Religious Studies
The Religious Studies Department aims to help adolescents recognize the presence of God in all aspects of creation and human experience, most especially through the person of Jesus Christ who remains present and active through the Holy Spirit in the community of believers. The department helps students make connections between God’s Word revealed in Scripture and their own lives and aids students in facing the moral challenges of young adulthood and beyond. Students are encouraged to be informed and active in the critical issues of morality and social justice facing our world. To that end, five elective junior level courses examine the culture and moral issues facing California / El Salvador / India / Native Americans / South Africa and culminate in immersion trips there during the summer. As seniors, emphasis is placed on helping students find spiritual fulfillment and personal happiness through loving relationship with God, self, others, and the created world. Throughout their four years in Religious Studies, students are encouraged to develop and deepen an active faith through academic study, reflection and dialogue, prayer and worship, the building of loving relationships, the experiencing of Christian community, and participation in 100 hours of service to others, especially the poor and vulnerable.
| Academic Year | College Preparatory Classes | Elective College Preparatory Classes |
|---|---|---|
| Freshman | Introduction to Catholic Christianity | |
| Sophomore | Encountering Jesus: New Testament Studies | |
| Junior | Personal and Social Ethics | Ethics, Culture, and Justice: California Ethics, Culture, and Justice: El Salvador Ethics, Culture, and Justice: India Ethics, Culture, and Justice: Native American Experience Ethics, Culture, and Justice: South Africa |
| Senior | Discovering Your Spirituality Introduction to Philosophy |
Liturgical Ministry |
Introduction to Catholic Christianity - Grade 9 - Year-long course
This course assists students in developing an understanding of the Catholic Christian experience of the presence of God in all aspects of creation and human experience. This experience is most fully realized in the person of Jesus Christ who remains present and active through the Holy Spirit in the community of believers. Students will explore both the Scripture and Tradition of the Church through which the faith community knows Christ. Students will have the opportunity to discover and experience how the Catholic Community celebrates this presence of Christ through its sacramental prayer and worship, most especially through the Eucharist which is “the source and summit of the Christian life” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1324). Throughout the course, students will reflect on the specific challenges associated with adolescent development and the Christian response to these challenges. They will examine their personal faith in response to cultural pressures in order to make responsible, informed decisions. Students will also complete 25 hours of Christian Service as part of the AMHS graduation requirement. The call of the prophets in the Hebrew Scriptures to love God through compassionate love for others, especially the poor and vulnerable, shall serve as the foundation for student reflection on their own Christian Service experience.
Encountering Jesus: New Testament Studies - Grade 10 - Year-long course
Who is Jesus of Nazareth, the person that people of faith call “the Christ, the Son of God”? This important question is the subject of this course. Students will become familiar with the Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, key Pauline epistles, and other New Testament texts, as well as the Church’s teachings about Jesus. Students will gain enough background to read the New Testament with appreciation and understanding. The course will also help students make the connection between God’s Word and their lives by providing them with a foundation in Catholic morality. Questioning, reflecting, imagining, internalizing, appreciating, responding to, examining, and deciding: these are the skills that help students to read the Bible as a living Word that is relevant to their adolescent and future adult experience as a guide to holiness and happiness. Students will also complete 25 hours of Christian Service as part of the AMHS graduation requirement. Jesus Christ’s example of humility and service in the Gospel will enrich student reflection on their own experience of service to others.
Personal & Social Ethics - Grade 11 - Year-long course
Personal & Social Ethics is designed to aid students in facing the moral challenges of young adulthood. Students will discover that morality is more than just following the dictates of their parents and institutions concerning right and wrong. They will begin to discover and develop for themselves a sense of conscience that will guide them throughout adulthood. Throughout this course, the student explores the components of moral decision-making and is encouraged to form a personal conscience rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition. Students will be challenged to reflect, analyze, synthesize and apply the principles learned in this course to personal and social issues. Special emphasis is placed on studying social justice issues and the major tenets of Catholic social teaching. Students will complete 25 hours of Christian Service as part of the AMHS graduation requirement. Students’ development of social consciousness will be examined through reflection on their own experience of serving others.
