Wheeling Central Catholic High School

Academics

REL011 Catholic Doctrine (Freshman / Year) - Requirement
This course is an introduction to the faith and doctrine of the Catholic Church. It is designed to give students a common background in doctrine and theology to assist their understanding of the beliefs and practices of the Church. Topics include: faith, persons of the Trinity, redemption, the Church calendar, lives of the saints, prayer life, and personal vocation.

REL021 Old Testament (Sophomore / Semester) - Requirement
This course is designed to give students a background in biblical scholarship. It focuses on the major divisions of the Old Testament: Pentateuch, historical books, wisdom literature, and the prophets. Students learn how God worked among the Hebrew people and what this means for Christians today.

REL023 New Testament (Sophomore / Semester) - Requirement
This course focuses on the image of Jesus presented in the New Testament writings. Special attention is given to the analysis and structure of the synoptic gospels and the letters of Paul. Students work on individual and cooperative projects throughout the semester.

REL031 Christology (Junior / Semester) - Requirement
This course is a focus on the life and times of Jesus Christ. Topics include: who Jesus is theologically and personally, His titles and names, His historical background and how He understood His Hebrew faith, and the Pascal mystery. The goal of the class is to let students see how Jesus has been understood and worshipped throughout history, and to encourage students' spiritual growth.

REL033 Church Studies (Junior / Semester) - Requirement
This course continues with the life and the mission of Jesus and how He formed His followers into a community - the Church. It starts with the Acts of the Apostles and continues to the present. The goal of the course is to help students understand their role by giving them opportunities to form a large and several smaller communities within the classroom setting. Students are encouraged to participate and to share their perceptions about their Christian responsibilities. Topics include: evangelization in the light of the Pentecost, Church history, lives of the saints, and modern role models.

REL041 Christian Lifestyles (Senior / Semester) - Requirement
This course focuses on developing Christian relationships for life. Major topics include: vocation and discernment, love, friendship, dating, marriage, Christian sexuality, family, and communication with others.

REL043 Christian Morality (Senior / Semester) - Requirement
This course focuses on adult moral decision-making. It is a look at common moral problems in contemporary society. Topics include: law and conscience, moral absolutes and options, conscience formation, abortion, euthanasia, nuclear war, terrorism, and the distribution of goods and services among members of society.

REL051 Philosophy (Semester)
This course is a basic introduction to philosophy. Topics include: pre-Socratic thought, Socrates and Plato, existentialism, and classical logic. Much of the class time is devoted to the thematic discussion of good and evil, with particular emphasis on the work of Viktor Frankl.

REL052 Philosophy II (Semester)
This course is designed to help students familiarize themselves with the major trends in philosophy. Mini-courses of one to two weeks will be devoted to the topics of Stoicism, Socratic thought, Neo-Platonism, Augustine, the Scholastic writers, Existentialism, Utilitarianism, and Pragmatism. By the end of the course, students should be able to identify those people in Western thought who have contributed to the development of theology, political science, math and the sciences.

REL053 Media & Morality (Semester)
This course examines both electronic and print media. Students analyze the content of the message and the way it is presented. Topics include: how movies and TV shows are made, successful marketing, family values, ratings in films, TV, and music, the Christian response to ethical issues, and the role of journalism in regard to truth and objectivity.

REL071 Addiction in America (Semester)
The average American has 3 to 5 addictions. Obviously, some are more destructive than others. This course covers both addiction and recovery. Some people are more prone to addiction than others. What options are available to those who are not addicted, but have a friend or relative who is addicted? Recovery programs such as AA’s 12 step program are based on the recognition of a Higher Power or Being whom we commonly call ‘God’.

REL074 Catholic Social Thought (Semester)
This course presents Catholic social teaching on issues such as abortion, death penalty, communism, capitalism, separation of church and state, and the limits of modern science. The course relies heavily on selected encyclicals and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.