Catholic College Student Assists Homeless During COVID

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Philip Swanson

A college student is serving the homeless during COVID-19 in New York, and he says that his faithful Catholic college is helping him “stay focused on God” through it all.

Philip Swanson is serving as a missionary this year at the St. Anthony Shelter for Renewal, a homeless shelter founded by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in The Bronx, N.Y.  At the same time, he’s been taking online courses with Holy Apostles College and Seminary, which is recommended in The Newman Guide.

The Cardinal Newman Society is grateful to Swanson for sharing about the impact of his faithful Catholic education, as a part of our “Profiles in Faithful Catholic Education” series.

Newman Society: Why did you decide to attend Holy Apostles College and Seminary?

Philip Swanson: I decided to attend Holy Apostles due to the desire I have to receive an education from a university that I knew was orthodox in teaching and whose mission it was to present the goodness, truth and beauty of the Catholic Church in her entirety. I wanted to learn about God and be led to love Him more, from priests and professors who both know and love Him. I am currently studying theology and philosophy and I became a missionary with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in May of 2019 (two years after graduating from high school).

Newman Society: Can you tell us about the work you’re doing with the homeless during this COVID-19 crisis?

Philip Swanson: Since the COVID-19 outbreak, work at St. Anthony’s Shelter for Renewal has greatly increased. In a way, there is more interaction with the guests due to the stay-at-home order put in place by the state of New York, which is great as we have more time to pray with them and more opportunities to serve them. I’m involved with the food team which involves helping sort donations, helping prepare and cook the meals and helping at the food handout in which the missionaries and friars give food to the poor of the area. Despite all the extra work that has gone in since the outbreak and at times feeling a bit crammed into such a small space (and all that the other difficult things that go along with living in community), the friars, missionaries and shelter guests have certainly grown closer with one another and with Christ.

Newman Society: How has Holy Apostles impacted your life and the way you’re responding to the crisis?

Philip Swanson: Holy Apostles has impacted my life overall and especially during this virus in the sense that it truly allows me to always be focused on God. The nature of being at a great Catholic college and majoring in theology and philosophy allows for this; the more I learn in my classes and from classmates, the more I am able to take to prayer and better serve God and the men. While getting schoolwork done in the midst of the virus has been challenging at times, the professors at Holy Apostles have been extremely kind and understanding, and for that I am truly blessed.

Good Seed: Standards for Christian Anthropology Released

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Two weeks ago, on a video call from Rome to Florida, Dr. Joan Kingsland and Dr. Denise Donohue wrapped up a most important project: educational standards for grades K-8 based on St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body teachings. The Standards for Christian Anthropology provide a solid basis for incrementally transmitting a vision of the human person according to God’s loving design.

But the significance of the completion date, May 18, did not strike the authors until later. It was the 100th anniversary of the birth of John Paul II!

The new standards’ simple yet robust framework provides the guidance that has been sought by educators for some time now. The Standards for Christian Anthropology support the curricula published by Ruah Woods Press and complement the Catholic Curriculum Standards published by The Cardinal Newman Society, which cover English language arts, history, scientific topics, and mathematics. The new standards—a collaboration of the two organizations—situate the person in proper context as son or daughter of God, heir to the Eternal Kingdom, and brother or sister to all. Anthony Esolen, Catholic writer and social commentator, said, “If you don’t get man right, you don’t get education right.” The Standards for Christian Anthropology lay the groundwork for “getting man right,” a foundation for other subject areas.

Although this work was begun in 2016, its completion was inspired by the most recent document from the Congregation for Catholic Education, Male and Female He Created Them: Towards a Path of Dialogue on the Question of Gender Theory in Education (2019), which addresses the current identity crisis affecting many classrooms today. The Vatican document was generated to present Christian anthropology and to encourage institutions of higher learning and research centers to provide professional development and programs for educators. The Standards for Christian Anthropology are a direct response to this call.

More fundamental than sex ed, Theology of the Body goes deeper, to the heart of personal identity. “It’s a gamechanger for someone to be deeply convinced of their personal self-worth, dignity and purpose, knowing themselves to be infinitely and unconditionally loved by God and called to live in a communion of persons in his image. This self-knowledge includes respecting and revering oneself, others and above all God. It affects the choices made by young people about how they will treat others and expect others to treat them, including in the area of sexuality. It’s a unique, theological approach to Christian anthropology that lays out the pathway to a happy, deeply fulfilled life.” (Introduction to Standards for Christian Anthropology, 2020).

