CHASSE Announces December 2025 Events

The College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education (CHASSE) at UA Little Rock has announced events scheduled for December 2025. 

Department of History

Evenings with History: “The World Is on Fire: Francis Schaeffer and the Making of the Modern Religious Right” with James Ross

On Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m., the department will host a history presentation on the development of Francis Schaeffer’s work beginning in the 1930s. The event will take place in the Ottenheimer Auditorium at the Historic Arkansas Museum.

Francis Schaeffer was a Presbyterian minister, theologian, and cultural critic whose ideas and actions played a pivotal role in the rise of the modern American religious right. He initially focused on building a Christian fundamentalist movement in Europe after World War II, but later developed a critique of modern secularism that garnered a large evangelical following. He would eventually become a leading voice in the anti-abortion movement.

This lecture examines the development of his ideas and actions from the 1930s to his collaborations with C. Everett Koop, which helped frame abortion as a central issue for evangelical activism. By tracing Schaeffer’s largely hidden role in shaping the American religious right, the lecture will demonstrate how his work continues to influence contemporary political debates.

For more information, visit https://ualr.edu/history/history-institute/ or email [email protected].

School of Literary and Performing Arts

UA Little Rock Piano Ensemble to Perform Dec. 2

The UA Little Rock Piano Ensemble will present a concert on Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in Gallery 1 of the Fine Arts Building.

The concert will feature an evening exploring the rich tradition of piano ensemble music, including:

• The Marionettes by Frank Lynes for two pianos, eight hands
  
• Sonatina in C major, Op. 24, No. 1 for piano, four hands, by Anton Diabelli
  
• Short Piece for piano, four hands, by Parashkev Hadiev
  
• “God’s Time Is the Very Best Time” from Cantata No. 106 by Johann Sebastian Bach (arranged for two pianos, eight hands, by György Kurtág)
  
• Overture from Prometheus by Ludwig van Beethoven for two pianos, eight hands
  
• Variations on “America” by Charles Ives (arranged for piano, four hands, by Danny Holt)
  

Performers will include Nakira Bates, Ashton Blankenship, Stephen Graham, Jui-Chin Rachel Tsai, Molly Priddle, Diya Chakraborty, Nancy Griffin and Pat Torvestad.

Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Naoki Hakutani at [email protected] or 501-940-1562.

The Signal: Featuring a Live NPR Podcast Recording of Radiolab

Little Rock Public Radio will host The Signal, its annual year-end celebration, featuring a live performance and recording of WNYC’s Radiolab at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 6 p.m.

This year’s show, Viscera, explores the urgent world of antibiotic-resistant bacteria — from the ER to the farm and back to the human body. The event features Radiolab hosts Latif Nasser and Dr. Avir Mitra, along with local experts and live music.

For more information or to reserve tickets, visit  https://www.simpletix.com/e/the-signal-featuring-radiolab-tickets-239602