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Lesson 2 Summary

The lesson learning objectives and content summary for Lesson 2, Knowing God: Reason and Revelation.

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Beliefs Practices and Attitudes

The beliefs, practices, and attitudes of the Catholic faith.

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Lesson 1 Summary

The lesson learning objectives and content summary for Lesson 1.

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Five Models of the Church

Answer the following questions about the models of the Church.

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Marks of the Church

Write at least two examples of ways that the Church and you model the four Marks of the Church.

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Rubric for Final Performance Tasks for Unit 3

A rubric for the final performance task options for Unit 3 focusing on the Paschal Mystery, the Holy Spirit and the Church, and the mission of the Church. The options include exploring one important ministry in a diverse Church, creating …

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Final Performance Task Options

The final performance task options for Unit 3 focusing on the Paschal Mystery, the Holy Spirit and the Church, and the mission of the Church. The options include exploring one important ministry in a diverse Church, creating a poster comparing …

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A Preassessment

Answer each question by writing what you know for sure, what you think you know but are unsure about, and things related to the topic that you would like to explore.

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Vocabulary for Unit 3

A list of vocabulary words for Unit 3 that defines the terms bishop, Body of Christ, Catholic Church, charism, Communion of Saints, consecrated life, diocese, doctrine, Final Judgment, fruits of the Holy Spirit, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, laity, Marks …

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One of Us

Answer the following questions with your group that are related to the questions asked in the song “One of Us”. Your instructor will lead you through Part II. Use the following questions as prompts for taking notes in your notebook.

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Covenant Hope

All of the Scripture passages used in this exercise are taken from the list in your student book (pages 81–82). These Scripture passages concern covenants or promises that provide an image of hope in a future messiah. As you answer …

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Created in God’s Image

You will be guided through this handout, taking notes and answering questions as directed in your class.

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Faith: Some Important Connections

In silence, answer all but the last question by yourself. The last question will be answered in small groups.

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Rubric for Final Performance Tasks in Unit 2

Rubric for grading the final performance tasks for Unit 2 focusing on faith, the Trinity, the Kingdom of God, and creation in the image of God. The options include writing a personal creed, creating a Holy Trinity play, or exploring …

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Final Performance Task Options for Unit 2

Options of final performance tasks for Unit 2 focusing on faith, the Trinity, the Kingdom of God, and creation in the image of God. The options include writing a personal creed, creating a Holy Trinity play, or exploring three Kingdom …

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Vocabulary for Unit 2

A list of vocabulary words for Unit 2 including Annunciation, Blessed Trinity, church, Creation, creed, disciple, ecumenism, evangelist, faith, Gospel, Incarnation, Kingdom of God, Messiah, ministry, Original Sin, parable, Paschal Mystery, salvation, stewardship, and Theotokos.

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Aquinas’s Five Proofs for the Existence of God

The Summa Theologica is a famous work written by Saint Thomas Aquinas between AD 1265 and 1274. It is divided into three main parts and presents reasoning for almost all core Christian beliefs. The Summa Theologica is well known for …

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Core Beliefs Practices and Attitudes of the Catholic Faith

Each statement below is a core belief of the Catholic faith. Choose a symbol (“I get it,” “I’m unsure,” or “I don’t get it”) that best reflects your understanding of each belief. Then briefly explain what you might know about …

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Rubric for Final Performance Tasks for Unit 1

A rubric for the final performance tasks for Unit One about the basics of Catholicism, Scripture and Tradition, and Reason and Revelation. The options include reflecting on the Catholic faith in an essay, writing a personal story about your salvation …

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Final Performance Task Options for Unit 1

Options of final performance tasks for Unit One about the basics of Catholicism, Scripture and Tradition, and Reason and Revelation. The options include reflecting on the Catholic faith in an essay, writing a personal story about your salvation history, or …

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What Do I Know about the Catholic Faith

In the time allotted for this exercise, answer each question to the best of your knowledge. Each set of questions corresponds to the units you will study in this course and represents content you will cover in more detail in …

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Vocabulary for Unit 1

A list of vocabulary words for unit one, defines the terms Bible, biblical inspiration, canon, covenant, Deposit of Faith, Divine Revelation, Ecumenical Council, Gospel, inerrancy, Israelites, Law, Magisterium, natural revelation, New Testament, Old Testament, Parousia, reason, Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, …

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The Travels of Paul

A map showing the locations that Paul travelled to.

