Courses
HP, CP1 Religion I (Year-long course)
Teachings of the Church -- (First Semester) The purpose of
this course is to give the student a deeper understanding of what the
Catholic Church teaches. This course covers topics ranging from the
importance of the scriptures to the reasoning behind the moral stand of
the Church. This course endeavors to provide answers to many
contemporary questions.
Old Testament Survey -- This course introduces the roots of
our Christian faith as they are found in the ancient Hebrew Scriptures.
The Old Testament tells the story of Jesus' 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 the Hebrew Scriptures as inspired revelation and as a
source for finding the presence of God. (Second Semester) One Credit
HP, CP1 Religion II (Year-long course)
New Testament Survey-- (First Semester) 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 fulfillment of the Old Testament.
Sacraments -- This course emphasizes the most public and
common activities of the Church, her worship life, and her signs of
grace from God, the sacraments. Since the life of Jesus Christ is given
to use as we join with Him in worship and as we participate in His
divine life through the sacraments, the students will be challenged with
a complete treatment of the theological and practical aspects of these
most basic element of faith. The concept of "vocation" will be
particularly stressed, not only as it applies directly to the Sacrament
of Holy Orders, but also throughout the course as the basis for every
believer's individual way of developing his life in Christ. The
importance of the public prayer of the Church will be emphasized, as
will individual prayer, all with the final objective of making the
church's teachings real for the student and offering them as a way of
life for his future. (Second Semester) One Credit
HP, CP1 Religion III: Church History and Morality (Year-long course)
Church History -- The first half of this course deals with
the rise of the Catholic Christian Church from the time of the Pentecost
event to the Renaissance. Great emphasis will be placed on the early
and medieval Church. During these periods, many people and events
influenced the rise and spread of the Church. How did the Church
respond to the "signs of the time?" This part of the course will
conclude with a detailed study of the Renaissance Church, the
Reformation and the Council of Trent. The second half of the course
will begin with the period of triumphalism following Trent, and trace
the development of the modern Church through the French Revolution; the
issues of the liberalism, materialism, socialism, and modernism; and
Vatican Council I in the last century. It will then trace development
of the issues, which led to Vatican II, and the contemporary Church.
(First Semester)
Morality -- The purpose of the first half of this course is
to treat the fundamentals of morality and personal moral topics and
problems. Accordingly, this course presents the general principles
which form the foundation necessary for intelligent moral
decision-making as well as central concepts such as law, conscience, and
the psychology of 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. The purpose of the second
part of this course is to increase the student's awareness of any
sensitivity to the critical issues of peace and social justice. Topics
covered include treatment of prisoners, cared of the aged, capital
punishment, and bioethical issues such as abortion, euthanasia,
population, drug abuse, genetic engineering, and behavior control.
(Second Semester) One Credit
Seniors need to indicate their preference for one of the following
pairs of ACP Religion IV courses
HP, CP1 Religion IV: World Religions/Catholic Social Teaching and Service Learning
(Year-long course)
World Religions -- The study of World Religions holds an important place within our religious education program. The students taking this course 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 students’ own religious tradition. In this course we learn about the value of simplicity from Zen Buddhism, about constancy in prayer from Islam, and the importance of body in spiritual discipline from Hinduism. In the thoughtful presentation of characteristic elements of the various religions can help the student learn from them. (First Semester)
Catholic Social Teaching and Service Learning -- The senior level Catholic Social Teaching/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 context 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 theological content, all while offering community service at a local social service agency. And so, students will be expected to make connections between their life experiences, theological studies and community service work in hopes of understanding the interconnectedness of life and one’s rights and duties as the result of that interconnectivity. (The Service Learning aspect of this course continues throughout the entire year while the focus of the classroom experience in the second semester will be Catholic Social Teaching) One Credit
HP, CP1 Religion IV: Catholic Social Teaching/Service Learning
(Year-long course)
The senior level Catholic Social Teaching/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 context 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 theological content, all while offering community service at a local social service agency. And so, students will be expected to make connections between their life experiences, theological studies and community service work in hopes of understanding the interconnectedness of life and one’s rights and duties as the result of that interconnectivity. One Credit