The mission of Religious Education Department is to assist the student in learning and understanding about his or her faith life and how to live out and grow in that faith life.  This is conjunction with the Central Catholic High School mission of seeking to form Christian character so that the student will think and act like Christ.

Four credits in religion are required. Additional courses that delve into the morality and philosophy of mankind may be completed as electives.

Jeff Smay - Campus Minister - Senior Religion

Amy Granato - Freshman Religion

Brian Pooley - Freshman, Sophomore & Junior Religion, Catholic Social Thought, & Church Languages & Customs

Greg Schultz - Junior, & Senior Religion, Addiction (a religious perspective), & Philosophy

REL011 CATHOLIC DOCTRINE (FRESHMAN / YEAR) - REQUIREMENT

An introduction to the faith and doctrine of the Catholic Church. It is designed to give students a common background in the doctrine and theology of the Church to assist in their understanding of the beliefs and practices of the Church.  Topic include: faith, persons of the Trinity, redemption, prayer, lives of the Saints, etc.

REL021 OLD TESTAMENT (SOPHOMORE / SEMESTER) - REQUIREMENT

This course is designed to give students a background in Catholic Biblical scholarship.  If focuses on learn the major divisions of the Old Testament: Pentateuch, Historical Books, Wisdom Books, 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 of the 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

The focus of this course is the life, times, and teachings of Jesus.  Topics include: Jesus His titles and Names, His historical background and how He understood His Hebrew faith, and the Pascal mystery.  The goal is to help students understand who Jesus is and to deepen their worship and faith life.

REL033 CHURCH STUDIES (JUNIOR / SEMESTER) - REQUIREMENT

This course continues with the life and the mission of Jesus and how he formed His followers in a community - the Catholic Church.  It starts with the Acts of the Apostles and continues to the present.  Topics include: evangelization in light of Pentecost, Church history, lives of the Saints, and recent understandings of Church theology.

REL041 CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLES & SACRAMENTAL LIVING (SENIOR / SEMESTER) - REQUIREMENT

This course focuses on developing an adult faith lifestyle rooted in the sacraments.  Topics include: Vocation and discernment, love, friendship, dating, and a Catholic understanding of marriage, sexuality, children, and family life.

REL043 CHRISTIAN MORALITY (SENIOR / SEMESTER) - REQUIREMENT

This course focuses on adult moral decision making rooted in the light of Catholic faith and reason.   Topics include: law and conscience, moral absolutes and principles, Christian character formation, conscience formation,  Christian moral virtues and vices, and the continued call to on going conversion in Catholic faith life.

Electives:

REL051 PHILOSOPHY (SEMESTER)

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

REL052  CHURCH LANGUAGES AND CUSTOMS (SEMESTER)

This course is a study of the early Church and "KONIC" Greek language that was used to write the New Testament.  This course also looks at the Hebrew language of the Old Testament and Latin used over twenty centuries in the Catholic Church.  The course also looks at early Church Customs and the effect these customs have on the present day Church.

REL056 APPLIED MINISTRIES (SEMESTER)

This course is designed to help the student understand the dynamics of Church ministries.  It focuses on personal spiritual growth through reading, writing, reflecting, and discussing Scripture and the writings of Saints.  The course is to help the students learn practical ideas of presenting talks and leading discussion on retreats.

REL071 ADDICTION IN AMERICA (SEMESTER)

Addictions from a Christian perspective.  This course covers both addiction and recovery.  The course identifies ways to help and minister to those who have an addiction.  Recovery programs using the 12 steps are presented and seeking a higher power - God to overcome the addiction are explored.

REL055 CATHOLIC SOCIAL THOUGHT (SEMESTER)

This course presents Catholic Social Teaching on a variety of issues such as abortion, death penalty, 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.