The theology requirement for graduation is 4 credits, 1 credit per year of attendance in a Catholic school. Each semester course successfully completed earns .5 credit toward this requirement. The usual year for a course to be studied is indicated after each course description.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ in Scripture
(9 — required) (.5 credit)
The purpose of this course is to give stu dents a general knowledge and appreciation of Sacred Scripture. In the course they will learn about the Bible, authored by God through Divine inspiration, and its value to people throughout the world. Students become familiar with the major sections of the Bible and the books included in each section. Through a broad survey of salvation history focusing on the Old Testament, they come to encounter the living Word of God, Jesus Christ. They will learn how the Church instructs us to read and interpret the Bible through authoritative documents, and explore the relation of the Bible to science and history.
Who is Jesus Christ?
(9 — required) (.5 credit)
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the mystery of Jesus Christ, the living Word of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. In this course students come to understand that Jesus Christ is the ultimate Revelation to us from God. The course concentrates especially on the writings of the New Testament, with emphasis on the mystery of the Incarnation and the teachings of Jesus. In learning about who Jesus is, the students also learn who he calls them to be.
The Mission of Jesus Christ: The Paschal Mystery
(10 — required) (.5 credit)
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 learn that for all eternity God planned to share eternal happiness with us. This can be traced through God’s promise, lived out in historical covenants, and fulfilled in Christ through the Paschal Mystery. Thus, the mission of Jesus is to establish the Kingdom of God on earth, so that the will of God for all humanity might be fulfilled. Through the Paschal Mystery, Jesus brings life out of death in the whole unfolding of redemption, from the darkness of sin to the glory of resurrection. Students are introduced to the moral implications of what it means to be a disciple of Christ, the universal call to holiness and the need for every individual to develop a relationship with God in prayer.
Jesus Christ’s Mission Continues in the Church
(10 — required) (.5 credit)
The purpose of this course is to help students understand that in and through the Church, the living Body of Christ , they encounter the living Jesus Christ, and that this has been true throughout history. They are introduced to the fact that the Church was founded by Christ through the Apostles and is sustained by him through the Holy Spirit. They study the sacred nature of the Church as revealed by the biblical images describing it and the marks of the church as one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. The course perspective includes the Church in the world throughout its more than 2000 years of history, its structure an d offices, and the implications for vocations in the life of a believer. Students study how the Church serves as the ordinary means of salvation for believers who are enriched by the sacraments and a life of prayer as members of the Body of Christ living i n the world, proclaiming the Lord Jesus to all in the world through lives of holiness in imitation of Christ.
Sacraments: Privileged Encounters with Jesus Christ
(11 — required) (.5 credit)
The purpose of this course is to help students understand the sacramental nature of the Church. They will learn that they can encounter Christ today in a full and real way in and through 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 in order to advance toward the perfection of charity, participate in Jesus’ call to conversion and healing, and learn how they may live as members of the Body of Christ in a variety of vocations according to the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Vocations: Responding to the Call of Jesus
(11 — required) (.5 credit)
The purpose of this course is to help students understand the vocation of life: how Christ calls us to live. In this course, students are helped to learn how all vocations are similar and how they differ. The course is structured around married life, single life, priestly life, and consecrated life. Students learn what it means to live life for the benefit of others, and study the importance of discernment in preparation for all vocations, as well as the sacramental support for living out a Christian vocation.
Morality: Life in Jesus Christ
(12 — required) (.5 credit)
The purpose of this course is to help students learn moral concepts and precepts that govern the lives of Christ’s disciples, so they may be more fully able to live out his command to love. Students study the reality of sin, its nature and consequences, and the power of God’s love and grace to overcome sin. They reflect upon God’s self – revelation, our response, the teachings of the 10 Commandments, the beatitudes, the precepts of the Church, and the role of grace, virtue, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, prayer, the sacraments, and conscience formation in answering the call to holiness.
History of the Catholic Church
(12 — required) (.5 credit)
This course will supply students with a general knowledge of the Catholic Church’s history from apostolic times to the present. Students will be introduced to the fact that the Church was founded by Christ through the Apostles and is sustained by Him throughout history through the Holy Spirit. They w ill come to know that the Church is the living Body of Christ today and, as such, has both divine and human elements. Students will learn about the Church’s 2,000 years of history and about how the Church is led and governed by the successors of the Apostles.