Home    Contact Us   


Religious Studies Department

The mission of the Hill-Murray Religious Studies Department is to provide adolescents with the best Christian religious education possible to help students grow in knowledge, understanding, and love of God, neighbor, and self. We value:

  • the teachings and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church
  • the teachings and spirit of Vatican Council II
  • the importance of touching the heart as well as informing the mind with the Good News of Jesus
  • showing respect for every person and for all God's creation

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

7th Grade Religion
This course focuses on the basics of the Christian faith from a Catholic perspective. Emphasis is on scripture and worship. Students focus on the four gospels, liturgical year, sacraments and religious geography. One semester course.

Main Concepts/Topics: New Testament (Jesus/Apostles/Gospels), Sacraments, Prayer, Worship, Mary and the Saints.

Text: Liturgy & Worship / New Testament, both published in 1998 by Sadlier. New American Bible.

8th Grade Religion
This course helps students grow in their understanding and expression of the Christian faith from a Catholic perspective. The course covers prayer, Jesus, sacraments, morality, the saints, church history and living our faith today. Special emphasis is placed upon helping students make connections between their learning at school and their participation in their church communities. One semester course.

Main Concepts: Prayer, Jesus, Sacraments, Morality, The Saints, Church History, Vatican II and The Modern Church.

Text: New American Bible.

Middle School Elective: Contemporary Faith Issues.
This course will focus on what it means to be a Christian in today's world. Students will be challenged to consider topics such as poverty, homelessness, world hunger, economics, care for the environment, discrimination, right to life, and relationship issues as they apply to personal ethics. Special emphasis will be on challenging students to engage in critical thinking given our faith tradition. Students will also explore the role of service and justice work in the life of a Christian.

9th Grade Religion - Covenant and Community
This course begins with an introductory unit on the Bible. Students will study how the theme of covenant is played out in the Old Testament and our everyday lives. Special emphasis will be placed on Catholic Social Teaching in the context of the Hebrew prophets. Each unit in scripture will be applied to current issues such as: respect for life, living in community, self-esteem, cooperation, peer pressure, non-violent conflict resolution, intimacy and chastity, sexual identity and sexual harassment. One semester course.

Main Concepts: Covenant, Patriarchs, Exodus, Judges, Prophets, Kings, Wisdom Literature, Creation Stories, Modern Day Judaism, Respect for Life, Community, Chastity and Prayer.

Text: New American Bible.

10th Grade Religion - Jesus and the New Testament
This course helps students deepen their understanding of Jesus and His message through a study of the New Testament. Emphasis will be on the relevance of the Gospel message in our lives and an understanding of why Jesus is the center of our Christian faith. The Acts of the Apostles and the early Christian Letters will be used as a guide in helping students live a Christian lifestyle. One semester course.

Main Concepts: Interpretation of Scripture, Prayer, The Gospels, Jewish Culture and History, Kingdom/Reign of God, Unconditional love, Parables, Miracles, Last Supper, Paschal Mystery, Ascension, Pentecost, Paul's Missionary Work, Body of Christ.

Text: Jesus of History, Christ of Faith, by Tom Zanzig, St. Mary's Press (1992).

11th Grade Religion - The Church
This course presents the Church as a community that changes and grows in its understanding of itself and the practice of the Christian faith. This survey of the development of the Church and its role in history will prepare the student to assess the role of the Church in the lives of the faithful today. One semester course.

Main Concepts: Early Church (Paul/Council of Jerusalem), Constantine, Augustine, Jerome, Monasticism, Christendom, Pope St. Gregory the Great, Benedictine Rule, Charlemagne, Eastern Schism, Protestant Reformation, Vatican I, Vatican II, Liberation Theology, Catholic Peace Movement, Catholic Church in America, Models of the Church (Dulles).

Text: The Catholic Church Story published by Ave Maria Press.

12th Grade Religion - Personal Ethics and Social Justice
Students will consider what it means to be a Christian in today's world. Special attention will be given to the study of the Church's social teachings. Broad topics include protecting human life, promoting economic justice, pursuing peace and care for creation. Personal morality and ethics will be studied in light of the primacy of personal conscience and Church teaching. Students will use a process for making moral decisions to discuss different moral issues. Students will be challenged to use Catholic Social Teachings and other sources of information to make informed decisions about their personal and social ethics. One semester course.

Main Concepts: Personal Conscience, Human Dignity, Virtues, Models of Morality (Aquinas/Kohlberg/Gilligan), Christian Freedom, Social Justice, Social Analysis, Abortion, Euthanasia, Capital Punishment, Anawim, Racism, Poverty, Sexual Social Issues and Sexual Morality.

Text: Catholic Social Teaching, published by Ave Maria Press, (2000).

Juniors and seniors choose courses from the following to fulfill the religion requirement.

Spirituality and the Arts:
Artistic expression has always played a central role in human experiences of the sacred. This course explores spirituality and religious tradition through the media of the visual and performing arts including storytelling, icons, painting, music and dance. Students learn the history and principles of these sacred art forms and are provided opportunities to explore their own spirituality by practicing them. The course also explores our Benedictine spirituality and the vocational roles of artists in society today. One semester course.