Although these standards were created based on the completed work of Ruah Woods’ ROOTED K-12 curriculum, they also provide guidelines for other publishers and programs. Existing programs might find that their curricula already align to the Standards, or that this would be possible with minor modifications. It is a framework that hopefully will complement already solid religious education standards chosen by Catholic schools and will touch the hearts of young people. Knowing that they are created in the image of the Triune God and are called to live in communion, they will learn that fulfillment comes through a sincere gift-of-self.

View and download the Standards for Christian Anthropology.

Register for an upcoming webinar that will explore the Standards.

For more information, contact Dr. Joan Kingsland (JKingsland@RuahWoods.org) or Dr. Denise Donohue (DDonohue@CardinalNewmanSociety.org).

 

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Questions and Answers on Christian Anthropology Standards

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Editor’s Note: We recently asked the authors, Dr. Joan Kingsland and Dr. Denise Donohue, about the new Standards for Christian Anthropology which were released by Ruah Woods Press and The Cardinal Newman Society.

1. What are the Standards for Christian Anthropology?

“Early in his pontificate St. John Paul II offered what he termed an adequate anthropology through 129 talks given during Wednesday audiences that stretched from 1979-1984. These audiences were then published under the title Man and Woman He Created Them. Commonly referred to as St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, these teachings offer a profound vision of the dignity, goodness and worth of the human person. Created in the image of God who is a communion of persons, each person will find fulfillment and happiness, in whatever state of life, through the sincere gift-of-self” (Introduction to Standards for Christian Anthropology, 2020).

These standards, based on St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body teachings, provide a solid basis for transmitting incrementally, K-8, a vision of the human person according to God’s loving design and St. John Paul’s teachings on the human person.

2. What are some of the key concepts that they try to convey?

“In the area of expectations, it’s important to understand that they do not address matters of sexuality through a “frontal approach”. In fact, these are not standards for teaching sexuality as such. Instead, they go deeper, to the foundations of personal identity. It’s a gamechanger for someone to be deeply convinced of their personal self-worth, dignity and purpose, knowing themselves to be infinitely and unconditionally loved by God and called to live in a communion of persons in his image. This self-knowledge includes respecting and revering oneself, others and above all God. It affects the choices made by young people about how they will treat others and expect others to treat them, including in the area of sexuality. It’s a unique, theological approach to Christian anthropology that lays out the pathway to a happy, deeply fulfilled life” (Introduction to Standards for Christian Anthropology, 2020).

Prominent themes extracted from St. John Paul II’s teachings and reflected in the Standards include: Creation as a Gift, Original Solitude, Original Unity, Original Nakedness, Communion of Persons, Gift-of-Self, Body-Soul Unity, Body Reveals the Person, Historical Man – Fall and Redemption, Purity of Heart/Virtue, Vocation, Eschatological Man – Resurrection.

3. Why did you create the Standards for Christian Anthropology?

The Standards were created to assist educators who choose to use the teachings of St. John Paul on the human person with a format that is familiar to them. Many teachers are familiar with standards as a way to focus curriculum to ensure the presentation of specific content; a pathway of sorts. We wanted to create a familiar pathway for those teachers currently using the Ruah Woods curriculum and for any school that might consider incorporating a K-8 component focused on Christian Anthropology within their current Religion program whether they use the Ruah Woods curriculum or any other curriculum.

4. Are they meant to fill a gap in Catholic education that exists today?

In recent years there’s been a surge in the ever-widening gap between the mainstream take on the identity of the human person versus a Christian vision rooted in Sacred Scriptures. Teachers and administrators of Catholic schools across the nation are finding themselves unprepared for the maelstrom of demands and challenges pressing upon them from students, peers, parents and society at large to accommodate their standards to what in fact would be harmful to the true good of their students.

