Religious Curriculum
SALVATION HISTORY (9th)
This course will examine the revelation of God and His saving works throughout history. It will survey the major people, events, and books of the Old Testament. Particular emphasis will be placed on God's covenantal relationship with man, which comes to fulfillment through the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. It aims to aid students in seeking what their role is in God's plan so that they might continue living the story in their own lives.
PRAYER & LITURGY (9th)
The study of the Liturgy presents the principle elements of worship in the Liturgical Year, the Mass, the sanctoral cycle and the Sacraments with an emphasis on initiation and healing. The objective of this course is to show students the very life of the Church in its daily and seasonal worship. This provides the basis for the prayer life of the Church, with the Liturgy of the Hours and the Liturgy of the Eucharist as the focus.
CHRISTIAN MORALITY (10th)
“Moral Theology is a reflection concerned with ‘morality,’ with the good and the evil of human acts and the person who performs them…” (Veritatis Splendor 29). Living a moral life means to live in holiness in a total commitment to Jesus Christ. The Catholic person must have a properly formed conscience; therefore, the students will study the Ten Commandments and understand that they are the basis for the moral life, which is perfected in the Beatitudes. The cardinal and theological virtues will give the impetus as to how to live a moral life on a daily basis. The course demands the use of Sacred Scripture.
NEW TESTAMENT (10th)
This class will recognize Christ as the messianic fulfillment of the Old Testament, with the Beatitudes being the focus for the “New Law.” The origins of the New Testament, which emphasize Revelation, Biblical inspiration, and Sacred Tradition, will be taught. Students will come to know Christ in a more personal way through the study of Gospels, Epistles and texts.
CHURCH HISTORY (11th)
This is a survey course of the history of the Roman Catholic Church up to the 19th Century. The class will stress that Christ instituted the Church, and has placed that authority under the successor of St. Peter. The history of the Church is one of a pilgrim people united, as the Mystical Body of Christ that develops, not evolves, over the ages.
FAITH & REASON (11th)
This course is designed to teach faith and reason by presenting the philosophical, theological and scriptural foundations of the truths of the Roman Catholic Church through the framework of the Church’s creed. It aims to equip the student with the apologetic and evangelical skills necessary to spread and explain their faith in Jesus and His Church.
CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING (12th)
This course will explain the evangelistic role of the Catholic Church in the world with the Social Encyclicals of the 19th and 20th centuries being the focus. The class will show how the inviolable rights of the human person, life, liberty, religious, freedom, and protection from coercion, must not only be protected but also be understood as sacred. “Love thy neighbor” will reinforce the preferential option for the poor, destitute, downtrodden, and disenfranchised of the world. The end result of the class is to transform the culture for Christ.
CHRISTIAN VOCATION (12th)
This course centers on the reality that a Vocation is a calling from God that begins with a call to holiness. This call to holiness is both individual and also communal as God calls each person to live in holiness as a member of the Mystical Body of Christ. The class centers on the Sacraments of Marriage and Holy Orders, with added focus given to the religious life and the single state/vocation. Sacred Scripture, Church documents, and various secondary sources will be used to understand our calling to love as Christ loves. Students are required to complete a service project in the wider community as part of this course.
LOGIC (11/12)
This elective course aims to train the mind to think in an orderly manner by examining the structure and laws of reason. Logic helps us to analyze arguments, identify fallacies, and to construct our own propositions and conclusions. The course will focus on the deductive methods of Aristotelian logic which are necessary in written or verbal communication. The course will introduce students to symbolic logic which is taught in most departments of philosophy or law in universities.
INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY (11/12)
This elective course aims to teach the purpose and methods of philosophy, which seeks to understand the truth about the deepest questions of the human person. It is recommended for juniors and seniors who want to develop their skills of rational inquiry. Emphasis will be placed on the Aristotelian tradition leading to a Thomistic interpretation.
STEWARDS OF CATHOLIC CULTURE (10/11/12)
This elective course will examine how to participate actively in the Church’s mission of evangelization. This will be accomplished by studying the history and methodology of evangelization, applying the art and craft of catechesis, examining how to live discipleship through stewardship, and cultivating the spiritual life of a true apostle. Students will be required to serve as catechists in their parish for the entire year and will be awarded a Basic Certificate of Catechesis from the Diocese of Wichita. Service as a catechist for the school year will fulfill the stewardship requirement.
*HONORS CLASSES
All core religion courses are also offered as honors courses. In addition to the course descriptions above, honors courses seek to increase the level of information shared and the depth of understanding of the Church’s teachings through intensified lectures, the addition of supplemental readings, higher expectations for class room participation and classroom discussion.