Ethics, Culture, and Justice: California - Grade 11 - Year-long Course
Ethics, Culture and Justice – California is designed to aid students in facing the moral challenges of young adulthood. Students will discover that morality is more than just following the dictates of their parents and institutions concerning right and wrong. They will begin to discover and develop for themselves a sense of conscience that will guide them throughout adulthood. Throughout this course, the student explores the components of moral decision-making and is encouraged to form a personal conscience rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition. Students will be challenged to reflect, analyze, synthesize and apply the principles learned in this course to personal and social issues, especially those particular to California. This course places special emphasis on the study of social justice issues and the major tenets of Catholic social teaching, particularly through studying the history and current events in the state and recent experiences of the Catholic Church in California. Students will balance their classroom study, and witness a deepening of their social consciousness by participating in class field trips to places such as Emergency Housing Consortium, Glide Memorial Church, and the John XXIII Center during the school year. The course will culminate in an eleven-day immersion experience to different locations in California such as St. Anthony’s Foundation in San Francisco, Save the Bay in San Jose, a migrant farm-working community in Salinas, and Dolores Mission in Los Angeles in the summer of 2009.
To qualify: Application process (application due February 1, 2008), and department approval
Ethics, Culture and Justice – El Salvador - Grade 11 - Year-long course
Ethics, Culture and Justice – El Salvador is designed to aid students in facing the moral challenges of young adulthood. Students will discover that morality is more than just following the dictates of their parents and institutions concerning right and wrong. They will begin to discover and develop for themselves a sense of conscience that will guide them throughout adulthood. Throughout this course, the student explores the components of moral decision-making and is encouraged to form a personal conscience rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition. Students will be challenged to reflect, analyze, synthesize and apply the principles learned in this course to personal and social issues. This course places special emphasis on the study of social justice issues and the major tenets of Catholic social teaching, particularly through studying the history and recent experience of the Catholic Church in El Salvador. Students will balance their classroom study, and witness a deepening of their social consciousness by completing their 25 hours of Christian Service and by participating in a class immersion trip to El Salvador in June, 2009. Students will live and work with Salvadoran families for one week in the village of Guarjila, Chalatenango, and then spend the last four days visiting important religious and historical sites in the capital city of San Salvador. To participate in this course students must also be taking concurrently at least Spanish Level III or higher. Spanish vocabulary and conversation will be used throughout the course in preparation for the class immersion trip in June of 2009.
To qualify: Concurrent enrollment in Spanish III or above, application process (application due February 1, 2008), and department approval.
Ethics, Culture and Justice – India – Grade 11 - Year-long course
Ethics, Culture and Justice – India is designed to aid students in facing the moral challenges of young adulthood. Students will discover that morality is more than just following the dictates of their parents and institutions concerning right and wrong. They will begin to discover and develop for themselves a sense of conscience that will guide them throughout adulthood. Throughout this course, the student explores the components of moral decision-making and is encouraged to form a personal conscience rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition. Students will be challenged to reflect, analyze, synthesize and apply the principles learned in this course to personal and social issues. This course places special emphasis on the study of social justice issues and the major tenets of Catholic social teaching. Special emphasis is placed on specific ethics and justice issues of India. Students will study aspects of India’s rich history as it relates to contemporary issues. Some of these topics include the evolution of Hinduism and caste system, the role of Islam and Christian expansion, British colonization, the creation of an Indian and Pakistani state, post-colonial development, and the complex and evolving role of women in religion, family, and society. Students will balance their classroom study, and witness a deepening of their social consciousness by completing their 25 hours of Christian Service and by participating in a class immersion trip to India in June 2009. Students will visit several cities in India including Delhi, Arga, and Bangladore. Students will visit schools, orphanages, temples, mosques, and churches, the Taj Mahal, and a variety of other cultural centers.
