A Jesuit education is an invitation to investigate what is true, and ultimately, it is about helping a student to find God (who is Ultimate Truth) in all things. It encourages a student to appreciate the goodness and beauty of creation, to understand how the world works, but also to become aware of the prejudices and biases that hinder our appreciation and understanding of truth, and so impede our relationship with God and others. The Jesuit worldview is distinctly Catholic, but its methodology is aimed at helping all students, regardless of their faith background, to find truth and to develop a personal relationship with God.
While requiring an equal level of academic rigor as other courses, the daily religion classes also serve to help students coordinate and integrate their retreat and service experiences, and to prepare students for the celebration of liturgies.
Course Offerings
Religion I: Introduction to Catholicism and Hebrew Scriptures
In the first semester the students are introduced to Catholic belief, morality, and worship. The second semester is an investigation of the Hebrew Scriptures which provide a foundation and context for the Revelation of God in Jesus.
Religion II: Christian Testament and The Church in History
This course begins with the study of the Gospels. In the second semester students explore how the Church evolves, progresses, and matures in its understanding of and faith in Jesus throughout history, from Paul to the Second Vatican Council.
Religion III: Catholic Morality and World Religions
The first semester of junior religion focuses on Christian morality. Students examine the sources, resources, values and processes that contribute to Catholic moral decision making. These principles are applied to several pertinent issues of personal morality as well as to larger social issues. In addition, in preparation for the summer service, juniors will investigate the principles, demands and richness of Catholic Social Teaching. In the second semester, juniors explore the theological anthropology and social ethics of other faith traditions. In the spirit of the encyclical Nostra Aetate and General Congregation 34 of the Society of Jesus, juniors consider God’s universal salvific will by examining the faith traditions of Judiasm, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. In doing so, they develop a deeper understanding of their own faith tradition as one that embraces the human community in its promotion of justice.
Religion IV: Discerning the Call
Through the lens of Ignatian spirituality and the Jesuit worldview or thought world, in the fourth year of religion seniors read about and discuss in a seminar format the universal call to holiness, the sacraments of vocation, and other related issues with repetition of significant themes from previous years. Students may also apply for an opportunity to learn and practice the Ignatian method of prayer by participating in a semester-long directed retreat which employs an adaptation of the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.
“No service of faith without promotion of justice, entry into cultures,
Openness to other religious experiences
No promotion of justice without, communicating faith, transforming
Cultures, collaboration with other traditions
No enculturation without communicating faith with others, dialogue with
Other traditions, commitment to justice
No dialogue without sharing faith with others, evaluating cultures,
Concern for justice”
- General Congregation 34, 1995
Toward this end the students learn about the history of Catholic social teaching and about how issues of justice transcend religious boundaries.