Network of Sacred Heart Schools

Curriculum Detail

SHP Courses by Department

To learn more about each department's requirements and philosophy, please visit the SHP Departments page.

Religious Studies

  • Introduction to Religious Studies

    Introduction to Religious Studies (Fall, Freshman Year)
    This course is designed to help high school freshmen understand the human quest for knowledge and meaning. The course progresses from the philosophy of religion, to the global Judeo-Christian tradition, to the very local Catholic Sacred Heart tradition that informs this school. The course does not assume that all students are Catholic and seeks to foster an appreciation and respect for all religious traditions. This course introduces a foundational religious studies framework that will also be used in the Introduction to World Religions course in the Spring.

  • Introduction to World Religions

    Introduction to World Religions (Spring, Freshman Year)
    This course uses the same foundational religious studies framework as the Introduction to Religious Studies in the Fall. This course examines the role of religion in our society. Students study major world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Islam. The search for the Divine and the making of meaning are the primary focuses of the course. In conjunction with objective study of religions and worship, students have the opportunity to experience prayer from various religious traditions.

  • Morality & Relationships

    Morality and Relationships (Fall, Sophomore Year)
    This course explores the ethical and moral implications of the values we hold and decisions we make.  Students will examine the development of character and work with Virtues-based framework for decision-making. They will  be asked to examine experiences, attitudes, and beliefs about identity, friendship, spirituality, family relationships, friendships, dating, and marriage. Through readings, research, and discussions students will  dialogue with sources from the Catholic-Christian tradition, other religious traditions, and appropriate resources from sociology, psychology and theology.

  • Sacred Scriptures

    Sacred Scriptures (Spring, Sophomore Year)
    Through the lens of Catholic teaching and academic scholarship, students will work towards a foundational understanding of the Bible, be introduced to the process of biblical exegesis and look for applied meaning in Sacred Scripture. Salvation History, Covenant, Kinship and Paschal Mystery provide the thematic focus for the course. Additionally, we will examine the historical context, content, structure, literary genres, and theological development of Sacred Scripture.

  • Social Ethics

    Social Ethics (Fall, Junior Year)
    This course examines the scriptural and traditional underpinnings of a “faith that does justice” and analyzes social ethics as based on a conscious sense of responsibility to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We extend this examination into the realm of institutional development by analyzing the morality of our social institutions through our case studies of contemporary ethical issues.  Particular emphasis is placed on Catholic Social Teaching and our response to issues of racism and discrimination, poverty and economic injustice, and violence and war as recurring, broad-based issues that have a tendency to wreak havoc with the moral health of our social institutions.  All students will participate in a Social Ethics Urban Plunge, as described in the Service Learning section (see page 4).  This course has UC approval.  

  • Topics in Religious Studies

    Topics in Religious Studies (Spring, Junior Year)
    All juniors in the spring semester are required to take a Religious Studies course. 

    This course will provide an in-depth examination of selected topics in Religious Studies built on the foundation of the previous core classes students have taken in the department. Teachers at the junior level guide students toward greater independence as thinkers and explorers as they delve into particular topics in Religious Studies. Overall course outcomes, skills, and assessment expectations are common across classes.

    The following concentrations are representative Topics in Religious Studies courses:

    • Church History – provides an overview of the Catholic Church from its founding until the modern era.
    • Religious Fundamentalism and the Cult of Apocalypse - introduces students to the history and current practice of the fundamentalist currents in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
    • Ecological Spirituality & Justice - In line with Sacred Heart Goals and Criteria, this course invites students on a journey of “ecological conversion” by cultivating understandings and ecological virtues that support their own connection to creation as well as their work for justice.

  • Senior Elective - Food Experiences as Sacred Tradition

    Senior Elective
    This course explores the spiritual, cultural, and ethical dimensions of food within religious traditions. Religious traditions are deeply embedded within cultures and how we nourish ourselves physically is tied to spiritual connection and community. This course will look at world religions’ teachings and practices around diet and fasting. Special emphasis will be given to Catholic spiritual life. Students will engage in theological analysis, historical investigation, spiritual reflection, and the praxis of harvesting, cooking and eating together.

  • Senior Elective - Living Peace

    Senior Elective
    This course is an exploration of the journey of peace.  It will focus on peace as both an inner journey - contemplation - and a public journey - action.  In focusing on contemplation, we will explore ways in which we can experience a deep peace within ourselves. And, in exploring public actions for peace, we will focus on Jesus’ call to practice active nonviolence in every aspect of society and our lives.

  • Senior Elective - Prayer & Meditation

    Senior Elective
    This course is for students who are sincerely interested in exploring, deepening, and reflecting on their spiritual lives.  The course will present a wide variety of prayer and meditation forms from a number of religious traditions.  The students examine their own prayer lives and the prayer experiences of people from different religious backgrounds.

  • Senior Elective - Theology in Film & Fiction

    Senior Elective
    This is a semester course designed to introduce the student to ways of thinking theologically about contemporary film and fiction by analyzing the religious messages and values those works of film and fiction convey. The course will give special attention to the public debate on moral and religious issues affecting the Catholic Church and contemporary society. Students will examine a variety of approaches to film and fiction interpretation and use these methods to explore the ways popular film and fiction affects our understanding of God.
Where Scholarship and Values Matter
Founded by the Society of the Sacred Heart, SHS is a Catholic, independent, co-ed day school for students in preschool through grade 12