Theology

Students placed in this class should have a basic understanding of Catholic/Christian culture, traditions, and teachings, and have typically taken a religion class prior to JSerra. Students can expect one test per unit, approximately six each semester, and a quiz for most units. Students are expected to participate, exercise critical thinking, and have a collaborative nature.

Semester 1
Introduction to Philosophy
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the basics of philosophical questioning. This will help students learn how to ask deeper questions, develop critical thinking, and articulate arguments. Ultimately, the purpose is to give students the ability and tools to reason through difficult concepts in Theology which will cross over into other disciplines. Students will also be introduced to the basic principles of Catholic culture at JSerra, basics in terminology and practice, and introduction to the Bible. Students will use the basics of philosophical inquiry to review the major worldviews in culture today and determine what is believed by each about the purpose of life, the value of the human person, and determining right from wrong.

Semester 2
Introduction to the Christian Worldview
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the basic teaching and proclamation of the Christian worldview. This is known as the kerygma, or the basic Christian message: God created us out of love to be in an intimate relationship with him; sin separates us from the love of the Father; Jesus Christ draws near to us in his incarnation, dies on the cross for our sins, restores us back to the love of the Father through his sacrifice, and invites us to a deeper relationship; the Holy Spirit inspires us to live life to the fullest, leads us to a relationship with the Son, and is the advocate to the life transforming graces of God. This course will explore the mystery of the Blessed Trinity as the source and foundation of the Christian worldview.

• Homework expectation: 15 to 25 minutes per day
• Year
• 10 Credits

This course is designed for the international student who is not familiar with the concept of God in general and of Catholic Christianity in particular. Through the use of different media, storytelling, discussions, and reading, the student will gain knowledge of basic Christian principles. They will be introduced to the mystery of the Trinity, Salvation History, and how the work of Jesus continues through the Holy Spirit in the Church today.

While there are many similarities in content with Theology 1, ICP differs in the instructional pedagogy, pacing of the class, and the need for additional explanation in Catholic/Christian culture, traditions, and teachings. This is an excellent class for any student who is transitioning into a first-time Catholic environment. Students can expect one test per unit, approximately six each semester, and a quiz for most units. Students are expected to participate, exercise critical thinking, and have a collaborative nature.

• Homework expectation: 15 to 25 minutes per day
• Year
• 10 Credits

Prerequisite: Students must qualify for English 1 Honors through results of their HSPT test.

This year-long course explores the origins of Christianity and the roots of theological thought in Western civilization. In the first semester, students will learn about the foundations of Hebrew and Greek culture through selective reading of the Old Testament. In the second half of the course, students will develop the art of philosophical inquiry, logical reasoning, and critical thinking through close readings of numerous primary sources from Ancient philosophers (e.g., Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle). The course will culminate with an examination of contemporary texts that highlight the values that have most shaped the course of Christian history. The course  incorporates substantial use of the Socratic method.

• Homework expectation: 25 to 35 minutes per day
• Year
• 10 Credits

How  Humanities 1 Honors (Theology) differs from Theology 1:

• Humanities 1 (Theology) is an honors-level class that appeals to students who demonstrate advanced critical thinking and intend to participate in active, purposeful discussion.
• Humanities 1 (Theology) begins the first semester by reading 16 of the 46 books of the Old Testament that give a cohesive narrative of salvation history and a foundation for Hebrew Culture. Theology 1 does not include a study of the Old Testament.
• Humanities 1 (Theology) reads primary sources from the philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle while Theology 1 explores modern-day worldviews.
• Humanities 1 (Theology) includes reading contemporary works from authors such as C.S. Lewis, Peter Kreeft, and other contemporary Catholic authors, while Theology 1 does not incorporate primary sources into its year-long curriculum.
• Humanities 1 (Theology) students will be expected to do a substantial amount of independent reading and annotating and must desire to dive more deeply in philosophical discussion.
• Humanities 1 Honors (Theology) students can expect to do 2-3 hours of work a week, which includes weekend reading. Theology 1 students can expect between 1-2 hours weekly.