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Letters in Paul's Day

An article that discusses the format of Paul’s letters and how they are different from letters today.

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The Patriarch Family Tree

A fill in the blank family tree of several generations of people in the Old Testament.

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Choices

A song about making choices, making mistakes, and God’s love and forgiveness.

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Measuring Up David and Goliath

A worksheet where students fill in a chart using the story of David and Goliath as well as answering questions.

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All about Aaron

A matching worksheet about items and people that relate to Aaron in the Old Testament.

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Traveling with Abraham

A map of Abraham’s travels in the Old Testament.

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Ignatian Discernment of Spirits

An article that breaks down the differences between good and evil spirits.

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Secular Institutes

A worksheet completed in groups about the history, role, and characteristics of secular institutes.

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Exploring Religious Orders and Congregations

A research assignment worksheet done in pairs to find important information about different religious orders.

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Being versus Doing

A scripture passage from the Gospel of Luke about Martha and Mary is read along with a commentary, and is followed by large group discussion questions.

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Inspirations and Charisms Worksheet

A partially independent and partially group completed worksheet for students to fill out about the inspirations and charisms of a particular religious congregation or order.

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Sr. Thea: Her Own Story

A list of discussion questions from the video Sr. Thea: Her Own Story.

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Vocabulary for Unit 7

A vocabulary list for unit 7 defining terms associated with consecrated life.

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Rubric for Final Performance Tasks in Unit 7

A rubric assessing how well students did on the final performance task options for unit 7 that assess the students’ knowledge of consecrated life. The options include writing a biographical essay about a woman or a man who chose the …

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Final Performance Task Options for Unit 7

Final performance task options for unit 7 that assess the students’ knowledge of consecrated life. The options include writing a biographical essay about a woman or a man who chose the consecrated life, or giving an oral presentation on a …

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A Preassessment of My Knowledge of Consecrated Life

A preassessment for students about their knowledge of terms associated with consecrated life.

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What Do Sisters Do?

An article that discusses the roles and responsibilities of religious sisters.

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“To Brother”: A Personal Story

An article written by Br. Armand Alcazar FSC, who discusses his view of his vocation as a verb, “to brother”, or “brothering” in teaching and community life.

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The Formation of a Priest

A PowerPoint about a priest’s formation through their family, discernment, the vocations director, minor seminary, and theology studies.

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A Conversation about the Future of Priestly Ministry

A worksheet with questions about the future of priestly ministry.

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The Effects of the Sacrament of Holy Orders

A worksheet completed in groups about the effects of the Sacrament of Holy Orders from both the book and the student’s personal knowledge.

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The Sacrament of Holy Orders Graphic Organizer

A worksheet completed in groups about the symbolic words and actions that take place during the Rite of Ordination, as well as their meaning and effect.

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Vocabulary for Unit 6

A vocabulary list for unit 6 defining the terms dalmatic, dogmatic theology, Donatist heresy, formation, Holy See, insignia, and seminary.

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Rubric for Final Performance Tasks for Unit 6

A rubric for grading the final performance tasks for unit 6 focusing on the vocation to ordained life and the Sacrament of Holy Orders. The options for final performance tasks include creating a brochure on priestly formation for prospective candidates, …

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Final Performance Task Options for Unit 6

Options for final performance tasks for unit 6 focusing on the vocation to ordained life and the Sacrament of Holy Orders. The options for final performance tasks include creating a brochure on priestly formation for prospective candidates, or writing a …

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A Preassessment of My Knowledge of the Sacrament of Holy Orders

A preassessment about things that a student already knows, thinks that they know, and wants to know about the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

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The Three Degrees of Holy Orders: Deacons, Priests, and Bishops

<p>A PowerPoint about the roles of Deacons, Priests, and Bishops within the Catholic Church.</p>

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The Threefold Ministry of a Bishop

This resource is a group activity worksheet that has students list examples of the Bishop’s roles in the areas of teaching, governing, and sanctifying.

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A Call to Priestly Ministry

This resource is a discussion guide and worksheet about the call to priestly ministry based on the film clip from There Be Dragons.

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Understanding Christ the High Priest

A worksheet to help students understand Christ’s identity as the ultimate High Priest through examining scripture passages.

