Theology

Grade 9 – Foundations of Faith (one semester)
This course is an overview of the first section of the Christian Scriptures, the Old Testament or First/Hebrew Scriptures. We begin our study of “flawed people of faith” with a look at St. Ignatius, and an introduction to the Jesuits and the mission of Seattle Prep. After an introduction to the Bible itself we then delve right into the Scriptures using a variety of techniques to better understand and interpret these sacred writings in our search the religious truths they reveal. Students will study Scripture from many perspectives: literary, contextual, historical-critical, social, and theological. Our emphasis will be contextual, not literal as we strive to apply the truths of Scripture to our own lives. 

Grade 9 – Collegio

Students are awarded a semester’s worth of credit in Theology and cover a variety of theological and religious themes: Myth, Identity, Character and Faith Development, Conscience Formation and Decision Making, World Religions (Indigenous, Judaism, Islam), introduction to Catholic Social Teaching and Christian Service.

Grade 10 – Encountering Jesus: The Prophets and the Gospels (one semester)

This course applies and refines the biblical exegesis and interpretation skills developed in Foundations of Faith to the New Testament Gospels. We will explore the life and teachings of Jesus, and along the way, discover how these teachings inspire and urge us as individuals and as a society to love God, ourselves, others and Creation better.

Grade 10 – Collegio

Students are awarded a semester’s worth of credit in Theology and cover a variety of theological and religious themes: Catholic Social Teaching, Global Community, Church History & Christian Service.

Grade 11 – Junior Theology: Discipleship: Self and Society (full year)

In junior year we delve more deeply, as well as broaden our understanding of what it means to be a Christian – a disciple of Christ – in light of Scripture (Acts and Letters), the rich tradition of Catholic Christianity, and our Ignatian charism. Some of the essential questions we explore are: Who am I? Who/What is the Ultimate Reality? What does it mean to be a Catholic/Jesuit? What does it mean to be human in a similar manner as Jesus? This course combines the topics of Exploring Self (One’s Identity, Spirituality, Faith and Beliefs, Morals and Values) and Society (Service, Justice, Ethics and the Church) through a variety of theological lens. Special attention is given to the Jesuit Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs): promoting discernment and the Spiritual Exercises; walking with the excluded; caring for our common home; and journeying with youth towards a hopeful future.

Grade 12 – Electives (Seniors choose one of the following, semester long)

• Faith in Action – This is a hands-on planning and senior peer ministry course. It will provide leadership opportunities in the areas of liturgy, retreats, and service as well as course work in pastoral ministry.

• World Religions – This course seeks to undertake the important goal of understanding, collaborating and dialoguing with other religious traditions, as expressed in Nostra Aetate (“In our time”), the Vatican Council II document Declaration on the Relation of the Church with non-Christian Religions. By the end of this course the student should come away with a strong understanding of the basic beliefs of six world religions and how they compare and contrast to Catholic Christianity, thus enabling the student to follow the Church’s Declaration with both knowledge and empathy.

• Care for Our Common Home – Pope Francis’ reminds us in the encyclical Laudato Si’ that not only are we part of creation, but we have a responsibility to care for creation as well. It is a responsibility we have too often neglected and the repercussions of our use and abuse of resources continue to harm not just the environment, but the most vulnerable in our society. The Society of Jesus has determined to concentrate their ministry over the next ten years on four Universal Apostolic Preferences, one of which is the social justice principle of Care for Our Common Home: “We resolve…to collaborate with others in the construction of alternative models of life that are based on respect for creation and on a sustainable development capable of producing goods that, when justly distributed, ensure a decent life for all human beings on our planet.” In this course, the student will read and research a variety of resources as they endeavor to answer some difficult questions: What does it mean to “Care for Creation?” How do our economic and cultural systems impact the environment? Who is impacted most by our misuse of the natural world? What can be done to correct the damage for future generations? How can I put into practice what I have learned? How can I change my habits and actions to create a real change of lifestyle that takes seriously my duty to care for creation?

• East-West Meditation Practices – This course explores various Sacred Traditions and their spiritual practices. We will experience how various teachings and meditative practices can support personal and global change and transformation. Half the class will be devoted to practicing different meditation/prayer methods and half to researching the teachings, cultures and consciousness within them and out of which they emerge. Various Christian Contemplative practices, Buddhist (Zen and Mindfulness practices), and Coast Salish Native spirituality, along with Yoga, Tai Chi, nature skills, music, and movement prayer all will be explored.

• Ethics and Morality – Students can expect faith-based research and discussion of important contemporary ethical issues within broad social categories such as sexism, racism and ecology to name a few. Half the class will be teacher directed and half will be guided by student interest and research. In addition to what the Catholic Church teaches relative to moral decision-making and ethical principles, students will learn to explore the complexities of these and other contemporary issues and will focus on the following questions: What does it mean to be a good person? How can we hold our actions—as persons, communities and institutions—to high ethical standards? When, how and in what ways do we act ethically on behalf of others and the principles we espouse?

• Ignatian Themes in Film – For Saint Ignatius, each life had a purpose given by God, and coming to understand that purpose was the way that we could best live authentically. No two persons have the same vocation or path, and so Ignatius devised a process of discernment or decision-making grounded in imagination and personal experience to facilitate individual realization and conversation with God. For seniors who are about to make many life decisions, this course aims to present and practice what Ignatius called "the discernment of spirits," studying one's own life in order to determine which choices will bring forth fuller life, joy, and meaning. Students will engage in film critique, academic reading, facilitated discussion, written synthesis, and practical application projects to apply Ignatian spirituality in their personal context as seniors. Some of the themes explored in the course are: Vocation, Identity, Vulnerability and Freedom, Sin and Redemption, and Discernment.

Grade 12 – SENIOR SEMINARS (students choose one of the following, semester long)

All seniors will be required to choose a Senior Seminar second semester for their final semester of theology. The seminars are multi-disciplinary, team-taught courses that focus on applying the theological principles they have learned to real-world issues towards the goal of becoming advocates for peace and justice, and men and women for others.

· Disease and Social Responsibility is a capstone seminar course designed to empower students to become agents for change. The course employs an interdisciplinary approach, including scientific, theological, socio-historical and ethical methodologies, to understand the proliferation and treatment of infectious diseases in the context of diverse global cultures and economies. Building on students’ broadening experiences of service through high school, they will explore justice work through advocacy for the larger human family.

· …And Justice for All is a Senior Seminar course, integrating theology, spirituality, and social justice, with a focus on systemic racism and its impact society. We will explore definitions of justice, modern and historical issues of systemic racism as it relates to particular facets of society (i.e. healthcare, criminal justice, environmentalism, education, etc.), and the role of service and advocacy in responding to justice issues. Students will conclude the course with a project that articulates a theological vision of justice in response to systemic racism in the United States.

· Peace Studies is designed to provide a multi-disciplinary examination of peace and of the varied forms of violence and injustice that stifle it. The course assumes that in order to end situations of large-scale violence, hatred or injustice, viable peace requires knowing the findings of various disciplines and best practices of experts that comprise modern peace studies as well as careful, in-depth reflection on how people who choose to reject violence can be extremely effective actors for justice and social change. The course will incorporate current events and controversies in local and global news sources as critical examples of the problems peace attempts to solve.

· Good and Evil is a capstone seminar course designed to help students understand the nature of humankind and apply that understanding to their own lives. The course’s interdisciplinary engages students in the study of Theology (especially Scripture), philosophy, and literature as they attempt to answer three key questions: Are human beings inherently good or evil? How much choice do I have in answering that question? What does that mean for me in terms of how I live my life?