The course will examine the foundation of the Church’s teachings on morality as rooted in the uniqueness of each person as being created in God’s image and likeness. It will look at the Church’s teaching on morality as our life in Christ, a life ordered to Beatitude, virtue and holiness. It will discuss the importance of conscience, the nature of sin, and the demands of the first Three Commandments in the life of the Christian.
This course will examine the principles of social morality as summarized in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It will discuss the person and society, participation in the social life, social justice, and commandments Four through Ten, the commandments that order social relationships, with an emphasis on the role of the family as the foundational cell of all society and social living.
Through Baptism, each person is incorporated into the Body of Christ and joins with the Church in fulfilling the mission of the Church, making disciples of all nations. This course will explore the role of lay people in the mission of the Church and their role in renewing the temporal order. It will examine the relationship between faith, service and lay leadership. Taking into account the principles found in John Paul II’s document Christifideles Laici students will analyze the call of lay people today, both to the world and to the Church.
“The wonder of prayer is revealed beside the well where we come seeking water: there, Christ comes to meet every human being (CCC 2559).” Jesus is our preeminent model of prayer as the source of our transformation into the life of God. This course examines stages in the spiritual life and the nature of prayer and Christian spirituality as understood within the Catholic tradition. Students will become familiar with Church teaching concerning the nature of prayer and spirituality and explore the insight, encouragement and practical wisdom provided by the great Doctors of the Church on advancing in the spiritual life.
