This course is a quarter rotation will be an introduction to the human spiritual quest, and how people across cultures have found meaning and purpose in their lives. This course will address: How different religious people and ideas have helped humans understand spiritual meaning and purpose in life. During this exploration, students will learn about different religions, holidays, and concepts. We will also learn about spiritual practices such as prayer, meditation, and other mindful activities. Students will report on the ways they see religion connecting to their life and explore the three B's of spirituality- Belief, Behavior, and Belonging.

This course is a quarter rotation will be an introduction to the human spiritual quest, and how people across cultures have found meaning and purpose in their lives. This course will address: How different religious people and ideas have helped humans understand spiritual meaning and purpose in life. During this exploration, students will learn about different religions, holidays, and concepts. We will also learn about spiritual practices such as prayer, meditation, and other mindful activities. Students will report on the ways they see religion connecting to their life and explore the three B's of spirituality- Belief, Behavior, and Belonging.

This course is a quarter rotation will be an introduction to the human spiritual quest, and how people across cultures have found meaning and purpose in their lives. This course will address: How different religious people and ideas have helped humans understand spiritual meaning and purpose in life. During this exploration, students will learn about different religions, holidays, and concepts. We will also learn about spiritual practices such as prayer, meditation, and other mindful activities. Students will report on the ways they see religion connecting to their life and explore the three B's of spirituality- Belief, Behavior, and Belonging.

This course is a quarter rotation will be an introduction to the human spiritual quest, and how people across cultures have found meaning and purpose in their lives. This course will address: How different religious people and ideas have helped humans understand spiritual meaning and purpose in life. During this exploration, students will learn about different religions, holidays, and concepts. We will also learn about spiritual practices such as prayer, meditation, and other mindful activities. Students will report on the ways they see religion connecting to their life and explore the three B's of spirituality- Belief, Behavior, and Belonging.

This course provides a broad overview of the basic stories, people, history, ideas, and values found in the Judeo-Christian Scriptures. It begins with an overview of the Biblical Story before Christ, including creation, the Hebrew patriarchs, the Exodus, and the history of the Jewish Kingdom and people. It continues by looking at the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and how his message was carried forward by the early Christian Church. While this course teaches what is common to all Christian traditions, it also touches on how different Christian traditions emphasize different aspects of our Common Tradition, as well as noting the particular gifts of the Episcopal Church.  

This course provides a broad overview of the basic stories, people, history, ideas, and values found in the Judeo-Christian Scriptures. It begins with an overview of the Biblical Story before Christ, including creation, the Hebrew patriarchs, the Exodus, and the history of the Jewish Kingdom and people. It continues by looking at the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and how his message was carried forward by the early Christian Church. While this course teaches what is common to all Christian traditions, it also touches on how different Christian traditions emphasize different aspects of our Common Tradition, as well as noting the particular gifts of the Episcopal Church.  

The goal of this course is to deeply explore several of the Great Religious Traditions which have shaped human cultures and nourished the lives of countless persons across centuries of history. The main religious traditions that we will cover are Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese Religions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Secular traditions, as well as exploring some of the smaller religious movements. We will be guided in our study of these texts by our textbook, by hands-on class activities, presentations, discussions, and reading and interpreting sacred texts. We will examine both similarities and differences among these various religious traditions, as well as their ongoing influence in the world today. Our focus will be on gaining an accurate understanding and respectful appreciation of the basic beliefs and practices of the world’s major religions, and cultural fluency in other ways of life. This course is one semester long, and open to Upper School students in grades 9-12.

The goal of this course is to deeply explore several of the Great Religious Traditions which have shaped human cultures and nourished the lives of countless persons across centuries of history. The main religious traditions that we will cover are Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese Religions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Secular traditions, as well as exploring some of the smaller religious movements. We will be guided in our study of these texts by our textbook, by hands-on class activities, presentations, discussions, and reading and interpreting sacred texts. We will examine both similarities and differences among these various religious traditions, as well as their ongoing influence in the world today. Our focus will be on gaining an accurate understanding and respectful appreciation of the basic beliefs and practices of the world’s major religions, and cultural fluency in other ways of life. This course is one semester long, and open to Upper School students in grades 9-12.

Course Description:
Religion is contextual. How a religion is practiced, and who participates, is highly dependent upon where adherent live. As a society develops, it shapes the religions that function within it. Likewise, those religions shape the culture, ethics, politics, and values of the host society. In this course we will focus upon religion, imported and domestic, as it functions in the United States. The history of religion in the United States begins with what we call Native American/Indigenous religion and European Protestantism, but continues to diversify with the immigration of Roman Catholics, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, and others whose religion originated elsewhere. It is from these more established traditions that specifically American forms derive, whether that be Episcopalianism, Mormonism, or Pentecostalism. Our study will investigate a wide-array of movements while focusing upon their protection under the First Amendment, and the challenges to that protection caused by harder to define new religious movements, such as Scientology or the Branch Davidians.

The goal of this course is for students to gain basic mastery of the content, message, background, heritage, influence, and challenges of the New Testament, as well as other early Christian literature. Interpretive reading and memorization of key passages will be our foundational practice. Preparatory readings are assigned for each day and the instructor will model and guide interpretive oral reading, discussion, and writing in the classroom. Reading Guides will be provided for every reading assignment to support the comprehension and interpretive practice. Presentations will provide the needed literary, historical, and theological tools required for understanding the readings, and for building the intellectual habits and skills that form the student as a learner in the future. In-class discussions will wrestle with interpretive issues in further depth, and guide us in how Biblical ideas have shaped and been shaped by our culture. This course is one semester long, and open to Upper School students in grades 9-12.  Prerequisite is Hebrew Scriptures.

This course provides students with the tools that will assist them in developing a foundational knowledge of the collection of writings known as the Tanakh (for Jews) or the Old Testament (for Christians). The experience inside and outside the classroom is designed to create an awareness of the modern relevance/influence of this corpus. Students will become acquainted with the historical context that shaped these writings as well as their literary design, ideological presuppositions, and theological claims. These texts have provided instruction to Jews and Christians for how to worship, think, and behave as people committed to their belief that they have entered into a unique relationship with the one Creator God.