For instance, the most recent document from the Congregation for Catholic Education, Male and Female He Created Them: Towards a Path of Dialogue on the Question of Gender Theory in Education (2019), addresses the current crisis we are seeing of the practice and discussion among young people of “gender transitioning;” the bifurcation of one’s biological sex from one’s gender. This “phenomenon” often begins with the young person (sometimes as young as toddler age) claiming to identify more closely as a person of the opposite biological sex. Some have treated this psycho-sexual disorder with a “wait and watch” approach which has largely resulted with young people resolving their identity with that of their biological sex. More and more we are seeing a radical advocacy, along with political legislation, which demands a “gender affirmation” approach where those guiding the young person are required by law to agree with the disillusionment of the youth and facilitate the gender transition with behavioral modification (i.e., dressing as someone of the opposite sex or using a name or pro-nouns of the opposite sex), the use of hormone blockers to retard the natural biological sexual development of the young person, and even surgical treatments to reconstruct or remove one’s healthy genitalia. The document was generated to present the Church’s position of this “phenomena” in the much broader context of Christian anthropology and to encourage institutions of higher learning and centers of research to provide professional development and programs for educators to help them understand this phenomena and to assist those to whom it affects. Ruah Woods was ideally positioned to respond to this call.

5. Why is it so appropriate that these standards were completed on the 100th anniversary of Pope St. John Paul II’s birth?

The project was actually started some years back by Ruah Woods. I (Joan) took it on when I began working there early in 2016. I (Denise) joined the effort in June of last year, and we worked toward completion thinking it would be last fall.  The project grew, though, from the creation of standards by grade level to that of themes with the inclusion of two additional themes and a glossary. Adjustments were made after reviewer comments all culminating with the conclusion of the document coinciding with St. John Paul II’s 100th birthday. Though it certainly wasn’t planned that we would finish our last edits then, it’s meaningful that a day commemorating the birth of this great saint aligns with the debut of Anthropological Standards based on his teachings. St. John Paul II showed a lot of interest in the youth and spoke to them along the same lines as are found in the Standards.

6. As Catholic educators plan their curriculum for the next academic year and beyond, why should they consider incorporating these standards?

When incorporating these standards beginning in Kindergarten, educators and parents can lay the foundation of concepts and vocabulary that situate man within the rich meaning of an authentic Christian humanity. We have already witnessed how the lives of children and young people are transformed through the assimilation of these teachings. They become convinced of their own self-worth and that of others and their actions begin to show it. They’re kinder and more thoughtful. They become aware of what freedom really means and they become more responsible and focused on achieving what truly brings happiness. It’s heartening to think of the good that can come through the diffusion of these Standards.

7. How do the Standards work together with the Newman Society’s “Catholic Curriculum Standards”?

The Standards for Christian Anthropology complement the Catholic Curriculum Standards published by The Cardinal Newman Society, which cover English language arts, history, scientific topics, and mathematics. The Standards for Christian Anthropology situate the person in proper context as son or daughter of God, heir to the Eternal Kingdom, and brother or sister to all. Anthony Esolen, Catholic writer and social commentator, said, “If you don’t get man right, you don’t get education right.” The Standards for Christian Anthropology lay the groundwork of “getting man right,” a foundation for other subject areas.

8. What’s your hope for young people who are formed by an education that incorporates these standards?

(Answered in 4 above). Two high school students who had only been studying Christian Anthropology for one semester were brought in to give their testimony at a Christian Anthropology in-service for 200 Catholic teachers. The exit survey said it all: overwhelmingly, the witness of these two young people was the highlight for the teachers. These two young people were articulate, confident and optimistic about their futures. They knew who they were as human persons and what makes for happiness. That’s the sort of thing we expect of young people who are being educated in light of the Standards for Christian Anthropology.

9. Anything else you’d like to add?

We would like to add that even though these standards were created based on the completed work of Ruah Woods, they were designed with the intention of providing guidelines for publishers and the writing of other programs. Existing programs might find their curricula already aligns to the Standards, or that this would be possible with minor modifications. It is a framework that we hope will complement already solid religious education standards chosen by Catholic schools.

These Standards are meant to inspire programs that will be transformational, that will touch the hearts of young people and help them form deep convictions about who they are, their self-worth and dignity and that of others. Knowing that they are created in the image of the Triune God and are called to live in communion, they are convinced as well that fulfillment comes through the gift-of-self. St. Augustine likens our life to a sailboat saying that we can afford to forget from where the boat set out, but we cannot forget where we are headed!

