INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS

The fourth year religious studies course is a study of the Church, known as ecclesiology. It is an overview of church history from the time of the apostles up to and including the present. A study of what the Church is and how and why it became what it is today is a major focus of the course. Below are some, but not all, of the topics highlighted during the year:

1.)     What is church?

2.)     Who belongs to the Church?

3.)     The Church as Mystery: enduring and developing; permanent and unchanging.

4.)     The four marks or characters of the Church: one, holy, catholic, apostolic.

5.)     Various images of the Church such as: Body of Christ, Sacrament, People of God, Sheepfold, Mother, Servant, Vineyard.

6.)     An overview of church history from the Apostolic Age through the Early Church, the barbarian invasions, Dark Ages, Middle Ages, Reformation, Catholic Counter-reformation, and the Modern Age.

NEEDS AND RESOURCES

Required Materials

To successfully complete this course, you will need:

• Text – The Church Our Story: Catholic tradition, Mission, Practice – Patricia M. Dreidger

Additional Print Resources

• Various articles will be provided.

Grading Policies:

Students will be graded on the following:

Tests

Projects

Homework

Quizzes

Class work

Work will evaluated according to content, completeness, following instructions, timeliness, and neatness.