FAITH FOUNDATIONS (First Semester)
Required Grade 9
Prerequisite: None
This course is designed for 9th grade students and provides an introduction of and basic understanding of the Catholic faith and its teachings. It is upon the elements of this course that all other religious education courses build.
FAITH FOUNDATIONS: HONORS (First Semester)
Required Grade 9
Prerequisite: 90th percentile on special placement exam.
This course is the accelerated version of Faith Foundations. The course will also cover additional material and will include a research project.
PRAYER AND SACRAMENTS (Second Semester)
Requi Grade 9
Prerequisite: None
This course helps students continue to understand the spirituality and worship of the Catholic Church and how that affects the individual's relationship with God, oneself, and the community. Students accomplish this purpose with respect to developing their understanding and appreciation of: individual and communal prayer, the celebration of the Mass, and the worship of the Church in the sacraments.
PRAYER AND SACRAMENTS: HONORS (Second Semester)
Required Grade 9
Prerequisite: Completion of Honors Faith Foundations with a grade of B or better or recommendation of teacher.
This course is the accelerated version of Prayer and Sacraments. The course will also cover additional material and will include a research project.
OLD TESTAMENT (First Semester)
Required Grade 10
Prerequisite: None
This course is an introductory overview into the Old Testament. It examines the history, beliefs and traditions of the Jewish people. In this class, students are exposed to a variety of methods of Scriptural interpretation, with focus directed to the method of interpretation as taught by the Catholic Church. Students have the opportunity in this course to apply the religious truths of the Scriptures to their personal lives through journaling, prayer experiences, and dialogue.
OLD TESTAMENT: HONORS (First Semester)
Required Grade 10
Prerequisite: 90th percentile on special placement exam.
This course is the accelerated version of Old Testament. Additional scripture readings will be covered and more sophisticated interpretations will be discussed. Some research of biblical topics will be assigned.
NEW TESTAMENT (Second Semester)
Required Grade 10
Prerequisite: None
This course is an introductory overview into the historical events and people that assembled the New Testament. In this class, students review those parts of the Old Testaments which are foundations of the New Testament. Students reflect upon how the New Testament and its teachings apply to twenty-first century living, especially to their personal lives through journaling, prayer experiences and dialogue.
NEW TESTAMENT: HONORS (Second Semester)
Required Grade 10
Prerequisite: Completion of Honors Old Testament with a grade of B or better or recommendation of teacher.
This course is the accelerated version of New Testament. Additional scripture readings will be covered and more sophisticated interpretations will be discussed. Some research of biblical topics will be assigned.
MORALITY (Semester)
Required Grade 11
Prerequisite: None
This course is designed to give students a solid foundation in moral theology based on personal faith, scripture, and church teachings with which they can analyze moral behavior and issues in the Christian context of conscience, natural law, Catholic doctrine, and personal experience.
CHURCH HISTORY (Semester)
Required Grade 11
Prerequisite: None
This course is designed to give students a background in the rich traditions of the institution and community called the Catholic Church. This course explores the major developments and key persons in church history, reflecting on personal participation in and commitment to the Catholic Church, understanding how God works in human history and their own lives and deepening sensitivity to other faith communities, especially those of the Reformation tradition.
CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING (Semester)Required Grade 12
Prerequisite: Senior standing
This course teaches the Catholic Church’s doctrine on the life and dignity of all human beings. As such, it covers key Church documents and applies the seven principles of Catholic Social Teaching to longstanding and current issues that plague humanity and America with the intent of fostering greater knowledge, preventing injustices, protecting rights, and developing solutions to these injustices.
WORLD RELIGIONS (This course also counts as a Social Studies Credit) (Semester)Elective Grade 11-12
Prerequisite: Juniors need permission of instructor.
This course explores the religions of the world in order to understand how they answer basic religious questions. The course will also identify the basic elements of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, the East Asian religions and other religions of the world and in history.
INTRODUCTION TO SPIRITUALITY (Semester)Elective Grades 11 & 12
Prerequisites: Juniors need permission of instructor.
This course focuses on personal spiritual development so that the student may address core faith questions, that adult Christians consider when choosing a life of discipleship. It examines the ongoing journey of faith with emphasis on Scriptural sources, sacramental spirituality, historical and contemporary expressions of spirituality, and the discovery of various prayer forms, communal prayer, and the development of a prayer life.
INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY (Semester)Elective Grade 12
Prerequisite: Senior standing with a GPA of 3.0 and/or permission of instructor.
STUDENTS MAY RECEIVE DUAL CREDIT WITH METRO COMMUNITY COLLEGE WITH REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT OF REDUCED TUITION.
This course introduces students to the study of philosophy in the context of a religion course using the philosophy of the Catholic Church. Topics covered include God, freedom, self, logical argumentation, knowledge, reality, meaning, truth, and ethics. The development of Western philosophy and its philosophers will be studied and analyzed.
MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY (Semester)
Elective Grade 12
Prerequisite: Senior standing
This course surveys issues & topics that are important to living like Christ and how the whole human person is God’s creation to be treated with respect and dignity. Students will be challenged to develop Christian values and attitudes to carry forward into their future vocations and relationships. It helps senior students look at the different Christian lifestyles centering in marriage and takes them through the church’s view of marriage. Single and religious lifestyles are also studied.