Semester 1
The Old Testament: Learning to Trust in God
The purpose of this course is to help students, first and foremost, understand the narrative flow and structure of God's amazing work through salvation history as it is presented in Sacred Scripture. Students will grow in familiarity of navigating through the different books of the Bible as well as learn key themes and lessons as they walk through the different eras. They will learn that the whole story of the Old Testament can be summed up as follows -- God wants to fulfill our desire for true happiness, but man wrestles with trusting in God because of sin. This course will examine forty stories in salvation history that advance the plot and prepare to open our hearts in anticipation for receiving Jesus Christ and his Church. By the end of the semester students will be familiar with the Bible, know the story of salvation history, and have their own encounter with the word of God.

Semester 2
The New Testament: Jesus' Saving Work
The purpose of this course is to pick up the narrative thread of the previous semester and continue the journey of God's work of salvation through the long awaited Messiah, Jesus Christ. Beginning with the announcement of the angel to Mary, students will examine forty stories in the life of Jesus: his infancy, public ministry, passion, death, resurrection, and then study the early works of the Apostles at the beginning of the Church. Building upon similar themes and lessons from the first semester, students will be able to identify parallels in both Old and New Testaments, see how the sacraments are prefigured in the life of the Jewish people, and recognize how Jesus is the fulfillment of all of the promises of the anticipated Messiah. Through an in depth study of the life of Jesus and his Church students will gain an understanding of the saving work of Jesus as God's great gift and expression of love.

Students can expect one test per unit, approximately six each semester, and a quiz for most units. Each unit contains assignments such as reading passages from the Bible, book reading and questions, study guides, and various other activities. While there is less writing compared to honors, students are still expected to effectively communicate through writing. Students are expected to participate, present before the class, and have a collaborative nature.

• Homework expectation: 25 to 35 minutes per day
• Year
• 10 Credits

Prerequisite: Minimum A- in the 1st semester and 3rd quarter of Theology 1, Theology 1 Foundations, or Intro to Catholic Principles.

Semester 1
The Old Testament: Learning to Trust in God
The purpose of this course is to help students, first and foremost, understand the narrative flow and structure of God's amazing work through salvation history as it is presented in Sacred Scripture. Students will grow in familiarity of navigating through the different books of the Bible as well as learn key themes and lessons as they walk through the different eras. They will learn that the whole story of the Old Testament can be summed up as follows -- God wants to fulfill our desire for true happiness, but man wrestles with trusting in God because of sin. This course will examine forty stories in salvation history that advance the plot and prepare to open our hearts in anticipation for receiving Jesus Christ and his Church. By the end of the semester students will be familiar with the Bible, know the story of salvation history, and have their own encounter with the word of God.

Semester 2
The New Testament: Jesus' Saving Work
The purpose of this course is to pick up the narrative thread of the previous semester and continue the journey of God's work of salvation through the long awaited Messiah, Jesus Christ. Beginning with the announcement of the angel to Mary, students will examine forty stories in the life of Jesus: his infancy, public ministry, passion, death, resurrection, and then study the early works of the Apostles at the beginning of the Church. Building upon similar themes and lessons from the first semester, students will be able to identify parallels in both Old and New Testaments, see how the sacraments are prefigured in the life of the Jewish people, and recognize how Jesus is the fulfillment of all of the promises of the anticipated Messiah. Through an in depth study of the life of Jesus and his Church students will gain an understanding of the saving work of Jesus as God's great gift and expression of love.

Tests in the honors class are weighted more and worth more overall points, as the level of difficulty is significantly higher with a greater emphasis on writing. There should be about one reading quiz per week. Each unit contains assignments such as reading passages from the Bible, book reading and questions, study guides, and various other activities. Students should expect to read between 30-40 pages per week. Students are expected to participate, read out loud in class, present before the class, collaborate, and overall held to a higher standard of academic work and personal integrity.

• Homework expectation: 35 to 50 minutes per day
• Year
• 10 Credits

Prerequisite: Students must qualify for English 2 Honors.

This year-long course continues to take a deep dive into what comprises a flourishing Christian culture. Students begin with the foundation of all authentic Christianity: Christ Himself. In the first semester they will explore the four Gospels, with an emphasis on the Gospel of Luke, synthesizing their understanding of Christ as the fulfillment of the Old Testament and the complete revelation of God. In the second half of the course, students will engage with various texts and accounts tracking the early development of Christianity as it strove to establish itself in a pagan culture, such as the writings of St. Paul and the Church Fathers. The course culminates in an examination of the spread and flourishing of Christianity up to the high Middle Ages. Students will continue to engage in Socratic methodology and sharpen their skills of critical thinking, logical reasoning, philosophical inquiry, and collaborative dialogue.

