Theology

This course would provide a basic introduction to additional areas of law not covered in Introduction to Law I. The goal of the course would be to complete a well-rounded coverage of fundamental legal concepts and current jurisprudence across a broad array of legal disciplines. The course would also provide selected areas of focused attention on areas of law specifically relevant to young adults beginning post-secondary education.

Every student is required to take a Theology course each year. These courses are designed to continue the Christian formation of students and to build upon their basic foundation of Christian knowledge. All courses meet 5 days per week and count for 1 credit unless noted otherwise.

Theology 1 – Sacred Scripture/Catholicism (3913 - Regular / 3910 - Honors) Full Year Required Course – Freshmen Honors and Regular

This course is designed to explore the rich history of the Old Testament, which contains the roots of not only Judaism but also Christianity. The course helps students comprehend the wealth of Judeo-Christian spiritual tradition, challenges students to grow in an appreciation of God, themselves, and other people, and better understand how God has worked in human history and still works in the present. In addition, the course introduces the Catechism of the Catholic Church and an overview of the important teachings and beliefs of the Catholic faith. The course presents an overview of how Catholics worship God and encounter Jesus Christ through the seven sacraments of the Church.

Theology 2 – Life of Christ/Introduction to Morality (3923 - Regular / 3920 - Honors) Full Year Required Course – Sophomores Honors and Regular

First Semester – Encountering Jesus in the New Testament – This course explores the mission, the message, and the meaning of the person of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Christian Scriptures. It emphasizes Jesus is alive and manifests himself to us today through the Church, the People of God. It centers around the person of Christ revealed in Scripture and Tradition with a particular focus on the background, writers, and teachings of the four Gospels, and to the centrality of Jesus Christ to all Scripture.

Second Semester – Catholic Morality: Your Life in Christ – This course is an introduction to Catholic Morality based on Christ’s teaching to love God, love self, and love others as a basis for all moral decisions. Students explore and learn the moral concepts that govern the lives of Christ’s disciples. Students develop the critical skills necessary to make an informed ethical decision. They reflect on the moral situations of their lives and compare their values to the values of Christ and the values of society. They learn about virtue, vices, informed consciences, the reality of personal and social sin, natural law, forgiveness, respect for self, others and God. Theology 3 - Church History/Social Justice (3933 - Regular / 3930 - Honors) Full Year Required Course – Juniors Honors and Regular

In order to understand the development of Christianity and the nature of the Catholic Church today, it is important that we know its “story.” This course is intended to provide students with a wider understanding of the Church’s life and work over two millennia. The study of the Rule of Benedict is given a special place in this course, allowing each student to spend some time acquainting himself with a basic and formative document that has shaped the character of much of Western Civilization and the history of Marmion Abbey and Academy. The first semester study of Church history prepares the student to focus on the heritage of social justice teaching that has emerged over the centuries. Social justice is the focus of the second semester, with special attention given to contemporary and compelling application of this teaching in a variety of areas and disciplines.

Theology 4 Honors/Dual Credit Comparative Religions (3945 - Honors) Full Year Elective Course – Seniors Honors Course Course Fee: $36.00 Dual Credit Fee

The first semester explores Comparative Religions and is designed to familiarize the student with the historical background, teachings and influence of the major world religions. Comparing these religions with Christianity is a recurring theme, as is the effort to eliminate prejudice and misinformation about other religious beliefs. The second semester, which explores Life Choices, begins with a discussion of individual self-growth as it relates to growth in faith. Students examine the major vocational choices facing a person coming to an adult faith: the single life, priesthood or consecrated life, and marriage. The 1st Semester of the course offers dual credit in conjunction with Waubonsee College’s PHL 120 (Comparative Religions) course. Theology 4 Full Year Required Course – Seniors

All seniors in Theology 4 will take the World Religions course during 1st Semester:

World Religions (NCAA): This semester long course explores a comparison between the teachings of the world’s major religions. Students will contrast Catholic beliefs with a survey of religious teachings from around the world. Using Ninian Smart’s Seven Dimensions of Religion, students will debate and discuss the spiritual truths found in both Eastern and Western religions. Students will explore the concepts of universal/objective truth, natural law, dualism, the understanding of right and wrong, understandings of death and salvation, and differing concepts of God. Particular attention will be paid to indigenous religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and modern religious beliefs (including cults, witchcraft, and new religious movements). Seniors will then choose from one of the following options for their 2nd Semester elective to fulfill their senior Theology requirement:

• Classic Theological Questions (3991): The Wisdom writings arguably form the most philosophically-oriented division of the Hebrew Scriptures, concerned with such fundamental issues as the problem of evil, our human nature and purpose, and our ultimate destiny. The themes in the Wisdom Literature run from the mundane (e.g., how to treat spouses, and host dinner parties) to the moral (how to live a good life, and to what extent it matters), to the transcendent (the connection between morality and wisdom and eternal life). No section of the Hebrew Scriptures is more attuned to the problems of everyday life, and no set of biblical texts confronts the challenges of living in a complex and deeply confounding world in such a subtle way. The student of the human condition will find these texts an endless source of growth and wonder.

• Apologetics (3992): This course will help students work to understand and defend religious truths and doctrines of the Catholic faith. In particular, this course focuses on contemporary issues within Catholicism and works towards developing a clear and concise understanding of Catholic teaching. This is done through a survey of Catholic writings as well as a review of teachings of the Catholic Catechism. Topics discussed include the trinity, natural law, purgatory, end times, original sin, and a variety of “hot-button” topics such as the Church and science, the crusades, and the papal inquisition.

• Liturgy, Sacraments and Prayer (3993): This course focuses on the history and the current state of Catholic liturgy. Students learn about each aspect of liturgy and the various roles of the laity and the clergy play within the mass. Students also learn the historical roots and the importance of sacramental practices within the Church. In addition, this course will focus on attention to different prayer styles including petitions, thanks and praise, meditation, and scripture. Students will build on the study of St. Benedict work to incorporate aspects of Benedictine spirituality into their daily lives.

• Theology of Life and Exploration of Catholic Writers (3994): This course focuses on developing a greater understanding of the Christian faith and maintaining it in the modern world. Students will explore the importance of living out their faith not only in their daily lives, but also in their future relationships. A special attention will