This is our catalog of courses. We will occasionally adjust the course listing to reflect the addition of new courses and the retirement of others.
Sign up for this course to learn Catholic teaching on God’s desire to unite all of mankind to Himself and to each other through the Church. We will examine disunity in the Body of Christ as well as the tasks before us in healing that division.
Total classes: 12
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 11th to 12th grade
Suggested credit: One full semester Theology or Interreligious Dialogue
Description
As Catholics, we believe that the Catholic Church enjoys the “fullness of the truth”, but that does not mean our brothers and sisters around the world who hold differing beliefs and traditions have no exposure to or experience of Truth. How do we understand this? Jesus warns that there may even be people who preach and perform wonders in his name to whom He will have to say at the Final Judgment, “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:21-23). What then is the nature of the Catholic Church’s relationship with other Christian ecclesial communities, the Jewish people, Muslims, and the multitude of practitioners of various religions around the world? Come and see!
Outline
Week 1 – Course Introduction
Week 2 – Ch. 1: God Reveals His Plan of Salvation
Week 3 – Ch. 2: The Church as Sacrament of Salvation
Week 4 – Ch. 3: The Church as Sacrament of Communion
Week 5 – Ch. 4: Churches of the East
Week 6 – Ch. 5: Ecclesial Communities in Western Christianity
Week 7 – Ch. 6: Ecumenical Efforts
Week 8 – Ch. 7: Relations with the Jewish People
Week 9 – Ch. 8: Islam and Other Non-Christian Religions
Week 10 – Ch. 9: Proclamation and Dialogue: The New Evangelization
Week 11 – Discussion: Essays
Week 12 – Course Conclusion
Materials and Homework
Course materials:
– The Holy Bible, preferably the Revised Standard Version, 2nd Catholic Edition (RSV-2CE) or the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE). NOTE: Both can be accessed online for free through bible.com/“YouVersion” phone app or by visiting biblegateway.com and selecting the desired translation from the drop box menu. Students may use their own bibles if they choose, but course material will always reference one of the above translations.
– Catechism of the Catholic Church: 2nd Edition (ISBN-13: 978-1601376497); also free online at http://ccc.usccb.org/flipbooks/catechism/index.html)
– Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue by Eric Sammons – Didache Series (ISBN-13: 978-1936045976)
– Various free online articles, PDFs, video and audio links may be shared by the instructor throughout the course
Homework: Students will be expected to read approximately 25-35 pages per week, primarily consisting of relevant chapters from the Didache textbook. Web-based readings and some video/audio material may be occasionally required as well. Assessments will consist of five bi/tri-weekly online quizzes (70% of grade) and one culminating essay (30% of grade). More details on homework and grading will be provided during the first class.
Important Dates
Class dates: Tuesdays, January 9 to April 9, 2024. (No class Feb. 13 or March 26)
Starting time: 4:00 PM Eastern (3:00 Central, 2:00 Mountain, 1:00 Pacific)
Registration link