*Though completion of Humanities 1 (Theology) Honors is preferred, students are allowed to transfer into year 2 of this program, provided prerequisites are met and the student’s application is approved by the program director.

• Homework expectation: 25 to 50 minutes per day, including weekend reading
• Year
• 10 Credits
• UC Approved

How Humanities 2 (Theology) Honors differs from Theology 2:

• Humanities 2 (Theology) is an honors-level class that appeals to students who demonstrate advanced critical thinking and intend to participate in active, purposeful discussion.
• Humanities 2 (Theology) begins the first semester by reading the entirety of the Gospel of Luke, and many portions of the other synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John. Theology 2 students (both CP and Honors levels) have not studied the Old Testament yet, and so begin their course work there.
• Humanities 2 (Theology) reads primary sources from the philosophers and Church fathers, such as Aristotle, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Augustine while Theology 2 remains completely focused on Scripture in the Old and New Testaments. Humanities 2 (Theology) students will be expected to do a substantial amount of independent reading and annotating and must desire to dive more deeply in philosophical discussion.

Humanities 2 Honors (Theology) students can expect to do 2-4 hours of work a week, which includes weekend reading. Theology 2 students can expect between 1-2 hours weekly.

Semester 1
Sacraments: Receiving God's Life and Love
The purpose of this course is to help students understand how they can encounter Jesus Christ today in a full and real way through the Sacraments. Students will learn that God desires for us to come into contact with the deep mysteries of his life and love through physical and tangible realities that can actually be experienced through the senses -- the Sacraments. At the same time these physical realities are signs that point towards profound and transforming realties that are happening in the soul. This course will explore each of the seven Sacraments in their scriptural origin, celebration, and benefits to Christian living. Students will understand that the seven Sacraments that Jesus entrusted to the Church as sure ways of receiving his Divine life and love.

Semester 2
Morality: Living God's Life through Love
The purpose of this course is to help students understand the purpose for why they were created: to fulfill their desires and achieve happiness through the help of Jesus Christ. Students will learn how the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude help perfect our natural desires for happiness, while the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity fulfill our natural desires by aiming them towards God. This course explores the following themes: human desires, the meaning and way of achieving happiness, the cardinal and theological virtues, what determines right from wrong, and a study on each of the Ten Commandments as a springboard towards true happiness. Students will learn how to imitate the life of Jesus Christ, make correct moral decisions, and ultimately live life to the fullest.

Students can expect one test per unit, approximately six each semester, and a quiz for most units. Each unit contains assignments such as Catechism reflections, book reading and questions, study guides, and various other activities. While there is less writing compared to honors, students are still expected to effectively communicate through writing. Students are expected to participate, present before the class, and have a collaborative nature.

• Homework expectation: 15 to 25 minutes per day
• Year
• 10 Credits

Prerequisites: Minimum B- in the 1st semester of Theology 2H or a minimum A- in the 1st semester of Theology 2. Placement pending based on 2nd semester grades matching prior requirements.

Semester 1
Sacraments: Receiving God's Life and Love
The purpose of this course is to help students understand how they can encounter Jesus Christ today in a full and real way through the Sacraments. Students will learn that God desires for us to come into contact with the deep mysteries of his life and love through physical and tangible realities that can actually be experienced through the senses -- the Sacraments. At the same time these physical realities are signs that point towards profound and transforming realties that are happening in the soul. This course will explore each of the seven Sacraments in their scriptural origin, celebration, and benefits to Christian living. Students will understand that the seven Sacraments that Jesus entrusted to the Church are sure ways of receiving his Divine life and love.

 
Semester 2
Morality: Living God's Life through Love
The purpose of this course is to help students understand the purpose for why they were created: to fulfill their desires and achieve happiness through the help of Jesus Christ. Students will learn how the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude help perfect our natural desires for happiness, while the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity fulfill our natural desires by aiming them towards God. This course explores the following themes: human desires, the meaning and way of achieving happiness, the cardinal and theological virtues, what determines right from wrong, and a study on each of the Ten Commandments as a springboard towards true happiness. Students will learn how to imitate the life of Jesus Christ, make correct moral decisions, and ultimately live life the fullest.

