Religion Department

Students will be able to:

* Appraise and evaluate religious truth found in scripture in light of their personal spiritual journey and vocational choices

* Examine responsibilities of a mature covenant with God

* Examine and recognize the power of the Holy Spirit to foster active participation in the life of the faith community

* Discern and question moral responses to personal and social problems rooted in the life, message, death and resurrection of Jesus

* Analyze vocational and lifestyle choices in light of Jesus’ message of love, justice and non-violence

011 Introduction to Catholicism and Christ in Scripture (9)    1 credit

The first semester of this course provides Catholic and non-Catholic students alike a thought-provoking exploration of the fundamentals of the Catholic faith, including such topics as the Mass, Sacraments, Church, Faith and Catholic Dogma. This semester will also introduce the Bible and examine God's Revelation in the Old Testament. The second semester will examine the fulfillment of God's Revelation in the New Testament and explore the question, "Who is Jesus?" We will also study Catholic teaching on human sexuality and relationships.

021 Christ: Mission, Church and Sacraments (10)    1 credit

Students will get to know Jesus Christ in this exploration of the Paschal Mystery, the basis of all Christian belief in God’s sacrifice of himself for us. We will explore how Christ remains present in the Church and in the Sacraments.

031 Social Justice and New Life in Christ (11)    1 credit

This course will challenge students to put Jesus’ teachings into action through social justice and personal transformation. Students will learn the principles of Catholic social teaching as a response to the reality of sin in our society. Students will address social sins such as poverty, violations of human and workers’ rights, abortion, capital punishment, prejudice, discrimination, violence, and threats to the environment. Students will connect their learning to everyday life and gain an appreciation of the power they have to transform their world through service in a soup kitchen and engagement in an activism project. Students will then be led to make the connection between social justice and personal morality as they learn the moral concepts and precepts that guide the new life of Christ’s disciples as found in the Ten Commandments and the Gospels. Students will be challenged to make responsible moral choices and live a life consistent with the transformative call of Jesus Christ.

044 Christian Vocations (12)    ½ credit

In this course, students will apply concepts of Christian vocation to their own lives, including career choice, marriage, family, consumer choices, and responsible citizenship. This course will also assist students in attaining a mature understanding of Catholic Christianity.

045 World Religions (12)         ½ credit

Students will compare and contrast elements of Christianity, including liturgy, creed, prayer and morality, to other faith traditions, such as primal religions, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

046 Peer Ministry (11, 12)        ½ credit

Selected students will engage in direct ministry to the Carroll community that will enable them to bring to life the themes of Christian vocation and community central to all religion courses at Carroll. Students are selected by the campus ministry team through an application and interview process.