Theology

List of 19 items.

• Marist Way (TH104: Grade 7)

  This course is designed to introduce 7th grade students to the mission, history, and spirituality of the Society of Mary and by connection, Marist School. According to the Marists, the means in which we can come to know Jesus, deeply, intimately, and permanently is to become more and more like his Mother, Mary. Society of Mary Founder Fr. Jean Claude Colin challenges us to “make the whole world Marist,” and one step on that journey is for students to understand that Marist is more than a college-preparatory school in Atlanta, Georgia. “Marist” is a way of being, with a deep history in Atlanta and around the world. Students also will be introduced to the notion of a unique Marist spirituality or identity within the Catholic faith. This course will serve to lay the foundation for our youngest students to “think like Mary, judge like Mary, feel, and act like Mary in all things.”

• Introduction to Theology -- Catholic (TH105: Grade 7)

  This one-term course will help lay the foundation for our students to think theologically. Scripture, social justice, and our students’ overall beliefs will be enhanced with the knowledge of key terms, concepts, and the ability to think critically about the notions of spirituality that are presented to them in their everyday life. Two hours of community service are required.

• Church History (TH208: Grade 8)

  This one-term course seeks to broaden the student’s understanding of the meaning of church. The students will study the themes and events in Christianity’s heritage and tradition from Pentecost and the early Christians through the Reformation. Three hours of community service are required.

• Faith & Human Dignity (TH207: Grade 8)

  This one-term course will explore what it means to be a member of the Body of Christ. With special attention to young adolescent faith formation, students will look specifically at the dignity of the human person, life issues, and how morality and justice are requirements of discipleship with Jesus. Three hours of community service are required.

• Hebrew Scriptures (TH301: Grade 9)

  This one-term required course for all 9th-grade students is designed to help students understand the relationship of the Hebrew Scriptures to Christianity. Students in this course become familiar with some overarching themes of the Hebrew Scriptures, the identity and history of the Jewish people, as well as the ways God has appeared from Creation onwards. Four hours of community service are required for this course.

• Christian Scriptures (TH302: Grade 9)

  This one-term required course for all 9th-grade students picks up where the Hebrew Scriptures course ends. We explore how Jesus connects to and emerges out of the Jewish context. This course looks at each Gospel (in particular, Mark) and examines the life and teachings of Jesus and the early Christian faith as recorded in the Christian New Testament. Students will reflect upon the relevance of God and Christianity in their own lives, lived in this present day. Four hours of community service are required for this course.

• Christian Morality (TH401: Grade 10)

  In this required one-term course, students seek to discover who they ought to be and what they ought to do in light of the Gospel message of life. Through the lens of human dignity, students will explore their relationship with God, with themselves, and with others. Tools will be provided to help students with this life-long exploration and with the development of their conscience. Such tools include, but are not limited to, the Three-Font principle, a decision-making process, and a variety of spiritual practices. Five hours of service are required.

• Overview of Catholicism (TH402: Grade 10)

  This one-term course will continue to support students as they build their relationship with God. Specific focus will be on the prayer life of the student and the Church, Grace, especially as communicated through each of the seven sacraments, and study of the Trinity and the Church as articulated in the Apostles Creed. The Marist themes of being called by gracious choice and of Mary at Nazareth will be incorporated throughout the course.

• Peace and Justice (TH501: Grade 11)

  This one-term course examines the Christian call to transform society through non-violent means. Particular emphasis is placed on contemporary social problems, explored through the lens of Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching and the call to address these problems as part of our vocation to live out the Gospel. Five hours of community service are required.

• World Religions (TH502: Grade 11)

  This one-term course explores the variety of human responses to the divine. The faith systems, doctrine, and ritual celebration of the world's major religions are considered in order to gain understanding of a variety of religions and their cultures. The course focuses on Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam.

• Civil Rights History and Theology in the U.S. (SS470: Grades 11-12)

  Students will study the history of Civil Rights in the United States, with special emphasis on the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as the sources of civil and voting rights in philosophy and religious tradition, including Catholic social teaching. The course will explore the relationship between Civil Rights and the African-American experience, as well as women’s rights, Native American rights, and other minority rights and interests in the context of United States history and “lived” historical events.
  
  

  This course can fulfill a Social Studies elective graduation requirement or fulfill a Theology elective graduation requirement for non-Catholic seniors only.

• Faith and Gender - Girls (TH552: Grades 11-12)

  This one-term course will explore the questions “Who is God?” and “What is my relationship to God?” from the perspective of women. The foundation for a specifically theological approach to these questions will be the stories of women in Scripture, Church history, and contemporary culture, and the relevance that these stories have for us today in our spiritual search for meaning.
  
