This course provides students with an understanding of the important of the life, passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and an understanding of the Church as an ongoing development and as a community of believers in Jesus Christ. Students will begin the course with a brief review of the beginning of salvation history with an examination of the major people and events of the Old Testament. The material will then continue into the New Testament with special attention given to Christ’s message of salvation and ministry in the world. The course will culminate to and conclude with a deep analysis of the paschal mystery of Jesus Christ. Throughout the course, the students will be presented with the principles of Ignatian Spirituality and how they relate to Christ’s life and the paschal mystery. The second semester begins with Acts of the Apostles as the foundation for the development of the Catholic Church. The students will examine the formation of the Creed, the Four Marks of the Church, and the importance of the Church as Teacher for its members. In addition, the students will discuss the influence of the Fathers of the Church, the causes of the Protestant Reformation, and the major teachings promulgated by the Councils. The students will take time to examine the importance of Vatican II, a critical point in the development of the Church in the modern age. The course will conclude with the study of the importance of the recent papacies. Throughout the course, the students will reflect on Ignatian Spirituality in light of the various events in the history of the Church.

No Prerequisite Required.