THEOLOGY I: INTRODUCTION TO THE SCRIPTURES
The objective content of the course will be an overview of how God has been revealed through salvation history and how this revelation is shared with humanity through the Hebrew Scriptures and Christian Testament. In the first semester, students will study the Pentateuch, Israel as a nation, the prophets and Israel’s hope for a messiah as the central stories of Judaism. The second semester will focus on Jesus as the long-awaited messiah, the Gospels, the Pauline epistles and the continuity of Scripture. Student will strive to understand what the stories meant to the original audience, as well as what they mean to the modern reader and believer. This course begins with an introduction to Sacred Heart education.
The subjective content of the course will include opportunities for students to draw parallels between their life experiences and those of the Hebrew people and to reflect on the teachings of Jesus as a challenge for all Christians to direct their lives in response to the Gospel. Throughout the course there will be opportunities to gain a deeper appreciation for the beliefs, moral vision, spirituality and scholarship of the Catholic Church.
THEOLOGY II (Choose two of the following seminar courses)
Theological Themes in Literature: Imagining God in Story.
Stories portray the world and human experience in a particular way, and these portraits make certain claims about reality. These claims have theological significance. The stories we read and the ones we tell about our own experiences have an enormous impact on the ways we search for and encounter God in the world. Through the use of story we will explore how God is portrayed in our world and what the reality of our own experiences are of God. Some of the authors we will be looking at include C.S. Lewis, Flannery O’Connor, Kurt Vonnegut, Karol Wojtyla, Willer Cather, Maya Angelou, Elie Wiesel and others.
The Christian Life of Service:
A one semester opportunity to combine traditional classroom learning with regular service opportunities. We will focus on the scriptural call to serve those who are struggling. We will also examine several Church documents and the themes of Catholic Social Teaching which challenge us to respond to the marginalized. Each month we will focus special attention on a particular group: Homeless; Elderly; AIDS victims; Refugees/Immigrants. We will use our double blocks to visit and serve those in these populations in Omaha.
The Church Through the Ages:
This one semester course will provide students with an introduction to how the Catholic Church has both transformed the world and been transformed by the world throughout its history. The development of Catholic thought and tradition from the Early Church through the Middle Ages, the Reformation and the Second Vatican Council will help students understand how the Church’s journey relates to our current world and how it will continue to be a source of hope for the future. This survey of historical events, personalities, ideas, artwork and cultural influences will not only increase the student’s knowledge of the history of the Church, but will provide a framework to recognize the need for the Church’s continued activity and relevance in the world.
Encountering God in a Life of Faith
As a teen, how do you experience God? Do you wonder where you fit in the Church? How can you find God? What do you need to do to let God find you? These are just a few of the questions addressed in this sophomore theology elective, Encountering God in a Life of Faith.
This course will build on your study of the Word of God from freshman year and explore what it means to grow in your relationship with God and the light of faith and God's Word guide the actions and decisions of you life. You will look at the experience of many people, including Elizabeth Ann Seton, Katherine Drexel and Dorothy Day, and examine evidence from Scripture, history, and the teachings of the Catholic Church to see how this faith is worthy of belief. In addition, you will learn how to deepen your current prayer and experience some new ways of praying. You will also disucss where evolution fits in the Church's teaching, what the Chrisitan view of death and the afterlife is, as well as many modern-day stories, experiences and dilemmas of other people in order to understand the connection between faith and daily life.
THEOLOGY III: ETHICS/CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING
The objective content of this course will be an overview of the foundations of Christian ethics, including logic, moral norms, systems of ethical values, conscience and human dignity. This course will also include an exploration into issues of social justice. The students will utilize readings, articles, encyclicals, lectures, class discussions, the internet and self-directed exploratory learning to further explore and develop their understanding of these concepts and ethical issues.
Subjectively the students will evaluate their own beliefs, values and actions, to gauge how well they are doing at living out what they say they believe. The students will continue to reevaluate their answers to the following questions: Who am I? and What is God calling me to?
THEOLOGY IV: WORLD RELIGIONS
This is a two-semester senior theology course which explores the meanings and values at the heart of the world's great enduring faiths (Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.) The focus will be on why and how these religious traditions guide and motivate the lives of those who live by them. Students will identify and analyze the key ideas/beliefs that are foundation to each relgion and will consider how religion is an empowering force for peoples in the world's many clutures. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to relate these concepts and their learning to their own lives and to appropriate the meanings and values of the world religions in order to glean wisdom for themselves. |
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