 19
“A Call to Reimagine Theological Directives for a Diaspora Church”
Randall Holm, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biblical Studies

Listen to Randall Holm's lecture here.

February 23 & 26
“The Process of Postmodern Communication”
Nicholas Greco, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Communications and Media

Listen to Nicholas Greco's lecture here. Download presentation slides (as a .pdf file) here.

March 2 & 5
“The Birth of the New Testament: Exploring Conspiracy Theories”
David Johnson, Ph.D., Professor of New Testament

Listen to David Johnson's lecture here.

March 9 & 12
Winnipeg: “Living to Consume or Consuming to Live? Consumer Culture and Simpler Living”
Steinbach: “The Effects of Media Violence on Children and Youth: Does Reel Violence Cause Real Violence?”
Valerie Hiebert, Ph.D. (cand.), Assistant Professor of Sociology

Listen to Val Hiebert's lecture from Winnipeg here. Download handouts and presentation slides from the Winnipeg lecture (as a .zip file) here.

March 16 & 19
“A Christian View of Economic Globalization”
Bruce Duggan, M.B.A., Director of the Providence Buller Centre for Business

 Listen to Bruce Duggan's lecture here.

The series was structured in such a way that anyone could pick and choose which topics interest them and decide even at the last minute to attend without registering in advance, or paying at the door. “We are offering scholarly analysis and reflection on a variety of unrelated topics that will be addressed in a manner that does not assume those who attend have a background in the particular academic discipline represented,” says Dr. Dennis Hiebert, Professor of Sociology and Chair of the Public Scholarship Committee that planned the series. “The lectures will be enriching in multiple ways, and will no doubt stimulate discussion before the evening is over.”

The job description of a Providence UC faculty member calls for three kinds of outputs: teaching, research and writing, and community service. While the community service of each faculty member is for the most part individualized according to their interests and expertise, an institutionally coordinated offering such as this public lecture series gives the broader public better access to multi-disciplinary scholarship.

Dr. David Johnson, Interim President of Providence University College, comments that “over the years, the faculty of Providence have made a significant impact in the academic world through publications and participation in various academic venues. In addition, the faculty have had various opportunities to enrich the life of particular institutions when invited. I am pleased that, for the first time, Providence itself is sponsoring a series of lectures for the general community in our own backyard. I hope these lectures will contribute to public discourse in Winnipeg and Steinbach.”

The topics included ranged from biblical and theological studies, to the humanities and social sciences, to professional studies, thereby representing all the academic departments of Providence UC.

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