To qualify: Application process (application due February 1, 2008), and department approval
Ethics, Culture and Justice – Native American Experience – Grade 11 - Year-long course
Ethics, Culture and Justice – Native American Experience is designed to aid students in facing the moral challenges of young adulthood. Students will discover that morality is more than just following the dictates of their parents and institutions concerning right and wrong. They will begin to discover and develop for themselves a sense of conscience that will guide them throughout adulthood. Throughout this course, the student explores the components of moral decision-making and is encouraged to form a personal conscience rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition. Students will be challenged to reflect, analyze, synthesize and apply the principles learned in this course to personal and social issues. This course places special emphasis on the study of social justice issues and the major tenets of Catholic social teaching. This class will explore Native American culture and history within the context of U.S. history. Some specific topics of study include the cultural treatment of Native American peoples especially the Navajo, Hopi and White Mountain Apache Indians and the current cultural challenges they face today. In addition to an overview of specific tribes, the course will also examine unique cultural, artistic, and spiritual contributions of Native Americans. Special emphasis will be place upon inter-religious dialogue between Native American Spirituality and Catholicism. Students will balance their classroom study, and witness a deepening of their social consciousness by completing their 25 hours of Christian Service and by participating in a ten-day immersion trip to Arizona and New Mexico in June, 2009. Students will perform service work on the Navajo and White Mountain Apache Reservations. They will visit the Heard Museum in Phoenix, participate in an Apache sunrise ceremony and an Apache sweat lodge, and tour of the ruins at Chaco Canyon in New Mexico and Canyon de Chelly, and the Hopi Mesas.
To qualify: Application process (application due February 1, 2008), and department approval
Ethics, Culture and Justice – South Africa - Grade 11 - Year-long course
Ethics, Culture and Justice - South Africa is designed to aid students in facing the moral challenges of young adulthood. Students will discover that morality is more than just following the dictates of their parents and institutions concerning right and wrong. They will begin to discover and develop for themselves a sense of conscience that will guide them throughout adulthood. Throughout this course, the student explores the components of moral decision-making and is encouraged to form a personal conscience rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition. Students will be challenged to reflect, analyze, synthesize and apply the principles learned in this course to personal and social issues. This course places special emphasis on the study of social justice issues and the major tenets of Catholic social teaching. Special emphasis is placed on the cultural and political history of South Africa. Students will study the unjust structure of apartheid and its dismantling. Particular attention will be given to the role of the Christian faith in the struggle for freedom and justice. Students will balance their classroom study, and witness a deepening of their social consciousness by completing their 25 hours of Christian Service and by participating in a twelve-day immersion trip to South Africa in June of 2009.
To qualify: Application process (application due February 1, 2008), and department approval
Christian Spirituality - Grade 12 - Semester course
Using Jesus Christ as a model, Christian Spirituality focuses on increasing students’ understanding of self and others as created in the image and likeness of God, on their lifelong spiritual journey to union with God, and on how they can find personal and spiritual fulfillment through integrated, harmonious relationships with God, others, self, and the created world. This course examines a variety of topics that serve as tools for the spiritual journey such as prayer and meditation, interpersonal and relational skills, and Scripture. In addition, this course will explore theological virtues and a theology of vocation and mission. In light of the Paschal Mystery – Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection - this course will examine conflict, pain, loss, and grief, as well as celebration, joy and passion. Throughout the course, students will explore the Sacred in both the ordinary and the extraordinary. Students will be introduced to the stories and spiritual wisdom of numerous Christian models both contemporary and historical. In addition to academic investigation and reflection, students will be introduced to and practice a variety of spiritual exercises, prayer, and meditation techniques. Students will complete 25 hours of Christian Service as part of the AMHS graduation requirement and reflect on its role in their spiritual growth. In short, Christian Spirituality strives to embody the words of St. Irenaeus: “The glory of God is the human person fully alive.”
Liturgical Ministry - Grade 12 - Semester course
Liturgical Ministry explores the basic theological background of the Catholic Church’s liturgy, fundamental elements of liturgical celebrations, and the importance of the role of liturgical ministry. It is also designed to engage students in critical reflection of scripture. Students in this course will be prepared to be leaders in their faith communities. They will learn the importance of collaboration, communication, and respect for diverse worship styles. Students will be expected to participate in the preparations of school liturgies both during class time and outside of class, when necessary. They will also be required to attend and evaluate one parish Mass on a Sunday (or Saturday evening). Students will complete 25 hours of Christian Service as part of the AMHS graduation requirement. Through this service component, students will reflect upon our call as Christians to be ministers of the Eucharist, of Christ’s body, to others.
Introduction to Philosophy - Grade 12 - Semester course
Introduction to Philosophy explores the fundamental questions that have been pondered by people since the beginning of civilization. The origins of philosophy, the theory of knowledge, the theory of being, the philosophy of religion, and the philosophy of freedom will be investigated through the analysis of a wide variety of great thinkers that span the entirety of civilization and the different disciplines of thought. The stated purpose of the class is for the students to develop their own personal philosophy that they will use as a starting point in discovering their own answers to the fundamental questions of life.
