Religious Studies

Religious Studies I provides students with the opportunity to explore and come to a deeper understanding of the Catholic faith and its roots in the Jewish tradition.  The year includes an introduction to Scripture, important figures of the Hebrew Scriptures, Catholic Christianity, Christian morality and decision-making and human sexuality.

The Person of Jesus Christ is the focal point of the second year of Religious Studies.  Jesus is viewed from an historical and theological perspective. Students study the Christian Scriptures and the development of the Catholic Christian Church through the years. 

Religious Studies 3 asks the question “what sort of lives ought we lead?”  The answer to this question is found by examining the convergence of spirituality and morality.  The moral life is the public face of our spirituality and acts back upon our spirituality to test the authenticity of our experience of God and our convictions about the way life ought to be lived. This course will look at the sacraments and how they influence our spirituality and how we act in the world.  This course will also look at developing personal ethics based on the teachings of Jesus.

Are you conscious of the values operating in your life and where they come from?  Do you know how to make the best decision for you?  Should being a Christian make a difference in the way you make your decisions and in your ongoing formation of conscience?  After examining these questions and Gospel values, the student will then apply them to key social issues of today, such as racism, sexism, environmentalism, human rights abuses, violence, poverty, substance abuse, and sexual morality.  Readings, films, speakers and discussion will provide factual information and will help to broaden awareness and understanding of these topics within the context of Christian values and the social teachings of the Church.

The goal of this course is to introduce students to the major religious traditions that exist today: “wisdom traditions” that have been with us for the past 6,000 years, shaping our culture and history. We will explore the major Eastern traditions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism and Islam and how religion affects our modern world. It is hoped that students will gain a better understanding of the variety of views that exist in our complex and diverse world, thus fostering a genuine respect for these traditions. One of the central goals of this course will be to gain a better understanding of the spirituality and belief systems of other faiths, so that each student will be able to better articulate her own spirituality and belief system. The course will also allow students the opportunity to gain a greater appreciation of other World Faiths, and in doing this, gain a greater appreciation of the way different cultures pray and worship.  During the course we will also explore the practice of meditation and its implications for mindfulness in the world. Finally, we will discuss ways for creating peace in ourselves and in our world, given what these traditions reveal to us.

Who is my neighbor? Why are there social and economic disparities in our world? How am I uniquely called and gifted to live a life of compassionate service? These questions are critical to this Service-Learning course, which will combine service in the community with reflection on Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching in order to develop thoughtful responses to the injustices of our time. Special emphasis will be given to the Critical Concerns of the Sisters of Mercy, which include poverty, non-violence, environmental justice, women’s issues, racial justice, and immigration.  Not only will students be able to analyze root causes of injustice, but they will also design their own educational, direct service, and advocacy projects around the issues they are most passionate about.

Women's Studies in Religion looks at the ways in which women are portrayed in Scripture and religious art, especially examining cultural constraints on women's actions and moments where women broke with societal norms. The course then explores influential women from across many faith traditions, looking at how their faith and beliefs influenced their actions and work. Throughout the course, students incorporate both intersectionality and the tenets of Catholic Social Teaching, helping them understand the multiple identities of all persons and how they interact with faith.