Nelson to speak at PC CHAP event on February 10

The Porterville College Cultural and Historical Awareness Program, CHAP, continues its celebration of of more than 20 years with another enlightening event, this time featuring Porterville College history instructor Dr. Ben Nelson.

Nelson will speak on “The Triumph of Secularism or a Great Awakening: Belief and Spirituality in the Anthropocene.” Nelson’s presentation will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday, February 10 at the Porterville College Theater.

Popular assessments of religion in the past few decades have been generally negative and often point to the decline of those institutions. They often highlight the ascendency of secularism informed by science and technology over spirituality.

Since these types of assessments are often based solely on the quantifiable, such as church attendance and polling responses, they often overlook the complexity of belief in modern society — ignoring the eclectic array of spiritual practices available and followed by millions of people. If one were to widen the scope of religious analysis, it may become clear humans not only remain “political animals,” as Aristotle insisted, but they remain spiritual ones as well.

In his presentation, Nelson will take a close look at religion and religious institutions and explore the implications of belief and spirituality in our modern world. Nelson is an Adjunct Instructor of History at Porterville College, a Valley native, a product of Porterville area schools, and a proud graduate of PC.

After PC, he received his bachelor’s in History from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a PH.D. in History from UCLA. He specializes in popular religious expressions in early American society and culture.

While in graduate school he felt a powerful pull to teach and in 2009 returned to Porterville to begin his teaching career at Harmony Magnet Academy. He has also taught as an adjunct in the History Department at PC since 2015.

The presentation is free and all are welcome. For more information on this event or the PC CHAP, call Jim Entz, 559-791-2257