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Vocabulary for Unit 5

A vocabulary list with terms mostly associated with ordained ministry within the Catholic Church.

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Rubric for Final Performance Tasks for Unit 5

A rubric for grading the final performance task options for unit 5, which focuses on the priesthood.

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Final Performance Task Options for Unit 5

This assessment presents the final performance task options for unit 5 focusing on the priesthood. The options include interviewing a priest, or “adopting” a missionary priest project.

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A Preassessment of My Knowledge of the Vocation of Holy Orders

A preassessment of one’s knowledge of terms and concepts associated with the Vocation of Holy Orders.

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Litany Promises Promises

Rev. John P. Mack Jr. discusses the rite of ordination, including the litany and the promise to obedience that priests make. He also talks about the challenges that priests face, and questions that he is often asked by high school …

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Catholic / catholic

A worksheet that visually explores the differences between Catholic and catholic.

Video

Who is Pope Francis?

A brief video on Pope Francis.

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Dei Verbum

A short, descriptive, video on Dei Verbum.

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30th Anniversary of John Paul II’s Assassination Attempt

A video explaining the assassination attempt on Pope Saint John Paul II's life.

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The Second Vatican Council

A brief overview of the Second Vatican Council.

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What About the Bad Popes?

A short video on how the Church is good, even though there have been bad popes.

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Leading with Humility: Pope Francis Blesses a Man with a Disability

A video clip of Pope Francis stopping to bless a man with a disability.

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All is Not Difference

A brief video that touches on Christianity's relationship with Judaism.

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Jesus and Mary Compared to Adam and Eve

A brief clip on the similarities and differences between Adam and Eve, and Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

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Does Excommunication Condemn Someone to Hell?

A brief discussion on if excommunication condemns someone to Hell.

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Can Non-Catholic Christians Receive Communion in the Catholic Church?

A short discussion on if non-Catholic Christians can receive Communion in the Catholic Church.

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How Did Saint Paul Evangelize?

A brief explanation of how Saint Paul evangelized.

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Did the Emperor Constantine Found the Catholic Church?

A short video segment on the early Church, and Emperor Constantine's role in it.

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Pentecost in 2 Minutes

A short video on Pentecost.

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How Do They Choose the Pope?

A video on how a new pope is chosen.

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Researching the Role of the Magisterium

Several strips of paper that may come in handy when researching the role of the Magisterium.

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Where Does the Church Say…?

A chart outlining different types of Church documents, the author and audience of each particular document, and what’s in each document.

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Who? What? When? Where? How? in the Local Diocese

An activity where students are asked to locate information about their local diocese.

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Your Role in Evangelization

An activity where students assess their role in evangelization.

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Quiz: Are You a Faithful Citizen?

A self-quiz, or self-assessment, on faithful citizenship.

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My Charisms

A worksheet where students are asked about ordinary charisms and religious charisms.

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Gifts of Holy Spirit

A worksheet where students are asked to explain each of the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit and then compose a short essay on instances where the gifts helped them out in difficult situations.

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Terms Related to the Church

A worksheet where students are asked to define several vocabulary terms related to the Church and write a short essay on which term means the most to them.

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Marks of the Church

A chart that students are asked to fill in with at least two examples of ways the Church models the four marks of the Church, and at least two examples of ways they model the four marks of the Church.

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Five Models of the Church

An activity where students are given a chart containing the meanings, strengths, and limitations of each of the five models of the Church and asked to answer related questions.

Presentation

The Book of Revelation: Message to a Persecuted Community

A PowerPoint presentation on how the message of the Book of Revelation pertains to a persecuted Christian community.

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Revelation: A New Testament Apocalypse

An article on the Book of Revelation.

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Christian Persecutions in the Roman Empire

An article on the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire.

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Why the Second Vatican Council Really Is That Important

An article on the importance of the Second Vatican Council.

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Events at the Second Vatican Council

An article on the events that took place at the Second Vatican Council.

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The Two Pentecosts

A chart used to draw parallels between the feasts of Shavuot and Christian Pentecost.

Video

What is Good Friday?

A short clip about the meaning of Good Friday.

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What is Holy Thursday?

A short clip about the meaning of Holy Thursday.

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What is Holy Week?

A short clip about the significance of Holy Week.

