CHAP Program Returns, September 9th!

Porterville College’s Cultural and Historical Awareness Program (CHAP) is pleased to announce a special presentation by Dr. Jamie Kreiner, a leading historian of Late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages. The event, titled “Battles of the Brain: Early Christian Monks versus Distraction,” will take place on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at 7:00 PM in the PC Theater.

Dr. Kreiner holds the Wellman Chair in Medieval History at UCLA and is the author of several books, including How to Focus: A Monastic Guide for an Age of Distraction and The Wandering Mind: What Medieval Monks Tell Us About Distraction. Her work explores how historical figures dealt with issues that are still relevant today.

The presentation will delve into the surprising history of distraction, a problem we often associate with modern technology. Dr. Kreiner will highlight the struggles of early Christian monks who, nearly two millennia ago, also grappled with the inability to concentrate. She will share their frustrations and the innovative strategies they devised to combat a wandering mind, offering a unique historical perspective on our own contemporary crisis of attention.

The CHAP program at Porterville College is committed to providing enriching and thought-provoking events for the campus community and the wider public. This lecture is free and open to all interested individuals.

For more information on the CHAP program at PC, you can visit the CHAP Web Site at https://www.portervillecollege.edu/about-pc/chap/index.html or contact CHAP Coordinator Leslie Keele at leslie.keele@portervillecollege.edu.