Academics

This course introduces the student to the roots of our Christian faith as they are found in the Hebrew Scriptures. The Old Testament tells the story of Jesus Christ’s people and the religious traditions he loved and practiced.  This course reminds the student our adventures with God are mirrored in the story of ancient Israel.  This course presents Hebrew Scriptures as inspired revelation and as a source for finding the presence of God.This course takes an in-depth look at how the books of the New Testament were written, for whom they were written, the message for the people of the time, and how the message is relevant to our lives today.  Emphasis will be placed on the fact the New Testament is not a separate book from the Old Testament, but a compliment to and the fulfillment of the Old Testament.

Prerequisite: None Full-year course – 1 credit

Key Skills:

• Develop the ability to interpret the Bible using a contextualist approach guided by the teaching and tradition of the Church. 
• Come to a deeper knowledge and appreciation of the Hebrew Scriptures – the inspired record of God’s revelation.  As they become familiar with the major sections of the Bibles, the books included in each section and the stories of salvation history, they will be invited to make connections between the truths of the bible and their personal faith journey.
• Learn how to use scripture for personal prayer and within the practice of the Church so they will gain confidence in turning to the scriptures for guidance.
• Gain confidence in their ability to apply the teachings of the Hebrew Scriptures to the daily challenge of living a Christian life in today’s culture.  They will reflect upon the dignity of the human person, created in the image and likeness of God, and empowered to live as disciples of Jesus Christ who revealed the fullness of our humanity.
• Appreciate sacraments as a means of encountering Christ today and as God’s gifts to us through the Church.
• Develop the skills and dispositions for participating in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist
• Come to a deeper knowledge and appreciation of the New Testament witness to the person of Jesus Christ.  As they become familiar with the major sections of the New Testament, the books included in each section and the stories about Jesus, they will be introduced to the mystery of Jesus Christ, the living word, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.  The students will understand that Jesus is the ultimate Revelation to us from God.
• Develop the ability to interpret the New Testament using a contextualist approach guided by the teaching and tradition of the Church.  Taking into account the historical, literary and theological background of biblical texts, students will learn to focus on the religious truths so as to better understand and encounter God’s Self-Revelation in the person of Jesus Christ, the word made flesh.
• Come to know the person of Jesus revealed in the gospels.  
• Reflect upon the dignity of the human person, created in the image and likeness of God and be empowered to live as disciples of Jesus Christ who revealed the fullness of our humanity.
• Appreciate sacraments as a means of encountering Christ today and as God’s gifts to us through the Church.
• Develop the skills and dispositions for participating in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist.

Anchor Text: 

• New American Bible

This course takes an in-depth look at the rise of the Catholic Christian Church from the time of Pentecost to its role in the modern world.  Great emphasis is placed upon the origin of the Church in Jerusalem, the spread of the Church throughout the Middle East and the Spread of the Church to Rome and the World beyond.  This course will include a detailed study of the rise of the Church in the Roman Empire, the role of the Church during the Dark Ages, its struggles with the Great Schism, the Protestant Reformation and the resulting Counter Reformation. The second half of the course will focus on the role of the Church in the modern age, thoughtfully exploring the issues of liberalism, materialism, socialism, secular humanism, Vatican I and the issues leading to Vatican II and the contemporary Church. This course has the purpose of addressing and exploring the fundamentals of morality and personal moral topics and problems. This course presents the general principles forming the foundation necessary for intelligent moral decision making as well as central concepts such as laws, conscience and personal growth. The student is led to relate these principles and concepts to his own life especially in the areas of personal integrity, honesty and sexuality and to increase the student’s awareness to the critical issues of peace and social justice.

Prerequisite: None Full-year course – 1 credit

Key Skills:

• Recognize the basic foundations of Christianity and the Roman Catholic Church.
• Understand how the Jewish, Greek, Roman and European cultures influenced the Roman Catholic Church.
• Understand Church laws, doctrine and canon and how and why they came/come about.
• Understand the nature and structure of the Roman Catholic Church.
• Recognize the influence of Christianity on the discovery of the New World.
• Trace the history of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati of Ohio from 1820 to the present.
• Recognize the changes brought about by the Second Vatican Council.
• Become acquainted with the Church’s views on pressing problems in the Roman Catholic Church in America and throughout the world.
• Thoughtfully explore the role of the Church as we move into the 21st Century.
• Understand the Christian vision of morality.
• Recognize the source of help available to them on their moral journey.
• Follow a process of moral decision making.
• Develop an in-depth appreciation of the moral virtues of Christian life and reflect on how these virtues apply to their own life experiences.
• Familiarize themselves with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church on a variety of moral issues.
• Answer the question, “What kind of person am I becoming, and what kind of person do I want to become?”

