Religious Studies Curriculum

Dominican Spirituality (1st Semester) 
 

This course is designed to embrace the diversity of the student community while examining the sources, teaching, and vision of Catholic and Dominican Christianity. Running parallel through the course is the recognition of a universal call to holiness and an exploration of Dominican charism and traditions, including the concept of “Veritas” and the four Dominican pillars. These themes invite each student to participate fully in their own faith journey by examining components of spirituality and religious experience. The relationship between faith and practice is an ongoing conversation as students begin to identify and recognize the complexity of their own religious identities.
 

The Church and the Sacraments (2nd Semester)
 

This course will introduce students to the Catholic Church as both institution and community.  Basic Catholic theology is introduced within the context of Hebrew Scriptures, Judaic roots, Christian Scriptures and Catholic Tradition. The students will leave the course with an understanding of the structure and history of the Church, its leadership, and the role of the laity.  Particular attention will be given to the role of the sacraments both in the life of the Church and in the life of the faithful.   

Hebrew Scriptures  (1st Semester)

The Hebrew Scriptures semester course will provide students with a survey of the major books of the Old Testament.  In this course, students will be immersed in the history and message of Old Testament literature. They will learn to identify its various genres and recognize the overarching themes of creation, covenant, self-revelation of God, and the prefigurement of the revelation of Christ.  The course will introduce forms of biblical criticism and will challenge the students to understand the Bible’s teachings as they apply to our everyday lived experiences.  They will study scripture in light of the prophetic call for outreach to, and justice for, the oppressed and marginalized.

New Testament Literature  (2nd Semester)

The New Testament is centered on Jesus, the Christ. A two-pronged methodology is applied to presenting Christology: characterization of the divinity of Jesus (the “from above” approach) is blended with the portrayal of the humanity of the Nazarene (the “from below” approach). This course will explore the historical and cultural setting of Jesus’ ministry and focus on the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Letters, and the Book of Revelation. Students will have the opportunity to explore and engage in conversations around the major themes of New Testament literature. The course will culminate in a concise study of the Church as Christ’s legacy, examining the theology and tradition of the early Church.

Ethics and Morality (First Semester) 
 

Throughout this course, students will learn the foundational elements of Christian morality and Catholic Social Teaching as modeled and taught by Jesus. In the Dominican tradition of Flintridge Sacred Heart, this course aims to turn the gaze of the students toward the world, viewing the problems of our world and considering responses to these problems through the lens of Gospel teachings. This course focuses on the promotion of critical thinking about nuanced and complicated social and moral issues.

Social Justice (2nd Semester) 
 

This course students will select a social justice issue in Los Angeles to research and respond to through the in depth Junior Research Project. Service learning will be a requirement of this course, as is the tradition of Catholic universities throughout America. Informed by issues going on in our world today, this course will work to challenge students to more deeply understand the poor and marginalized in the world, working to equip them with the tools of empowerment to begin to envision and work toward “the common good”. The primary goal of this course is that the students develop an articulation of their personal beliefs and passions to better equip them to be the future leaders of our world who are motivated by their personal faith to seek truth and maintain integrity as they lead and improve the world. 

World Religions (1st and 2nd Semesters)

This course allows students to continue to explore and expand the concept of “Veritas'' by studying diverse religious traditions.  They will examine indigenous religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.  Students will study each religion's history/founder(s), sacred texts, beliefs, rituals and moral systems.  The goal of the course is that students have a greater understanding of the religions they encounter in the highly diverse world in which they live, and that they reflect on how they themselves answer the great questions of life that each religion raises.  As students move through the course, they will pause periodically and reflect on their own spirituality and vocation.  Special attention will be given to different prayer styles and tools for discerning vocation.

Prerequisite: Department Approval