 

 

Standards for Christian Anthropology

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Click here for PDF

A document written early in 2019 by the Congregation for Catholic Education opens by acknowledging an educational crisis in the area of affectivity and sexuality that stems from “an anthropology opposed to faith and to right reason.”1 It calls for: “well-structured educational programs that are coherent with the true nature of human persons (… and) a clear and convincing anthropology that gives a meaningful foundation to sexuality and affectivity.”2  

Just a little over 50 years ago, the future Pope John Paul II wrote to the Jesuit Cardinal Henri de Lubac about the roots of this very crisis:  

“The evil of our times consists in the first place in a kind of degradation, indeed in a pulverization, of the fundamental uniqueness of each human person. (…) To this disintegration (…) we must oppose, rather than sterile polemics, a kind of “recapitulation” of the inviolable mystery of the person.”3

Early in his pontificate, St. John Paul II offered what he termed an adequate anthropology through 129 talks given during Wednesday audiences that stretched from 1979-1984. These audiences were then published under the title Man and Woman He Created Them. Commonly referred to as St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, these teachings offer a profound vision of the dignity, goodness and worth of the human person. Created in the image of God who is a communion of persons, each person will find fulfillment and happiness, in whatever state of life, through the sincere gift-of-self.   

These standards, based on St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body teachings, provide a solid basis for incrementally transmitting (K-8) a vision of the human person according to God’s loving design. In the area of expectations, it’s important to understand that they do not address matters of sexuality through a “frontal approach”. In fact, these are not standards for teaching sexuality as such. Instead, they go deeper, to the foundations of personal identity. It’s a gamechanger for someone to be deeply convinced of their personal self-worth, dignity and purpose, knowing themself to be infinitely and unconditionally loved by God and called to live in a communion of persons in his image. This self-knowledge includes respecting and revering oneself, others and above all God. It affects the choices made by young people about how they will treat others and expect others to treat them, including in the area of sexuality. It’s a unique, theological approach to Christian anthropology that lays out the pathway to a happy, deeply fulfilled life. 

Instructions for Use

Standards in a Catholic school should reflect the mission of Catholic education, to make disciples of Christ for this world and the next. These particular standards help toward the fulfillment of that mission as they focus specifically on man’s interaction with, and understanding of, God, his neighbor, and himself from a Christian perspective.  

Standards are broad statements used to focus and guide curriculum. They are a foundation for an academic program from which educational objectives and learning targets are derived. They are the skeleton, so to speak, of a much broader project of educating the human person. It is through the creation of educational objectives, the choice of curricular materials and activities, and the deep and trusting relationship between all those involved in the education environment, that standards become animated and learning takes place.  

Enclosed you will find Standards for Christian Anthropology: Based on St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body Teachings. The same content has been organized in two different ways: by grade and by theme. The set of ‘standards by grade’ were designed to align with the Ruah Woods ROOTED: Theology of the Body Curriculum (K-8) and are graduated by depth of knowledge. When using the Standards in conjunction with the ROOTED curriculum students and teachers will have a specific vertical focus ensuring continuity of learning through a systematic presentation.   

Some schools and dioceses might choose to re-order the standards to better integrate with their existing religion program. For that reason , we have created a ‘Standards by theme’ template with grade levels indicated within the standard numbering. Moving standards up or down a grade level is quite acceptable based upon the needs of your student population and your curricular materials as long as a developmental alignment is maintained.  

When closely reviewing the scope and sequence for grades 6-8, one will find that all the major themes identified in the K-5 program are again revisited at a deeper level. 

Two additional sub-themes of Vocation are also included: The Sacramentality of Marriage and Virginity for the Sake of the Kingdom. These are introduced in 8th grade. The 6th grade year has more standards than the other middle school grades to allow those schools interested in beginning a study of Christian Anthropology/Theology of the Body at the middle school level to do so without missing foundational concepts introduced in an earlier program.

When human persons know their great dignity and worth as sons and daughters of God, they are able to flourish in their Christian lives and experience profound happiness. We hope these standards will be a stepping stone for many young people to know who they are and live in accordance with their calling.  

Standards for Christian Anthropology

BASED ON ST. JOHN PAUL II’S THEOLOGY OF THE BODY TEACHINGS4, GRADES K-8  

“God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

Genesis 1:27

Key to Numbering of Standards 
Grade Level  

 Theme  

  1. Creation is a Gift  
  2. Original Solitude  
  3. Original Unity  
  4. Original Nakedness  
  5. Communion of Persons 
  6. Gift-of-self   
  7. Body-Soul Unity 
  8. Body Reveals the Person  
  9. Historical Man – Fall and Redemption  
  10. Purity of Heart/Virtue  
  11. Vocation  
  12. Eschatological Man – Resurrection  

Number of Standard (by Theme in each Grade Level)  

TOB       Theology of the Body Standard   

Example:  K.1.1 TOB  Means Kindergarten, Creation is a Gift, First standard, Theology of the Body.  