Tests in the honors class are weighted more and worth more overall points, as the level of difficulty is significantly higher with a greater emphasis on writing. Students can expect one test per unit, approximately six each semester, and weekly quizzes. Each unit contains assignments such as Catechism outline reflections, book reading and questions, study guides, and various other activities. Students are expected to participate, read out loud in class, present before the class, collaborate, and are held to a higher standard of academic work and personal integrity.

• Homework expectation: 25 to 50 minutes per day
• Year
• 10 Credits

Prerequisite: Students must qualify for English 3 Honors. Though completion of Humanities 2 (Theology) Honors is preferred, students are allowed to transfer into year 3 of this program, provided prerequisites are met and the student’s application is approved by the program director.

Humanities 3 (Theology) Honors continues the program's historical trajectory through the Renaissance and into the Modern period, with a focus on the saints from that era who made the biggest impact on culture, and the theological writings that made the Catholic faith most compelling.

Semester 1 explores in greater depth the meaning of the Sacramental Worldview and equips students to recognize it more easily in the world around them, in their daily interactions, and in the subject matters they study. The content of the Semester 1 focuses on the centrality of the sacraments to our life in Christ, how and why he gave them to the Church, and the manner in which they act as primary channels of his grace.

Semester 2 introduces students to the beauty and relevance of the moral life, emphasizing its significant role in human happiness and flourishing. Students will come to understand the relationship between the good, the true, and the beautiful in the lived experience of acting in accord with the teachings of Christ and the joy of living as sons and daughters of God. Throughout the semester, students will come to understand and articulate the "why" behind the Church's most fundamental moral doctrines.

*Though completion of Humanities 2 (Theology) Honors is preferred, students are allowed to transfer into year 3 of this program, provided prerequisites are met and the student's application is approved by the program director.

• Homework expectation: 25 to 50 minutes per day, including weekend reading.
• Year
• 10 Credits

How Humanities 3 (Theology) Honors differs from Theology 3 CP and Honors:

• Humanities 3 (Theology) is an honors-level class that appeals to students who demonstrate advanced critical thinking and intend to participate in active, purposeful discussion.
• Humanities 3 (Theology) uses the Socratic method as its primary and fundamental mode of instruction and has formal Socratic seminars once a week to every two weeks. Power Points are rarely, if ever used, for teaching and learning. Theology 3 students (both CP and Honors levels) may be exposed to Socratic method now and then, but these classes do not have formal Socratic seminars. Power Point is used regularly in CP and Honors.
• Humanities 3 (Theology) reads primary sources from the philosophers and Church fathers and relies heavily on student participation and daily group conversation.
• Humanities 3 (Theology) approaches the sacraments and moral theology by using other non-textbook sources, including excerpts from writings of the Renaissance and Modern time periods, as well as fiction such as short stories and poetry.
• Humanities 3 (Theology) students will be expected to do a substantial amount of independent reading and annotating and must desire to dive more deeply in philosophical discussion.
• Humanities 3 Honors (Theology) students can expect to do 2-4 hours of work a week, which includes weekend reading. Theology 3 CP and Honors students can expect between 1-2 hours weekly.

College presents a wonderful opportunity to advance in higher education, seek a degree in specialized knowledge, and even experience the next steps in maturity that comes with newfound freedoms. It is also a place where a variety of different ideas, philosophical worldviews, and religious differences gather; many times, these ideas challenge or sometimes reject the Christian faith and moral principles. This year-long course aims to answer one question, ‘How do I keep my Christian faith in college?’ Apologetics is a Greek term that means, ‘making a defense,’ thus, this class is about learning how to defend the Christian faith. The methodology of this class will approach a variety of challenges and questions that often arise in college and the modern workplace with faith (what the Church teaches) and reason (clear terms, true propositions, and logically valid statements).

Questions to be covered
Why is being able to defend your faith in college, and beyond, important?
Can the existence of God be proven aside from faith?
What does the Church teach about creation, the Big Bang, and evolution?
What are angels and demons?
Why do bad things happen to good people?
What if Christianity was just invented by the apostles or someone else?
What if Jesus was just a liar, or a lunatic, or his divinity mythologized over time?
How can we trust the bible when it was written so long ago?
Is hell real, and if so, is it God's vengeance and punishment?
What do other religions believe and how does salvation relate to other religions?