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Mysteries: Celibacy

A documentary discussing the historical/theological precedents for celibacy.

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Mysteries of the Church: SEMINARY

Explains how priests were formed in the early stages of Christianity.

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Mysteries of the Church: MARTYRS

A discussion of martyrdom and examples of Christian martyrs.

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Mysteries of the Church: APOCALYPSE

An explanation of the apocalypse as discussed in the book of Revelation.

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Mysteries of the Church: Jesus' Arrest & Trial

A documentary explaining the events surrounding Jesus' arrest and trial.

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Mysteries of the Church: The Early Evangelists

A documentary discussing the early church, its members, and the means by which it expanded. Note: Viewing begins at 1:10.

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Mysteries of the Church: Women in the Church

A documentary discussing the integral and often contentious role of women, past and present, in the Catholic Church. Note: Viewing begins at 1:01.

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Mysteries of the Church: The Crusades

A documentary chronicling the events of the Crusades and their lasting impact.

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Mysteries of the Church: Christianity and Science

A cinematographically excellent documentary explaining in colloquial and relatable language the unexpectedly amicable relationship between science and Christianity.

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Mysteries of the Church: Christian Denominations

A cinematographically excellent documentary explaining in colloquial and relatable language the history of the development of many Christian denominations.

Presentation

Bible Covenants - PowerPoint

This PowerPoint is part of the Living in Christ Series. It explains the difference between covenant and contract, reviews the 5 major covenants in the Old Testament, and discusses the New Covenant in Christ.

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Rubric for Final Performance Tasks for Unit 2

This rubric is part of the Living in Christ Series. It serves as a guide for assessing students on projects that communicate key ideas about the Catholic Church, especially its scriptural basis and origin.

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Final Performance Task Options for Unit 2

This resource is part of the Living in Christ Series. It offers ideas for assessing students who have recently learned about the Church, especially the birth of the Church at Pentecost.

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The Church

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The List of Popes

A full list of all of the Popes with links to information about each Pope.

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Rubric for Final Performance Tasks for Unit 5

This rubric is part of the Living in Christ Series. It serves as a guide for assessing students on projects covering the main ideas of the Paschal Mystery, especially the institution of the Church and the Sacraments.

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Final Performance Task Options for Unit 5

This resource is part of the Living in Christ Series. It offers various project ideas for students who have recently studied the Paschal Mystery, especially the birth of the Church at Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit, and the …

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Political and Religious Structure in Jesus' Time

This article is part of the Living in Christ Series. It offers an extensive overview of the political and religious structures and influences at work in Jesus' time.

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Introduction to Salvation History - PowerPoint

This PowerPoint presentation is part of the Living in Christ Series. It explores salvation history, the transmission of Divine Revelation, and the role of the Magisterium.

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What Is the Incarnation? - PowerPoint

This PowerPoint is part of the Living in Christ Series. Using scripture and the Catechism, this resources discusses what the Incarnation is and why it is important in Christianity.

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The Trinity: Unpacking the Nicene Creed - PowerPoint

<p>This PowerPoint is part of the Living in Christ Series. The Trinitarian themes of the Nicene Creed are defined, unpacked and explored by breaking the prayer down and reflecting on smaller statements of faith.</p>

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The Acts of the Apostles and Saint Paul - PowerPoint

This PowerPoint is part of the Living in Christ Series. It offers an overview of the Acts of the Apostles and the Pauline and non-Pauline letters of Saint Paul in the New Testament.

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How the Bible Came To Be - PowerPoint

This PowerPoint is part of the Living in Christ Series. It introduces the development of the New Testament canon from Oral Tradition through translation.

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The Apostles

This article is part of the Living in Christ Series. It discusses the Apostles and followers of Jesus who are known in Scripture, including Peter and Mary Magdalene, among others.

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Canons and Their Development

This article discusses the development of the Old and New Testament Canons and provides charts which compare and contrast different Christian or Jewish canons.

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The Development of Catholic Trinitarian Theology

This handout is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students can fill in the blanks to learn or review key concepts about the development of Trinitarian theology.

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Vocabulary for Unit 2

This vocabulary list is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students may use it as a reference for key theological terms to know.

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Vocabulary Review

This review is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students may use it to review key theological terms.

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Vocabulary for Unit 1

This vocabulary list is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students may use it as a reference for key theological terms to know.

