RELIGIOUS
STUDIES
(4.0 Credits required)
CORE
COURSES
IDENTITY
R, Grade 9
0.5 Credit
Semester I
Self-discovery
is a struggle for teenagers. This
course examines the relationship between the students’ self-concepts and their
relationships with others including peers, parents, and God.
The course focuses on their concepts of self and their Catholic identity.
SCRIPTURE
R. Grade 9
0.5 Credit
Semester
II
This
course provides a general introduction to modern Biblical scholarship and
Catholic scriptural interpretation. Through
active exploration of the Hebrew Scriptures, students develop an understanding
of our rich faith tradition.
JESUS
R, Grade
10
0.5 Credit
Semester
I
A
thorough understanding of Jesus and His message is central to our Christian
identity. This course focuses on
Jesus and His message, with emphasis on the Gospels.
It explores the political and religious world of Jesus, His birth and
early life, His public ministry, especially parables and miracles and finally,
His death and Resurrection.
SACRAMENTS
R, Grade
10
0.5 Credit
Semester
II
This
course aims to help students see the sacred in the ordinary, and to appreciate
how the Catholic Church’s seven sacraments celebrate life, and put them in
touch with God. The course focuses on the basic elements of sacrament – grace,
symbol, and ritual. Each sacrament
is then explored, focusing on its history, its symbols and rituals, and the
realities of human life that it celebrates.
THE
CHURCH
R, Grade
11
0.5 Credit
Semester I
The
Catholic Church today faces many conflicts and challenges.
Who are we? What is our role
in the modern world? This course
explores the concept of “church” in Christian tradition, particularly in
light of the Second Vatican Council. It examines the primary developments, people, and events that
have shaped the Church. Emphasis is
placed on seeing trends and developments over time. Students will gain an
appreciation of the continuing work of the Holy Spirit through us, the Church.
CHRISTIAN
MORALITY
R, Grade
11
0.5 Credit
Semester
II
This
course invites students to learn about, reflect on, and positively embrace a
life firmly rooted in Gospel values. Focusing
on scripture and primary Church documents, the students are introduced to basic
principles of Catholic morality and moral decision-making, which are then
applied to contemporary moral issues.
NOTE:
All seniors are required to take either Christian Ministry, OR Social
Justice and Christian Lifestyles.
SOCIAL
JUSTICE
R, Grade
12
0.5 Credit
Semester I
Throughout
its history, the Catholic Church has attempted to transform the world – to
live Jesus’ message. This course
explores the scriptural call to faith and justice, and the rich tradition of
Catholic social teachings. Issues
examined include: poverty, hunger, racism, sexism, ecology, violence, and war.
CHRISTIAN
LIFESTYLES
R, Grade
12
0.5 Credit
Semester
II
Who
is God creating me to be? This
course offers an overview of the traditional Christian vocations of marriage,
religious life, single life, and ordained ministry. It also introduces practical steps of career and lifestyle
planning and integrates these skills into the discussion of living one’s
vocation. Students explore how
Christian discipleship is lived out in the personal choices they will face as
young adults.
CHRISTIAN
MINISTRY
R/E Grade
12
1.0 Credit
Prerequisite:
Students must complete an application and have Instructor Consent.
Students
in this course explore aspects of spirituality through personal reflections and
group activities. The focus of this
course is our call to minister. This is a practical, “hands-on” course.
Students will plan and lead prayer services, liturgies, and retreats.
They will also explore service opportunities and develop and perform
individual and group service activities. This
course starts with a mandatory retreat shortly before the school year begins.
Major themes from Social Justice and Christian Lifestyles will be
incorporated into this course.
RELIGION ELECTIVES
Religion
electives count toward the total number of elective credits required for
graduation, but cannot be used to replace the required religion courses listed
above.
LITURGY
AND PRAYER
E, Grades
11, 12
0.5 Credit
This
course provides an in-depth examination of prayer within the Catholic tradition.
Various forms of personal and communal prayer are explored.
The focus of the course is on developing a solid and rewarding personal
prayer life and a understanding of communal prayer, particularly the mass.
DEATH
TO LIFE
E, Grades
11, 12
0.5 Credit
This
course deals with students’ attitudes, concerns, and fears related to death
from a Catholic perspective. Issues discussed include:
attitudes about death, stages of dying, coping with its reality, grief
reaction, and moral issues related to death.
RELIGIOUS
THEMES IN CINEMA
E,
Grade 12
0.5 Credit
Semester
II
This
course explores the distinctly religious and moral themes found in a variety of
popular movies. These themes will
be compared to similar themes found in the Bible.
The medium of popular movies will provide the basis for discussion of the
application of Biblical norms in society and culture and in the life of the
individual. With the belief that
art can reflect reality, students will come away from this course with an
ability to articulate how Biblical norms can be applied to life situations as
they are portrayed in popular movies. This
course is a senior elective with juniors admitted only with permission of the
instructor.