Mr. Sciuto ‘s
MAJOR CONTENT OF FRESHMAN THEOLOGY
First Semester: Introduction to Catholic Christianity
Text: Understanding Catholic Christianity by Thomas Zanzig
Ch. 1 Identity and Development: Becoming Who You Are Called To Be
Ch 2 Faith: Responding to God’s Invitation
The story of Ignatius Loyola
Key Jesuit ideals: metanoia, AMDG, God can be found in all things, the contemplative in action, the Two Kingdoms;
Fr. Ralph Huse class on key Jesuit ideals
John Paul II: The Millennial Pope
Ch. 3 Judaism: Discovering Our Religious Roots
Ch. 4 Jesus: Revealing God in Humanity
Ch. 5 Jesus and the Paschal Mystery: Finding Life Through Death
Ch. 6 The Church: Gathering in the Spirit of Jesus
Ch. 7 The Scripture: Hearing the Inspired Word of God
Ch. 8 Tradition: Handing on the Living Faith
Ch. 9 The Sacraments: Celebrating the Grace of God
Ch. 10 The Liturgical Year: Celebrating Sacred Time
Ch. 11 Spirituality and Prayer: Growing in Life with God
Ch. 12 Christian Morality: Living in the Spirit of Jesus
Epilogue: A Journey of Discovery
American Civil Rights Movement
Second Semester: Introduction to Scriptures/Old Testament
Workbook for Old Testament, Hebrew Scriptures: Growing in Faith
Scripture videos
- Crisis of Faith from Touched by an Angel>Crisis of Faith episode from Touched by an Angel
- TNT’s Heroes of the Bible:
parts of Abraham, Moses and David
- Rabbi Harold Kushner’s “When Bad Things
Happen to Good People”
- audio/summary: Rabbi Kushner’s “To Life!
A Celebration of Jewish Being andThinking”
- A & E “Who Wrote the Bible, Part I”
- Movie “Oh, God!”
Music
- Louis Armstrong’s “Shadrack”
- Excerpts from The Statler Brother’s “The Bible”
Major, recurring biblical passages of the course:
- “One body, many parts” 1 Cor 12: 12-27
- Parable of the Talents Matthew 25: 14-30
- The Story of the Rich Young Man Matthew 19: 16-30
- The Greatest Commandment Matthew 22: 34-40
- The Last Judgment Matthew 25: 31-46
- Elijah Looking for the Lord 1 Kings 19: 9-13
- Parable of the Prodigal Son Luke 15: 11-32
Bible Readings
- Genesis 1-11:26 Primeval History
- Genesis 13-19 Call of Abraham, Hagar &
Ishmael, Covenant of circumcision,
Sodom & Gomorrah
- Genesis 22 Testing of Abraham
- Genesis 24-34 Isaac and Rebekah
Gen 25: 19-34 Birth of Esau and Jacob
Gen. 27 Jacob’s deception
Gen. 28:10-22 Jacob’s dream at Bethel
Gen. 32:23-32 Jacob wrestles an angel
Gen. 33 Jacob and Esau meet
Gen. 34 Rape of Dinah
- Genesis 37 Joseph sold into slavery
Gen. 39 Joseph & Potiphar’s wife
Gen. 40-41,44-45 Joseph saves his people
- Exodus
Exodus 1:1-4:17 Plight of the Hebrews,
call of Moses
4:18-10:29 Moses and the Pharaoh
10:30-14:31 Exodus
5:22-20:21 Sinai Experience
24:1-25, 32:1-34,35 Covenant with Israel
- Joshua
Joshua 1:1-8:35 Entry into the Promised Land
- Judges
Stories of Ehud, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson
- Ruth
- The Last Judges: Eli and Samuel
I Samuel 1:1-4:22
- The beginnings of the Monarchy
1 Samuel 16-20, 24:26-31 Saul & David
2 Samuel 11-12 David and Bathsheba
2 Sam 13-18 The Story of David and Absalom
- Jonah
- Job (from Kushner video)
- Other selected prophets: Elijah, Elisha, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel. These were studied in very general ways and not really read.
Workbook: Hebrew Scriptures: The Center for Learning
To my students: My hope is that this study will bring you to enjoy and value the Bible. I hope that you will will begin to really see this as God’s word to you, Good News that will help you live a good life. I hope the study of Hebrew Scriptures will give you a knowledge of the major periods, events and characters of the beginnings of salvation history, but more that this study will help you better understand and know Jesus and to better understand the wisdom, worship and works of our Catholic faith.