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The Holy Spirit

Student handout: Activity for chapter 15, puzzle/exercise

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Revelation, The Scriptures, and Tradition

Activity for Chapter 1, puzzle

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Why is the Mass Changing?

The Mass Is Changing...How? Why? And what does it all mean for you? Catholic Answers Senior Apologist Jimmy Akin explains why the Church has decided to issue a new translation of the Roman Missal.

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Early Church Fathers

This video presents an explanation of who the Early Church Fathers were and what they did for the Church.

Article

Who Does the Movie Say Killed Jesus?

Much of the controversy about The Passion of the Christ centers around one question: Who killed Jesus? The Anti-Defamation League feels the movie lays the blame at the feet of the Jews. Mel Gibson, the movie's director, producer and cowriter, …

Article

Frequently Asked Questions About the Pope

What is the pope? The pope is the bishop of the Church of Rome, Italy. Because of the importance of Rome, Tradition recognizes the pope as the supreme pastor of all Christians. Why is the Church of Rome so important? …

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Until a "lack of discretion" do us part

Ever since the church got involved in the wedding ceremony, relatively late in Christian history, it has stood by its main belief about a marriage. It’s the consent of the couple that binds. SEVENTH IN A 10-PART SERIES ON CHURCH …

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Central Characteristics of Roman Catholicism

Catholicism is a remarkably rich religion, characterized by a complex tapestry of beliefs, practices, values, rituals, traditions, and more. When viewed "from the outside"--that is, by those who do not share its communal life--Catholicism is probably most frequently identified by …

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In the Name of the Father

Making the sign of the cross is a gesture that says, in shorthand, that a person is a Catholic. It appears as an icon in popular culture, and as a gesture it is scattered throughout film history, for example: movie …

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Fighting Catholic Amnesia

I was a high school junior before I learned that the Catholic faith was something more than Mass, folk songs and the Bible. Father Corry turned me on to Church history in his religion class. He showed me how our …

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The Church and the Bible: A New Understanding

The Catholic Church's attitude toward biblical study has undergone a sea of change in recent times. A world-renowned Scripture scholar explains why and how. Very often when older Catholics hear at Mass a presentation about the Bible they are puzzled. …

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Saint Jerome: The Perils of a Bible Translator

“WHAT IS THE BEST TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE?” This is the question that people who teach biblical studies hear more than any other. A bewildering abundance of alternatives is available to those who want to begin reading the Bible. This …

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Six Ways to be Truly Catholic

I always thought that I would have made a great archbishop in Salzburg during the time of Mozart. But instead I'm the archbishop of Milwaukee in the time of rock 'n' roll. That's the way life turns out. We live …

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The Church

Central Characteristics of Roman Catholicism Catholicism is a remarkably rich religion, characterized by a complex tapestry of beliefs, practices, values, rituals, traditions, and more. When viewed “from the outside”—that is, by those who do not share its communal life—Catholicism is …

Article

A Christmas Legend: The Birth of Jesus and Gift Giving

Session Overview: This 2-hour session is designed to use role-playing skills for a presentation to an audience. Scripture: This session is based on Luke 2:1-20. Read the Scripture passage to the young people after the role-play, "Christmas Legend," has been …

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Using Literature in Theology Classes

Editor's note: The author of our feature article, Kathleen Hodapp, was one of the participants in last summer's workshop "The Catholic High School As Faith Community," held here in Winona, Minnesota, as well as on the East Coast and the …

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The Quincentenary

As we are all aware, 1992 marks the quincentenary of Christopher Columbus's landing in the West Indies–thus, the "discovery" of America. For religious educators, this anniversary offers an opportunity to examine the injustices done to Native Americans by the colonizers …

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Teaching Church History

In teaching church history, I have used, with some degree of success, the approach of showing links between the events and issues of the past and the concerns the church is facing today and will be facing in the future. …

Article

Expect Much, Praise Much, Be Present to Them

Course materials, such as the high school religion textbooks and teacher's manuals published by Saint Mary's Press, are a significant ingredient in the education of our young people. But we all know that the most important factor in a student's …

Article

Curriculum Offerings of Theology Departments

For a couple of years, Saint Mary’s Press sponsored a listserv discussion group online. Discussions on a variety of topics were pursued via e-mail. In this section of the web site, I summarize some of the highlights from these old …

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