Anchor Text:

• The Church Through History 
• Morality: An Invitation to Christian Living

This course holds an important place within our religious education program.  The students will have the opportunity to examine the role of religion in the lives of people throughout the world as well as their own lives.  By focusing on other religious traditions, the course provides a fresh perspective on the student’s own religious tradition.  The students will learn about the value of simplicity from Zen Buddhism, the constancy of prayer in Islam, and the importance of body in spiritual discipline from Hinduism.  The second half of this course focuses on vocations.  A vocation is an occupation or station in life to which a person is specially drawn or called for which she/he is suited, trained, or qualified.  The term applies to the common call of all persons, from God to holiness and salvation.  The purpose of this course is to explore particular states of life, each called a vocation, the Sacrament of Marriage and the practical aspects of being 

married, which includes what it means to be called to be a loving spouse and parent will be examined. The priesthood, the religious life and the single life are also presented as Christian vocations to be studied and seriously considered. Guest speakers are used, as are outside resources, for supplementary information.

Prerequisite: None Full-year course – 1 credit

Key Skills:

• Identify the universal longing for God as the beginning of faith and discuss the role of natural and divine revelation in helping us to believe that God exists and to know who God is.
• Define religion and name and explain the basic elements of religion: experience, beliefs and teachings, sacred stories and myths, ritual, worship, communities, sacred entities, art and architecture.
• Reflect on what they have learned and experienced and describe how it has enriched their own faith and relationship with Jesus Christ.
• Trace the historical development of the major world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism,
• Confucianism/Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam. (Other religions may be considered e.g., Latter Day Saints, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc.)
• Explain the basic tenets of the major world religions.
• Identify similarities and differences between Catholicism and other world religions.
• Compare and contrast the view of the human person found in each of the major world religions.
• Name the common elements of the monotheistic religions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
• Describe the unique relationship between Judaism and Christianity.
• Discuss current tensions that exist among the world’s religions as well as areas of cooperation.
• Articulate and explain the Catholic Church’s teaching of respect toward people of other religions and the need for dialogue with them in order to bring about more unity.
• Understand the universal call to holiness and actively discern their vocations.
• Understand marriage as a Sacrament and as a covenant of love reflecting Christ’s love for the Church.
• Understand that those who receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders are commissioned by the authority of Jesus Christ and the Church primarily to teach and preach the Good News and to administer the sacraments.
• Understand the various forms of Consecrated Life and their role in the mission of the Church.
• Understand that persons leading a Single Life are called to a life of personal holiness and service to the people of God according to their gifts.
• Understand the relationship between the celebration of the sacraments and living as disciples in the Church.
• Develop the skills and disposition for participating in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist.

Anchor Text: 

• World Religions

• Vocations: Our Response to God’s Call

The senior level Catholic Social Justice/Service Learning class is a culminating experience.  This course affords senior students the opportunity to study and live the challenging quality of Jesus Christ’s message: “to do good and avoid evil”.  The perspective will be Christian, the content is based within Roman Catholic theology, and the approach will be threefold: experiential, academic and personally reflective.  As a result, students will be better equipped to examine their life experiences, study and discuss the theological content, all while offering community service at a local social service agency.  Students will be expected to make connections between their life experiences, theological studies and community service work in hopes of understanding the interconnectedness of all the children of God.

Prerequisite: None Full-year course – 1 credit

Key Skills:

• Know that Catholic Social Teaching flows from Christ’s concern for others, especially the poor and vulnerable, and is a central and essential element of Catholic life and become familiar with its rich heritage in the Church.
• Recognize the kinds of injustice in the world and begin to develop the skills of social analysis to evaluate injustice guided by the themes of Catholic Social Teaching.
• Appreciate the power of the Gospel message to transform society and be empowered to engage in activities that promote justice.
• Make connections with other theology courses, and with their own life experiences, the Gospel and our Catholic faith as it relates to the direct service of the underserved of our local community. 
• Explore the challenging quality of Jesus the Christ’s message to do good, and avoid evil by ways of prayer and reflection via small faith sharing communities.
• Appreciate sacraments as a means of encountering Christ today and as God’s gifts to through the Church.

Anchor Text: 

• Justice and Peace: Our Faith in Action