First Semester: Faith and Revelation
This course examines Divine Revelation, presenting Sacred Scripture as the inspired Word of God unveiled gradually throughout the history of salvation. It examines how the Magisterium of the Church transmits the Deposit of Faith infallibly and how our understanding of God’s Revelation leads us to a more intimate relationship with the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity in this life and to eternal life in Heaven. It also explains how to read the Bible, emphasizing how the New Testament in Christ fulfills the covenants and promises that God made with his people in the Old Testament.
Second Semester: The Blessed Trinity
This course presents the Blessed Trinity—one God in three divine Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—which is the central mystery of the Christian Faith. We are called to know and love God and to share in his divine life. Following the Nicene Creed and based on Sacred Scripture, the role of each Person of the Blessed Trinity in the plan of salvation and the Christian life is examined. It also looks at the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of God, Mediatrix, and Intercessor for all people.
First Semester: The Mystery of Redemption
This course examines Original Sin; the meaning of redemption; and how the salvific promise made to our first parents is fulfilled in the life, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ. It explains how the Church continues the redemptive mission of Jesus Christ in the world today and how his redemption is applied in our own lives. The text also looks at how we are called to be formed in the image of Christ, who is the exemplar of the Christian life, and to cooperate with God’s grace in every instance of our lives.
Second Semester: The Sacraments
Jesus Christ instituted the Sacraments and entrusted them to his Church as a primary means of transmitting grace, which helps us to live the Christian life. This class presents each of the Seven Sacraments in its own section, explains how it is celebrated and describes its purpose in the Christian life as an intimate encounter with Jesus Christ. It also examines Christian liturgy as well as popular prayers, devotions, and sacramentals.
First Semester: The Church
The Church, who is established by Jesus Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit, continues the salvific ministry of Christ in the world today; thus, the Church is both the Sacrament of Communion and the Sacrament of Salvation. This text presents the mission of the Church; her infallible teaching authority; the Sacraments as the primary means of transmitting God’s grace; the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Church; the Universal Call to Holiness; and the four marks of the Church.
Second Semester: Morality
A well-formed conscience is essential to make moral decisions. This class aids the formation of our consciences by presenting an overview of the moral teachings of the Catholic Church. Following the Ten Commandments as elevated and perfected by Jesus Christ and the Beatitudes, it shows how we, aided by God’s grace, can imitate the life of Christ in every circumstance of our lives. It examines topics important to social justice and the sacredness of human life.
The Christian Life and Service Project
Theology is both a science and an art, that is to say, it is knowledge for its own sake and an applied way of living life well. The Christian Life and Service Project seeks to bridge that gap. Its base text is Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis DeSales which discusses ways in which lay Catholics living in the world are concretely called to live lives of deep love of God and Neighbor, what DeSales calls Devotion. To augment this study, students explore special topics in class, group, and individual studies that have particular relevance to their own interests and needs. This exploration helps students to understand ways in which theology touches on every aspect of an authentically human life.
Finally, students incarnate this learning through an individualized service project that takes place in the broader Walla Walla Community. In the past students have worked in nursing homes, Catholic Charities, Birthright, St. Mary's Hospital, tutored at a local school or engaged in some other activity that fostered a deeper life of service. Students are required to engage in a minimum of 20 hours of service per semester.