  

  This course can fulfill a Theology elective graduation requirement for non-Catholic seniors only.

• Living the Marist Way (TH554: Grades 11-12)

  This one-term course is a deeper exploration into the mission of Marist School and the mission of the Society of Mary (the Marists), the congregation whose history, Spirit, and philosophy of education animate Marist School and similar schools throughout the world. Students will examine the theology of Mary and the nature of Marian spirituality. Special emphasis will be placed on building an awareness of Marist prayer and community life, as well as learning those values that make unique those organizations that call themselves “Marist.”

• Yoga: Prayer of the Mind, Heart, and Body (TH557: Grades 11-12)

  This one-term course will explore the intersection of yoga philosophy and Christian theology. The roots of yoga will be examined through the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which is widely regarded as the yoga's authoritative text. Patanjali's eight-fold path, as revealed in the Sutras, offers guidelines for living a fully human life. These guidelines will be placed in dialogue with core tenets of Christian Theology. This dialogue will reveal that yoga is a prayerful practice which helps form the whole person by building the connection of mind, heart, and body. As such, students will be guided through a physical practice of yoga each class. It is through the study and physical practice of yoga that students will be able to purposefully engage in each area of their life: faith, academics, extracurriculars, and community.

• Faith and Reason (TH564: Grades 11-12)

  Faith and Reason explores the intersection of faith and how humans arrive at knowledge. Through a study of logic, reasoning, and human experience, students will learn to make and identify logically valid arguments and be able to discuss the relationship between truth and logical validity. During the second half of the course, students will discuss the Christian Church's discernment of truth by examining the synodal and conciliar processes that are central to the formation of Church doctrine. Finally, by exploring Marian doctrines central to the Catholic faith, students will gain a deeper appreciation for the Society of Mary and the Marist Way. By the end of the course, students should have a practical, introductory knowledge of deductive logic and its applications in daily life, as well as a deeper appreciation for the relationship between faith and reason, the "two wings on which the human spirit rises to contemplation of truth."

• Morality and Medicine (TH550: Grades 11-12)

  This one-term course explores the morality of contemporary medical issues, including stem cell research, cloning, human experimentation, access to health care, and global public health. Through case studies, classroom discussion, and reflection, students will have opportunities to present ideas, challenge others, and engage in critical thinking as they develop their position, informed by teachings of the Catholic Church and other religious traditions and the law and writings of experts in the field of bioethics. Recommended especially for those who are considering the medical field as well as those who are interested in moral issues or debate.
  
  

  This course can fulfill a Theology elective graduation requirement for non-Catholic seniors only. Priority is given to seniors.

• Prayer and Meditation (TH556: Grades 11-12)

  This one-term course for juniors and seniors will aid students in answering the perennial question posed by the disciples when they asked Jesus to “teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). With the purpose of developing a deeper relationship with God through the experience of prayer and spiritual practices, students will explore the various ways one can converse with God, from ancient prayers spoken by Jesus in the Gospels, to those authored by saints, as well as through heartfelt and spontaneous prayer. Understanding that Jesus is the eternal Logos of God, this class also introduces prayer traditions integral to other world religions, as a means to further benefit a believer’s devotion. Finally, the course will focus on Jesus’s instruction to “pray always” (Luke 18:1) by examining how to do this through such forms as the Liturgy of the Hours, Eucharistic Adoration, Lectio Divina, Centering Prayer, and Marian devotions, as well as through meditation and contemplation. 
  
  

  This course can fulfill a Theology elective graduation requirement for non-Catholic seniors only. Priority given to seniors.

• Christian Life Choices (TH601: Grade 12)

  In this one-term senior morality course, students will explore the personal dimension of their vocational call in life, and how they respond through the choices they make as they move on to college and beyond. Students will become familiar with decision making and discernment strategies through the lens of Scripture and the Tradition of the Church. Case studies will enable students to consider personal and societal issues, including a special focus on human relationships. Discussions about vocation will consider the call to the single lifestyle, marriage, and religious life. Twelve hours of community service are required. 

• Synthesis of Catholic Belief (TH602: Grade 12)

  This one-term course will facilitate the student’s movement from knowledge about God to a personal understanding of the nature of God as revealed in Jesus Christ with the resulting consequences of living the Christian life both in actions and choices. The goal of the course is to have students understand and live Catholic Christianity now and in the future.