Theology

The purpose of this course is to explore the person of Jesus Christ through His birth, life, death, and resurrection as reflected in the Bible and Christian history. Central to this course is the theme of discipleship and what it means to live as a Christian. Questions examined in this course are: What is faith? What does it mean to walk in the footsteps of Christ? As an emerging adolescent, how does one acquire a mature understanding of the Bible and the life of Jesus? (Full Year)

Building on the idea of Christian discipleship from Grade 7, this course advances student comprehension of curricular concepts in examining the importance of community and partaking in the life of the Church. Students will use the four marks of the Church (One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic) to reflect on community life both past and present. Questions explored in this course are: How do we live as a community of faith? What does it mean to be a disciple in relation to the Church, The People of God? How does the Catholic Church reflect these realities through its history and practice? (Full Year)

The goal of this freshman year course is to serve as an introduction to religious studies with the aim of deepening student understanding of the Catholic faith. This course seeks to provide students with an understanding of a variety of sources of revelation – both natural and divine – about God. Topics of study include: the primary importance of Sacred Scripture and its role in the Judeo-Christian tradition, covenantal theology, and the importance of Jesus as the Incarnation – the Living Word made flesh. Spirituality and prayer are additional components woven throughout the curriculum. During the year, students are encouraged to grow in religious knowledge and invited to deepen their lives of faith. This course corresponds with the first two semesters of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework (1 Credit). 

This sophomore year course builds upon the Scriptural studies begun in freshman year with the goal of deepening student understanding of the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. Topics of study include: human sin, grace, redemption, and how Jesus is the fulfillment of God's covenant. Salvation history is explored through a study of biblical texts, culminating with a study of the life and ministry of Jesus and our redemption through His death and resurrection. The latter part of the course focuses on the Church as a means of encountering the living Jesus. The sophomore course corresponds with the third and fourth semesters of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework (1 Credit).

The goal of this junior year course is to engage students in an in-depth study of Catholic morality and sacramental theology. Topics of study include: sources, dimensions, and applications of Christian virtues, ethics and morality, an in-depth study of the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist), the Sacraments of Healing (Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick), and the Sacraments at the Service of Communion (Matrimony and Holy Orders). The junior course corresponds with the fifth and sixth semesters of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework (1 Credit).

*** Seniors must take at least two of the following three semester options in theology. It is possible to take all three options if it fits in one’s schedule. ***

The primary objective of this senior semester course is to address the Church’s mandate for Christians to grow in tolerance, understanding, and fellowship with our brothers and sisters around the globe. The study of the principles of the great religions of the world and the common elements found in these traditions serve to contextualize this course. Topics of study include: the human condition, religious anthropology, the nature of religion, ecumenism, and the quest for ultimate reality. In the context of a Catholic Christian environment, students deepen their understanding of their own faith, while surveying the similarities and differences of others. This course corresponds with the senior electives, Ecumenical and Inter-religious Issues and Living as a Disciple of Jesus Christ in Society, described in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework (0.5 Credit).

The goal of this senior semester course is to deepen student appreciation of the Christian mandate to live as people who further God’s Kingdom of justice and peace. This mandate to put Catholic social teaching into practice is rooted in Jesus’ call to participate in the Kingdom of God, a vision introduced in the Book of Genesis, described by the prophets, and embraced by numerous saints throughout the ages. This course explores saints, religious heroes and heroines in relation to social justice issues. Topics of study include humanity dignity, the Golden Rule, corporal and spiritual works of mercy, the Christian preferential option for the poor, the consistent ethic of life, and Pope Francis’ call to care for “our common home.” The Social Justice course corresponds with Living as a Disciple of Jesus Christ in Society, described in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework (0.5 Credit).

The quest for genuine truth is an authentic human endeavor that persistently asks challenging questions to seek a deeper understanding of reality. This semester course addresses society’s general misconceptions surrounding the relationship between the Catholic Christian religion and science. Reading, writing, and discussion intensive, this course allows students to investigate the Catholic Church’s rich historical tradition of contemplating God’s Creation with both faith and reason. By integrating sound Catholic theology and modern scientific theory, students will discover the depth of insight found in the honest examination of the universe and mankind’s place within it. Upon completion, students will enter the wider world with a larger, more coherent view of existence and the tools for entering sincere dialogue with skeptics regarding the Church’s teachings on the harmony between the Catholic faith and modern science.  

This course samples a variety of topics selected from the five senior electives as outlined in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework. [A. Sacred Scripture, B. History of the Catholic Church, C. Living as a Disciple of Jesus Christ in Society, D. Responding to the Call of Jesus Christ, and E. Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue].https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/catechesis/upload/high-school-curriculum-framework.pdf (0.5 Credit THEOLOGY).