Required Courses:
Students who successfully complete the courses will receive .50 credits per semester. Eight semesters of Religion are required for graduation.
The Bible (Semester 1)
9
The purpose of this course is to give students a general knowledge and appreciation of Sacred Scriptures, with a concentration on the Old Testament. Through their study of the Scriptures, they will come to encounter the living Word of God. In the course, they will learn about the Bible, authored by God through inspiration, and its value to people throughout the world. If they have not been taught this earlier, they will learn how to read the Bible and will become familiar with the major sections of the Old Testament and the books included in each section. Special attention will be paid to those passages Christians recognize as being prophetic of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ: His Mission & Ministry (Semester 2)
9
The purpose of this course is to introduce the students to the mystery of Jesus Christ, the living Word of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. In this course, students will reflect upon some particular prophecies in the Old Testament that are fulfilled through the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus. This course concentrates on the New Testament and will cover daily life in Jesus’ time, the Incarnation, and Jesus’ ministry, with a special focus on his teachings and miracles. Students will understand that Jesus Christ is the ultimate Revelation to us from God. In learning who he is, the students will also learn who he calls them to be.
Paschal Mystery
10
The purpose of this course is to help students understand all that God has done for us through his Son, Jesus Christ. Through this course of study students will learn that for all eternity, God has planned for us to share eternal happiness with him, which is accomplished through the redemption Christ won for us through his Passion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension. Students will learn that they share in this redemption only in and through Jesus Christ. They will also be introduced to what it means to be a disciple of Christ and what life as a disciple entails.
The Sacraments
10
The purpose of this course is to help students understand that they can encounter Christ today in a full and real way in and through the liturgy and the sacraments, and especially through the Eucharist. Students will examine each of the sacraments in detail so as to learn how they may encounter Christ throughout life.
Foundations of Catholic Morality
11
The first part of this course explores the foundations of Catholic morality and suggests methods by which moral decisions are made. It investigates such areas as the meaning of morality, the basic principles of sound moral judgments, the meaning of conscience, the factors that affect the kinds of moral judgments that people make, the importance of laws (including Church laws, the importance of Jesus Christ as a guide for moral living, and clarification of the Church’s teaching on specific moral questions especially from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Moral Issues and Lifestyles
11
Students are faced with the conflict between their vision of an ideal world and the sobering realities of life. The course MORAL ISSUES attempts to help students understand the impact of the Gospel message on human sexuality, war, poverty, and discrimination. Jesus taught “The Way” to his disciples and continues to have a real and practical vision of life, one that embraces each person as son/daughter of the Father. Moral Issues examines Jesus’ vision as it is perceived and responded to in the Roman Catholic tradition especially as taught in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
History of Christianity 1
12
All seniors take this one semester course, which examines the chronological history of Christianity from the message and mission of Jesus as passed on by the earliest disciples through modern times. It leads to an understanding that Catholicism is based on Scripture and Tradition, as well as the understanding that the Church is both divine—from God—and human
—developed by people. Included in this survey is an examination of people, events, philosophy, art, architecture, and music as they pertain to the Christian faith. We will conclude this course with an exploration of current social and religious issues facing the Catholic Church as it begins the Third Millennium.
Second semester seniors will select one of the following courses:
Catholic Social Teaching Spring
12
This course will take an in-depth look at the Church’s teaching on social issues and the way it affects the living out of discipleship. Using the Catechism, encyclicals and other major teachings, the course will help to ensure understanding of the Church’s social teachings and lead to a Christian response to global problems.
World Religions Spring
12
Students will look at the major religions of the world and how they answer universal questions, like why do we exist? What happens when we die? What is Ultimate Reality? This course takes a comparative approach in examining the distinguishing characteristics of the world's major religions. The Catholic Church’s view of other faiths and their teachings will also be explored.