PHILOSOPHY
The goal of the Religion Department is to help students achieve a conscious, living and active Roman Catholic faith. It has as the basis of its philosophy two fundamental concepts. First, we have a strong belief in the academic nature of the study of Religion in order to foster deeper intellectual understanding of essential concepts – Second, we endeavor to bring the students to an awareness of their personal development within a Christian community. Hands-on faith development is also an important goal of this department; as such, a required component of the Freshman year is participation in the Reach-Out Program of Parish and Community Service. The successful completion of four years of Religion is required of all students.
RELIGION 1 WEIGHT: 4 1 CREDIT
Required of All Freshmen
Introduction to Catholicism
This course consists of a comprehensive introduction to the Catholic Faith. It examines the universal call to holiness of all persons and revelation as God’s communication to us. Students are introduced to prayer as a means to respond to God’s presence in their lives. The course explores the central doctrines of Catholicism as well as the significance of the Scriptures, the Ten Commandments, the Seven Sacraments and the Beatitudes in the lives of Catholics.
Units on HIV/AIDS and Harassment are also surveyed.
During Freshman year, the Reach-Out Program of Parish and Community Service will be operative and is an important component of the Religion Curriculum. This program is administered through the Religion classes.
RELIGION 2 WEIGHT: 4 1 CREDIT
Pre-requisite: Religion 1 and/or Administrative Approval
The Sacraments/World Religions
This course will examine the rituals and historical backgrounds of each sacrament and how they can be adapted to contemporary situations. Students can gain insight into the Christian community’s worship and are invited into greater participation in the sacramental life of the Church.
The second half of this course will study the major religions of the world. The tenets, liturgy, major figures, and morality of these religions are considered in comparison to Catholicism. Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Judaism are among those religions examined and compared.
RELIGION 3 WEIGHT: 4 1 CREDIT
Pre-requisite: Religion 2 and/or Administrative Approval
Christian Ethics/Social Justice
The first semester of this course seeks to help in building a mature understanding of conscience and the making of moral decisions, which will serve as a guide to Christian living. The course applies these understandings to contemporary moral issues and a Christian interpretation of sexuality through the focus of the Ten Commandments, Sacred Scripture, Christian moral principles, and the Beatitudes.
The second semester is an exploration of the issues of peace, justice, racism, poverty, hunger, violence, war and the social mission of the Church in the world today. Practical as well as theoretical, the course will apply Gospel values and Church teachings to contemporary problems.
RELIGION 4 WEIGHT: 4 1 CREDIT
Pre-requisite: Religion 3 and/or Administrative Approval
Catholic Identity
This course will be a survey of the fundamental elements of the Catholic Church: creed, code and cult. Students will study the Nicene Creed for its doctrinal content. The course will review and enhance the student’s understanding of worship as practiced by the Catholic Church. Lastly, the Catholic understanding of morality will be reviewed and applied by examining particular case studies in selected areas of morality, such as, sexual morality, bioethics, life and death issues.
Christian Morality In Film
This course will use the genre of film to examine the Christian decision making process. Both fictional and true stories will be used with an emphasis on the fundamentals of morality, such as, values, law and the role of Jesus, as well as specific areas of morality, e.g.: wartime morality, capital punishment, medical ethics and suicide. Students will be required to view the film with a goal toward critical analysis of circumstances, choices, actions and outcomes as evidenced by the characters and story lines of each individual movie. Class participation will be an essential element of this course.