NOTE:  Within these Standards the term “man” refers to both “male” and “female.”  References to Theology of the Body (TOB) and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) are in parentheses after each Standard. 

 

Kindergarten  

K.1.1 TOB Express that creation is a gift from God who is loving.
(TOB 13:2-3; CCC 301, 356)

K.2.1 TOB Discuss that it is unique to the human person to care for creation.
(TOB 6:4; CCC 307, 373)

K.2.2 TOB Recognize that the human person has a special relationship with God in comparison to animals.
(TOB 5-6; CCC 356, 358, 380)

K.5.1 TOB Discuss how man images the communion of God; three persons in one God.
(TOB 5-7, 9:2-9:3, 19:1; CCC 299, 343, 355-357)

K.10.1 TOB Compare the special dignity of man’s work to the activity of animals.
(cf. TOB 5:4; CCC 307, 342-343,378)

First Grade

1.1.1 TOB Express a sense of wonder for all of God’s creation.
(TOB 2-3, 13:2; CCC 299)

1.1.2 TOB Recognize the goodness of creation.
(TOB 13:3; CCC 280, 339)

1.1.3 TOB Express that every person is a gift from God.
(TOB 13:2-4, 14:4, 15, 16:3-4, 17, 18:3-19:1, 19:3; CCC 356-358, 371-372)

1.7.1 TOB Recognize that human beings manifest their inner life through their body language.
(TOB 19:4-5; CCC 2521-2524)

1.10.1 TOB Recognize that true freedom comes by choosing the good.
(TOB 13:3; CCC 1696, 1730, 1733)

1.11.1 TOB Recognize that each person is unique and unrepeatable.
(TOB 20:5; CCC 357, 366)

1.11.2 TOB Recognize that God calls us to make a gift of ourselves in love.
(TOB 46:6, 78:3; CCC 357, 1878, 2196, Gaudium et Spes 24:3)

Second Grade

2.1.1 TOB Recognize that all creatures are a sign of God’s gift in love.
(TOB 13:3; CCC 339, 342)

2.2.1 TOB Articulate how and why we are made for relationship with God (Communion).
(TOB 6:2; CCC 357-358, 374)

2.3.1 TOB Relate how we learn more about ourselves through our relationships with others.
(cf. TOB 9:4, 12:3)

2.3.2 TOB Discuss reasons why God made man male and female in Gen. 1:27 and Gen. 2:18-22a.
(cf. TOB 2-3; 13:2; CCC 371-372)

2.5.1 TOB Discuss how we are created in the image and likeness of the Trinitarian God.
(TOB 9:2 – 9:3, 13:2, 19:1; CCC 355-357)

2.6.1 TOB Express that man is called to give himself through love as “Gift.”
(TOB 15:1; CCC 357, 1878, 2196; Gaudium et Spes 24:3)

2.6.2 TOB Discuss how Jesus is the model of what it means for a person to be a gift.
(TOB 90:5-6; CCC 519-520)

2.7.1 TOB Discuss how the character of a person is embodied in their comportment.
(cf. 1Cor. 6:19-20, 1Thess. 4:4, TOB 57:1-3; CCC 2521-2524)

2.8.1 TOB Analyze how the body reveals that each person is made for relationship with God, others, and the world.
(TOB 12:1, 13:4; CCC 340, 344, 371-373)

Third Grade 

3.2.1 TOB Give examples of man’s unique relationship with God as set apart from the rest of creation: naming the animals, cultivating the earth, and choosing between good and evil.
(TOB 5:4, 6; CCC 343, 356, 373, 378)

3.6.1 TOB Contrast how God can enable people to view the world and others as gifts with how some people view the world and others as a threat, eliciting a response of selfishness and manipulation.
(cf. TOB 15:1, 46:6; CCC 2514, 2517-2519, 2524, 2531)

3.8.1 TOB Relate how the body reveals the person.
(TOB 14:4; CCC 364-366, 371)

3.9.1 TOB Relate man’s relationship with God in original solitude to the restoration of man’s relationship with God through baptism.
(cf. TOB 91:5, 92:2, 96:2-5; CCC 374, 1265, 1272-1273)

