Christian Scholars to Gather in Costa Mesa

Best-selling author James Hunter will be the keynote speaker tonight at the C.S. Lewis Foundation’s dinner in the Hilton Costa Mesa.

Hunter wrote “The Culture Wars: the Struggle to Define America” and the newly released “The Death of Character: Moral Education in a World Without Good or Evil.” He’ll speak on “Inside the Postmodern University: Rethinking the Challenge Before Us.”

The event is designed to gather scholars who are also Christians.

“Christian faculty working within secular institutions of higher learning can find themselves working in relatively unsupportive, if not openly hostile, educational environments,” said J. Stanley Mattson, the foundation’s founder and president. “Our purpose is to network, encourage and support such persons.”

Mattson contends that Christian scholars “in a mistaken sense of politeness and civility have not really wanted to take a risk or be in any way unpleasant. I don’t think that’s a luxury that spokespeople of any persuasion have.”

The C.S. Lewis Foundation (https://www.cslewis.org), based in Redlands, was founded in 1986 to foster “a renewal of Christian scholarship and artistic expression in contemporary higher education.”

Tickets are $40 per person, $75 per couple, available at the door. The hotel is located at 3050 S. Bristol St., Costa Mesa.

Performances

Alice Golembo will present “Famous Jewish Women’s Perspectives,” a one-woman act, at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Robert Mondavi Wine and Food Center. The event is part of a Trendsetters series sponsored by the Women’s Division of the Jewish Federation of Orange County. Cost is $60 per event or $150 for all three programs. The center is at 1570 Scenic Ave., Costa Mesa. (714) 755-5555, Ext. 226.

Cantor Arie Shikler will sing traditional Shabbat songs from around the globe during an expanded service called “A World of Shabbat Music” at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Congregation Shir Ha-Ma’alot of Irvine. Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino and English will be some of the languages represented. Congregation Shir Ha-Ma’alot is a Reform synagogue at 3652 Michelson Drive. (949) 857-2226.

The Crimson River Quartet will present a gospel concert at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Cypress Park Community Church. The church is at 5471 Cerritos Ave., Fullerton. (714) 826-4411.

Laguna Presbyterian Church will present its concert series “An Affair to Remember: Love Songs of the Great German Masters” at 4 p.m. Sunday in the church parlor. A dessert reception will follow. Tickets are $10. The church is at 415 Forest Ave., Laguna Beach. (949) 494-7555.

Special Events

The seventh annual Religious Diversity Faire will take place Nov. 19 at UC Irvine. This year’s theme is religion and spirituality in a high-tech world. The event, with admission at $15 ($5 for students) begins at 12:30 p.m. at the Student Center. (949) 661-3087.

Liberty Baptist Church will have a Veterans Day service at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Gary Beikirch, decorated Vietnam veteran and recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, will speak. The church is at 1000 Bison Ave., Newport Beach. (949) 760-5444. https://www.libertybaptistchurch.org.

Synagogues throughout Orange County will dedicate their Sabbath services to peace and solidarity with Israel on Nov. 17 and 18 in an effort organized by the Jewish Federation of Orange County. “At this time of sorrow and conflict, many people in our community want to express their commitment to peace and their solidarity with the people and the state of Israel,” said Bunnie Mauldin, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Orange County.

The following synagogues welcome the entire Orange County community to Sabbath services: Beth Jacob Congregation, Irvine (949) 786-5230; Chabad Jewish Center, Laguna Beach (949) 499-0770; Congregation Adat Israel, Huntington Beach (714) 846-2285; Congregation B’nai Israel, Tustin (714) 730-9693; Congregation B’nai Tzedek, Fountain Valley (714) 963-4611; Congregation Eilat, Mission Viejo (949) 770-9606; Congregation Or Ami, Irvine (949) 829-5880; Congregation Shir Ha-Ma’alot, Irvine (949) 857-2226; North County Chabad/Beth Meir HaCohen, Yorba Linda (714) 693-0770; Temple Bat Yahm, Newport Beach (949) 644-1999; Temple Beth David, Westminster (714) 892-6623; Temple Beth El, Laguna Niguel (949) 362-3999; Temple Beth Emet, Anaheim (714) 772-4720; Temple Beth Tikvah, Fullerton (714) 871-3535; Temple Judea, Laguna Hills (949) 830-0470; University Synagogue, Irvine (949) 553-3535. For further information, call the Jewish Federation of Orange County, (714) 755-5555.

Rabbi Michael Mayersohn of Temple Beth David in Westminster will lead a “During Tot Shabbat” Sabbath service geared to children ages 2 to 6 at 9 a.m. Temple Beth David is at 6100 Hefley St., Westminster. (714) 892-6623.

An interactive, full-sized reconstruction of the Wilderness Tabernacle will be exhibited to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Woodbridge Community Church. An offering will be taken. The church is at 5000 Barranca Parkway, Irvine. (949) 552-1101.

