Theology Courses

Required Theology Courses

This course is comprised of two major units. The first semester covers Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World, a study of Sacred Scripture. The course intends to help students clearly understand the stages of divine revelation, culminating in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While a major focus of the course is on the study of Sacred Scripture, it begins by focusing on the more basic natural instinct of a person to search for God. The naming and acknowledgement of this instinct for God leads students to desire a way to uncover the path of God’s Revelation, beginning with the creation of man and woman, God’s response to Original Sin, the forming of a Chosen people, the giving of the Law, and the ultimate gift of his Son.

The second semester covers Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry, a course in Christology, the study of the history of Jesus’ people, the events of Jesus’ life, the main elements of his teaching, the Paschal Mystery, beliefs about him through the ages, and His relevance for today. The major focus of this semester is on the mission of Jesus Christ as it is presented in the Gospel and through the teachings of the Church. 

This course is comprised of two major units. The first semester covers Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation. Students delve deeply into the saving actions of the Lord. This semester unpacks the meaning of God's sacred and mysterious plan from creation, onward to the consequences of the fall and the promise of a Savior, while ultimately focusing on the Life, Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

The second semester covers Jesus Christ: Fullness of God’s Revelation, students encounter Jesus in the living Body of Christ, the Catholic Church. As they engage with the content of this semester, students will recognize Christ present and active in their lives through the visible and vibrant mission of Church, defined by her four characteristics—one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. While Jesus and the Church places the foundations of the Church in their historical and scriptural context, the course content goes further by guiding students to recognize the sacred nature of the Church and engaging them to more actively participate in the living Body of Christ and serve as witnesses to the sacred Gospel in the world today.

This course is comprised of two major units. The first semester covers Meeting Jesus in the Sacraments. The sacraments reveal the definitive way that Jesus remains present to the Church and the world today. The course explores concrete ways for students to understand the sacraments, participate in their rites, and benefit from their graces. This class will discuss the four elements of each of the seven sacraments: memorial, celebration, communion, and transformation. The objective is to find and meet Jesus in the Sacraments through gaining a better understanding of the nature and purpose of the Sacraments as a instrumental in our Salvation.

The second semester covers Your Life in Christ: Foundations of Catholic Morality which focuses on the essential message of Christ's moral teaching, the importance of love of God and neighbor. The course covers the major points from the "Life in Christ" section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the class considers major moral issues present in life today. The class will study basic principles of natural moral law to know not simply what the Church teaches about these moral issues but to understand the timeless logic behind the subjects. The objective is to be able to logically defend Church teaching on moral issues and to integrate the principles into daily life and personal formation. 

This course is comprised of two major units. The first semester covers Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Issues (World Religions). In this course, students explore the major religions of the world: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese religions, Japanese religions, and five smaller groups indigenous to the United States such as Jehovah’s Witness and Seventh-day Adventist. For each religion, a brief historical overview is given along with four patterns or elements. These are sacred texts and stories, beliefs and practices, sacred times, and sacred places. Each unit also includes how to understand other religions through the “lens of Catholicism.” Furthermore, students have opportunities for Christian/Catholic prayers and reflection. 

The second semester covers Catholic Social Teaching. In this course students are introduced to seven major themes of Catholic Social Teaching. The themes are: Life and Dignity of the Human Person, Call to Family, Community and Participation, Rights and Responsibilities, Option for the Poor and Vulnerable, The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers, Solidarity, and Care for God's Creation. Other important topics include the principle of subsidiarity and the common good. Students have an opportunity to reflect on the teachings and apply them to real life situations. Prayer and reflections are also integrated into the course.


Theology Teachers