Theology
The theology department at Marian forms young women as disciples of Jesus Christ who live Gospel values. Guided by Marian’s Core Values and the Catechetical documents of the Catholic Church, we invite students to encounter Christ through the reality of their lived experience.
Objectives
The goals of the Marian theology program are to:
- Create community among our students.
- Create an environment where that transformation/conversion of the heart can happen and inspire our students to continue to deepen their relationship with God.
- Provide instruction in Catholic doctrine that connects with the students’ lived experience.
- Translate Catholic doctrine into the culture and language of our students.
- Provide our students with meaningful prayer experiences that help to incorporate those new learnings into their faith/belief structure.
Spirituality, faith, religious practice, character, as well as knowledge of religious matters are all included in the domain of the theology classroom. Marian’s portrait of a graduate provides the compass for what we hope to develop in our students. We partner with Campus Ministry and Student Services to care for the whole student - physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and academically.
In addition to the affective, behavioral, and character traits, we are also a college preparatory school. As such, we have a duty and responsibility to ensure that our students will be ready to succeed in a college-level theology class. The following traits/skills are necessary to that end, and we develop these skills in a graduated way throughout the four years:
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A basic understanding of Catholic Church teaching and language
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Familiarity with church documents of various kinds and levels (including the Bible)
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Ability to research
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Ability to think philosophically
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Ability to read and express oneself through writing or by presentation
Requirements
Students are required to take eight semesters of theology classes.
Courses Offered
Theology Department Faculty
Retreats
In addition to the coursework, each student is required to make an annual Marian retreat. A student cannot graduate unless she has made her class retreat or a make-up retreat each of the years that she is a student at Marian. The retreat is part of the Marian philosophy of spiritual growth. The retreat is a special day of prayer and reflection.