Sermons/Education

Rabbi Laibl Wolf will discuss his book “Practical Kabbalah” at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the North County Chabad/Congregation Beth Meir HaCohen. Cost is $20. The synagogue is at 19045 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda. (714) 693-0770.

The UCI Humanities Center will present “Religion and Public Education: a Public Forum” from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday. Participants include John Dean, superintendent of the county Department of Education; professor Ben Hubbard, chairman of the Department of Comparative Religion at Cal State Fullerton; the Rev. Christy Newton, assistant director of church relations at Chapman University; and John Orr, director of special projects at the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture. The center is at 172 Humanities Instructional Building, Irvine. (949) 824-7913.

The Rev. Karen Stoyanoff will present the message “Are We Alone?” at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at the Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church. The church is at 1259 Victoria St., Costa Mesa. (949) 646-4652.

Soka Gakki International-USA will present “The Winning Life,” an introduction to Buddhism, at 7 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. Nov. 19. The center is at 1500 E. Warner Ave., Santa Ana. (714) 444-9580.

A “Re-Membering” series for inactive Catholics will take place at 6:15 p.m. Sundays at Our Lady Queen of Angels Parish Church. The center is at 2046 Mar Vista Drive, Newport Beach. (949) 548-3844.

The Rev. Marcia Olsen, interim minister, will present a “Blessing of the Breads” at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laguna Beach. The church is at 429 Cypress Drive, Laguna Beach. (949) 497-4568.

The Rev. Arleen Whitney, pastor for Caring Ministries, will be the guest speaker during services at 8:45 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Trinity United Presbyterian Church. Care for children up to age 5 will be provided. The church is at 13922 N. Prospect Ave., Santa Ana. (714) 544-7850.

Pastor Margaret Duttera of Christ Lutheran Church will present the message “Faithful Followers, Follow” at 8 a.m. Sunday on North Beach at the foot of Avenida Pico in San Clemente. An additional service will be held at 10:30 a.m. at the church. The church is at 35522 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. (949) 496-2621.

An informal Bible study for women, “Coffee Break,” will be held from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Wednesdays through May at the First Presbyterian Church of Orange. The church is at 191 N. Orange St., Orange. (714) 538-2341.

Susan Ruyle, professor of literature and mythology, will present the message “E-mail From an American Pilgrim: Sabbatical Trip to the Heart of America” at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at the Unitarian Universalist Church of South County. The church is at 25801 Obrero Drive, No. 7, Mission Viejo. (949) 581-0245.

The Rev. Peggy Price will give a talk on Buddhism, “Present Moment, Wonderful Moment,” at 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday at the Huntington Beach Church of Religious Science. The church is at 7641 Talbert Ave., Huntington Beach. (714) 596-0900.

The Rev. Margaret Mohit will present the message “The Flow of Reality” at 9 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Unity Community Church. The church is at 22911 Mill Creek Road, Laguna Hills. (949) 472-9230. https://www.unity-lh.org.

The Rev. Kass Kassouni will deliver the message “Remember and Honor” at 5 p.m. this evening and at 9 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Geneva Presbyterian Church of Laguna Hills. Veterans of all armed services will be honored during the 9 a.m. service. The church is at 24301 El Toro Road, Laguna Hills. (949) 837-2323.

Donn Moomaw, former UCLA football player turned minister, will speak on “The Principle of Reciprocity” at 8:30 and 10:15 a.m. Sunday at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church. The church is at 11600 Los Alamitos Blvd., Los Alamitos. (562) 493-2553.

Our Lady Queen of Angels Parish Center will present a film festival on death and dying from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday and Nov. 19. Films will include interviews with people who have had life-after-death experiences. The center is at 2046 Mar Vista Drive, Newport Beach. (949) 644-0200.

The Orange County Chapter of Women in Business will host a panel of female spiritual leaders at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Westin South Coast Plaza. Panelists will include Rabbi Heidi Cohen of Temple Shalom, the Rev. Leah Stout of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Linda McNamara of the Church of Religious Science and Buddhist Priest Andrea Henniger. The Westin is at 686 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa. (714) 731-1077.

St. Andrew Church will continue a study of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer and Anglican worship at 9:15 a.m. Sundays. The church is at 4050 Katella Ave., Suite 101, Los Alamitos. (562) 594-8706.

Emmanuel Episcopal Church will present the video series “Parenting by Heart” as part of a parenting class series at 7 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 26. The church is at 1145 W. Valencia Mesa Drive, Fullerton. (714) 879-8070.

Temple Beth David of Westminster will participate in “A Taste of Judaism,” a program presented by Reform synagogues throughout Orange County, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sundays. Temple Beth David is at 6100 Hefley St. (714) 892-6623.

Holiday event

The United Methodist Women of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church will present a Christmas Bazaar from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. Items offered include ornaments, crafts, baked goods, toys, wreaths and more. The church is at 3700 W. Orange Ave., Anaheim. (714) 527-1095.

Religious event notices may be sent to Gena Pasillas at The Times’ Orange County edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626. They also may be faxed to (714) 966-7711 or sent by e-mail to gena.pasillas@latimes.com