• Homework expectation: 15 to 25 minutes per day
• Year
• 10 Credits
• UC Approved Pending

Semester 1
Social Justice
The purpose of this course is to help students understand that they were born into a community in which they should participate. The students will be made aware of the Church’s teachings on most of the major sociopolitical issues of our time through the study of the Church’s encyclicals, emphasis on global solidarity, the option for the poor, and the dignity of the human person. This class will provide a framework for the students to begin to come to terms with and form opinions about the major socio political issues of our time, as well as a solid foundation with which they will be able to make educated judgments about future issues.

Semester 2
Theology of the Body
The purpose of this course is to help students discern their vocation in life and the purpose of their sexuality as male and female. In this course, students will understand the purpose and call of our human sexuality using the teachings of Pope St. John Paul II and supporting sources. The course is structured around rediscovering what genuine masculinity and femininity is, and how the virtues, which inheritably belong to the person, lead us to living a life that is complementary and fulfilling. Through the story of Adam and Eve as a springboard, students will rediscover the meaning of the body and the original purpose for which we were created – to reflect God's life and love through the body.

Students can expect one test per unit, approximately 5 each semester, and a quiz most units. Each unit contains assignments such as reading and reflections from the textbook, study guides, and various other activities. While there is less writing compared to honors, students are still expected to effectively communicate through writing. Class will be heavily lecture-based but still engaging. Students are expected to participate, present before the class, and have a collaborative nature.

• Homework expectation: 30 minutes per day
• Year
• 10 Credits
• UC Approved - One semester

Prerequisites: Minimum B- in the 1st semester of Theology 3H or a minimum A- in the 1st semester of Theology 3. Placement pending based on 2nd semester grades matching prior requirements.

Semester 1
Lives of the Saints
Students will take a journey through Church history by learning and discussing the lives of the Church's greatest saints. The saints are examples of holiness, and their extraordinary stories of holiness are inspiring and refreshing. This course will traverse the history of Catholicism by studying the challenges of each epoch and the responses to those challenges by the saints. Understanding saints and their influence throughout Church history is vital to understanding the Church today. In addition, this course will invite students to reflect on their own experiences, faith, and spiritually.

Semester 2
Theology of the Body
The purpose of this course is to help students discern their vocation in life and the purpose of their sexuality as male and female. In this course, students will understand the purpose and call of our human sexuality using the teachings of Pope St. John Paul II and supporting sources. The course is structured around rediscovering what genuine masculinity and femininity is, and how the virtues, which inheritably belong to the person, lead us to living a life that is complementary and fulfilling. Through the story of Adam and Eve as a springboard, students will rediscover the meaning of the body and the original purpose for which we were created – to reflect God's life and love through the body.

The level of difficulty for tests is significantly higher with a greater emphasis on writing. There is substantially more project-based learning and reading of a variety of primary sources. Students are expected to participate, read out loud in class, present before the class, collaborate, and are held to a higher standard of academic work and personal integrity.

• Homework expectation: 35 to 50 minutes per day
• Year
• 10 Credits

Humanities 4 Honors (Theology) is the culmination of the program’s four-year journey towards full immersion in the Catholic Worldview and the invitation to be a life-long follower of Jesus Chris. At the end of the course students will be competent in giving an answer to the two overarching questions of the Humanities Program: What does it mean to live a fully flourishing human life? Why are a relationship with Christ and a Catholic worldview indispensable for that?

The course is broken into two parts: Mission to the Modern World and The Theology of the Body. Both sections contribute equally to an understanding of how the Church has responded to modernism and post-modernism, and how Christ calls today’s Christian to engage the world and transform it for Him.

Students will read texts from Vatican II, Pope St. John Paul II, Christopher Dawson, Joseph Pieper, Fr. Jacques Phillipe, and G.K. Chesterton, among others. Themes covered include the Catholic response to modern secularism, the universal call to holiness, the centrality of cultivating an interior life alongside the proper use of technology, and Christ’s call to live life as a mission.

Seniors in Humanities will experience a mission trip together and will travel to Rome during Easter break as their capstone experience.