Main Concepts: Spirituality, Faith Community, Mystery, Symbol, Myth, Storytelling, Icons, Trinity, Incarnation, Meditation, Creation, Gothic, Renaissance, Chant, Liturgy, Liturgical Year, Vatican II, Prophetic Voice.

Honors Introduction to Theology:
This course is offered to seniors who show an interest and ability in theology.  The course provides an overview of the fundamental theological themes covered in an undergraduate college level introduction to theology course.  Students who take this course may also be eligible for 3 college credits through the Program for Advanced College Credit (PACC) sponsored by St. Mary's University of Minnesota.  Prerequisites: Minimum GPA of 3.0, recommendation of the student's junior year English teacher, and permission of the Introduction to Theology instructor.

Main Concepts: Faith and Reason, the Nature of God, the Nature of Humanity, the Historical-Critical Study of Scripture, the Religious Imagination, Sacramentality, Ecclesiology, and Eschatology.

Text: The Living Faith: An Introduction to Theology, published by Sheed & Ward, (1998).

Relationships & The Christian Community:
Students will study the various dynamics of being in relationship with another. Topics include dating, gender issues, power issues, communication skills, sexuality, chastity, sexual orientation, relationship as covenant and other relevant issues. Students will be challenged to give some serious through and study to his/her choice of a lifestyle as a Christian. Students will consider the concept of vocation in their own lives -single life, religious life, the priesthood and the vocation of marriage. One semester course.

Main Concepts: Understanding Self, Systems Theory, Self-Esteem, Human Dignity, Spirituality, Intimacy, Chastity, Sexuality, Marriage, Emotional Needs, Chemical Dependancy, Stress, Discernment of Vocations (Religious Life/Priesthood).

World Religions:
Students will study the universal experience of the search for spiritual and theological meaning in their lives through the examination of six world religions. This course investigates Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Christianity and Native American Spirituality. Students will compare and contrast each religion to their own religious experience. The focus of this course is on the search for truth and the contributions people who seek truth bring to the common good. One semester course.

Main Concepts: Dogma, Creed, Worship, Ritual, Codes/Laws, Religion, Cults, Denominations, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Christianity and Native American Spirituality.

Religion Elective

Christian Service Learning:
This course focuses on the value of community service as an important part of our Christian faith. Students are guided through a process to discern their gifts and talents and seek out a placement in the community to offer service. In addition to their service placement, students are required to coordinate one community service project that is open to all students and staff. This course meets during 5th hour and students serve at their placement three times a week during 5th hour. Two days a week will be spent with the class as we process our experiences of service. One semester course.

Main Concepts: Service Learning, Social Action, Christian Leadership, Human Dignity, Organization Skills, Helping Skills, Communication Skills, Catholic Social Teaching, And Theological Reflection.


Religious Studies Requirements
  • Grade 7: Religion 7 (Required - one semester)
  • Grade 8: Religion 8 (Required - one semester)
    7th and 8th grade students may choose to take the Contemporary Faith Issues elective course in addition to the required religion course.
  • Grade 9: Covenant and Community (Required - one semester)
  • Grade 10: Jesus and the New Testament (Required - one semester)
  • Grade 11: The Church (Required - one semester) One semester course from list of choices.
  • Grade 12: Social Justice and Personal Ethics (Required -one semester) One semester course from list of choices:
    • Spirituality & The Arts
    • Introduction to Theology (open only to seniors)
    • Relationships & The Christian Community
    • World Religions
Religious Studies and Campus Ministry Department Faculty Bios
Timothy Cooper Teaching at H-M since 1998
BA in History, U of MN
License in Social Studies, U of St. Thomas, MN
Graduate Studies, U of St. Thomas, MN
Archdiocese Religion Teaching Certification
 
Paul Deziel Teaching at H-M since 1997
BA in Social Studies Education, U of MN
MA in Religious Education, U of St. Thomas, MN
Archdiocese Religion Teaching Certification
 
Melissa Johnson Teaching at H-M since 2000
BA in Theology, U of St. Thomas, MN
MA in Theology, U of St. Thomas, MN
MA in Curriculum and Instruction, U of St. Thomas, MN
Archdiocese Religion Teaching Certification

Joe Moss

Teaching at H-M since 2006
BS in Contemporary Media and Political Science, U of South Dakota
MA in Religious Education, U of St. Thomas, MN

Christopher Ranweiler Teaching at H-M since 1998
BA in English/Language Arts, Concordia U, MN
MA in Religious Education, U of St. Thomas, MN
Archdiocese Religion Teaching Certification
 
Ken Schaan Teaching at H-M since 1999
BS Social Studies Education, North Dakota State U
MA in Counseling and Psychotherapy,
Alfred Adler Graduate School, MN
Archdiocese Religion Teaching Certification
Kate Soucheray Taught at H-M from 1996-1998, returned 2004
B.A. in Education from College of St. Catherine
MA in Theology from U of St. Thomas
Masters Candidate in Counseling and Psychological Services, U of St. Mary's
Archdiocese Religion Teaching Certification

Germaine Smith Taught at H-M from 1991-2001, returned 2004
B.A. from the U Minnesota at Morris
MA in Theology from St. John's University at Collegeville
Archdiocese Religion Teaching Certification

651-777-1376   
Copyright 2005 Hill-Murray School
2625 Larpenteur Avenue East, Maplewood, MN 55109      Phone: 651-777-1376      Fax: 651-748-2444