Department Chair: Mrs. Roberta Pacheco rpacheco@sja.us
RELIGIOUS STUDIES 7: INTRODUCTION TO JESUS
This course focuses on Jesus and deals with His depiction in the four Gospels. Specifically, this course will analyze Jesus’ role as friend, son, brother, teacher, and king. To illustrate these roles, students will identify Jesus’ characteristics in figures from Church and secular history and describe the contemporary moral implications of Jesus’ life and teachings. Special emphasis will be placed on the life of St. Marcellin Champagnat, founder of the Marist Brothers. A full-year required course for seventh grade students.
RELIGIOUS STUDIES 8: LIFE IN CHRIST
This course deals with the building of Catholic character values and provides a summary of basic Catholic teaching. The course seeks to equip students with a working knowledge of Catholic doctrine and practices while developing Christian life skills. Students will be challenged to develop their conscience in the light of Church teachings regarding virtue and morality. A full-year required course for eighth grade students.
RELIGIOUS STUDIES 9: SACRED SCRIPTURE
This course is aimed at introducing students to the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, especially as they apply to contemporary Catholic perspectives and practices. Students will consider the concepts of revelation, culture, and literary forms as they relate to the Bible. In the first semester, this course will provide students with a general overview of Hebrew Scriptures, with special attention paid to the Torah. The New Testament will be examined in the second semester, with emphasis placed on the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. Credit: 1.0; A full-year required course for freshmen.
RELIGIOUS STUDIES 10: CHURCH AND WORSHIP
Tenth grade students will study the Church and its methods of worship and its methods of worship and prayer. In the first semester, students will grapple with the question: What is the Church. Students will explore the history of the Church, its evolving understanding of itself, and the tension between being “in the world but not of the world.” Special emphasis will be placed on ministry in the Church. During the second semester, students will explore the sacraments as sacred signs that celebrate God’s love for us and Jesus’ presence in our lives and in the Church. Students will also explore other kinds of prayer and spirituality. Credit: 1.0; A full-year required course for sophomores.
RELIGIOUS STUDIES 11: SOCIAL JUSTICE
This course challenges students to confront injustice, violence, and victimization with hearts and minds inspired by Catholic social teaching. Issues discussed will include the option for the poor and vulnerable, the rights and responsibilities of workers, the right to life and self-determination, and care for creation. Sustained and special emphasis will be given to the Christian response to war and violence. Students will engage these issues with the assistance of Sacred Scripture, Catholic theology, and their informed conscience. This course will include a major research and presentation component. Credit: 1.0; A full-year required course for juniors.
SENIOR RELIGIOUS STUDIES COURSES:
Students choose (two) 2 Religious Studies Electives each year from the list below.
Exception: Call to Ministry is a full-year course and would fulfill a student’s senior year Religious Studies requirement. Courses may not be repeated.
CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLES
In this course, students will examine the radical nature of Christian relationships – to self, others, and God. While the course will have immediate, present-day applications for students, it also looks ahead to choices in life and Christian vocations. The example of Jesus, understood with the help of modern spiritual writers and psychological thinkers, is studied as a guide to incarnating Christianity in the modern world. In particular, relationships, community, and Christian marriage and family life are explored. Credit: 0.5; A one-semester elective course for seniors.
RIGHT TO LIFE
This course offers students an opportunity to delve deeper into the moral dimensions of life issues such as abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, and the history of genocide. Students will research, debate, and make presentations on several topics. The course will emphasize Catholic reaching on the issues discussed. Credit: 0.5; A one-semester elective course for seniors.
WORLD RELIGIONS
This course offers students an introduction to the belief systems, practices, traditions, and cultures of the world’s great religions. Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism will receive particular attention. Students will be invited to find similarities between the doctrines, worship styles, and spiritualities of Catholicism and the various religions studied in this course. Credit: 0.5: A one-semester elective course for seniors.
THE FOLLOWING COURSES ARE APPLICATION - ONLY COURSES.
CALL TO MINISTRY (CTM)
This course will involve the student not only academically, but also experientially by providing a lived experience of service both within the Saint Joseph Academy community and their parishes. Students will come to an understanding of what ministry is and actively participate in it by preparing and coordination the school’s Masses and retreat program. Students will gain an overview of liturgical ministries, the ministry of retreats, and peer counseling skills. Ethical and practical matters in ministry will also be discussed. Through prayerful reflection, students will be challenged to take what they have learned and live it out in service to the church and the global community. Involvement in ministry outside of the school will also be expected. Prerequisites: Admission is by invitation of the instructor/department chairperson. Students wishing to be considered for admission must submit a written application by the course deadline which documents good academic standing and faithful involvement in ministry/service to the school/community. Credit: 1.0; A full-year course for seniors which fulfills the senior Religious Studies requirement.
CHRISTIAN SERVICE
Students will be scheduled in a block during which they will be assigned a service project. Through prayerful reflection, students will be challenged to take what they have learned and live it out in service to the church and the global community. Prerequisites: Admission is by invitation of the instructor/department chairperson. Students wishing to be considered for admission must submit a written application by the course deadline which documents good academic standing and character as well as faithful involvement in ministry/service to the school/community. Credit: 1.0; A one-semester two-period block for seniors which fulfills one semester of the senior Religious Studies requirement.