3.10.1 TOB Relate being connected to Jesus the True Vine (Jn 15:4-5) to manifesting the fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23).
(cf. TOB 51; CCC 736, 1831-1832, 2074)

3.12.1 TOB Recognize that in heaven there will be a profound unity and harmony between the soul and the body.
(TOB 66:5-6; CCC 996-997)

Fourth Grade

4.3.1 TOB Interpret the significance of Genesis 2:18: “It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper fit for him.”
(TOB 9:2; CCC 371-372)

4.3.2 TOB Compare Adam’s joy at the creation of Eve to his response to the creation of the animals.
(TOB 10:1; CCC 371)

4.5.1 TOB Extrapolate how man is created in God’s image through the communion of persons.
(TOB 9:3, 14:6; CCC 355-357)

4.7.1 TOB Connect how virtues (which have to do with man’s inner life) are expressed through the body.
(TOB 51:5-6, 53:4, 54:2-55:7; CCC 2516, 2520-2524)

4.9.1 TOB Recognize that suffering is a result of the Fall and that suffering can make it difficult for us to see the gifts of God.
(cf. TOB 26:4-5, 27:1-2; CCC 385, 400, 402, 404-405)

4.9.2 TOB Relate how Christ nourishes communion through the gift of himself in the Eucharist.
(TOB 99:1; CCC 1391, 1392)

4.11.1 TOB Demonstrate how through our work we make a gift of ourselves.
(cf. TOB 6:4, 7:2; CCC 2427-2428)

4.11.2 TOB Relate how work helps us fulfill a mission.
(cf. TOB 6:4, 7:2; CCC 373, 2427-2428)

4.12.1 TOB Discuss how at the Resurrection we will experience the most perfect communion with God and others.
(TOB 68:1-4; CCC 1023-1025)

4.12.2 TOB Identify ways where God is, or was, present in their own life.
(cf. TOB 65:5; CCC 356-357, 22ff)

Fifth Grade  

5.1.1 TOB Compare and contrast ancient myths of creation to Sacred Scripture and God’s goodness in creating.
(cf. TOB 13:2-4; CCC 285, 287-301)

5.4.1 TOB Explain how original nakedness refers to seeing the world and others as God sees; as Gift.
(TOB 13, 14:2; CCC 337, 339, 377, 2531)

5.6.1 TOB Demonstrate that man comes to know himself through a gift-of-self.
(TOB 22:4; CCC 357; Gaudium et Spes 24:3)

5.9.1 TOB Recognize that Jesus reveals the love of the Father.
(TOB 23:4, 67:5; CCC 606-607; 1823)

5.10.1 TOB Articulate how virtue is part of ‘life according to the Spirit.’
(cf. Eph. 6:13-17) (cf. TOB 51:5-6; CCC 736, 1824, 1830, 1839-1841, 2514-2519)

5.12.1 TOB Discuss how at the Resurrection we will see as God sees and our bodies will perfectly reveal his love.
(TOB 68.1, 69:6; CCC 997, 1003, 1011, 1023, 1026, 1028)

Sixth Grade

6.1.1 TOB Exhibit wonder and awe at the generosity of God in the gifts of His abundant and beautiful creation.
(TOB 2-3, 13:2; CCC 293-295, 341)

6.1.2 TOB Explain how creation is a good gift created from nothing.
(TOB 13:4; CCC 296-298)

6.2.1 TOB Define “original experience” as the most basic human experiences all humanity has in common: original solitude, original unity, original nakedness.
(TOB 4:4, 11:1)

6.2.2 TOB Explain how original solitude means the experience of man’s being alone-with-God; his unique relationship to God.
(TOB 6:2; CCC 374-375)

6.2.3 TOB Differentiate how man, as the pinnacle of creation, is both similar and dissimilar from God.
(TOB 6-7, 9:2-3; CCC 339-344, 355-358)

6.3.1 TOB Define “original unity” as the experience of man’s unity-in-difference; the unique relation between male and female.
(TOB 9:1; CCC 369-373)

6.3.2 TOB Identify the two ways of being human, male and female.
(TOB 8:1, 10:1; CCC 369-372)

6.3.3 TOB Discuss why it is a good thing that God created man as male and female.
(TOB 9:3, 13:3, 14:1, 16:1-2; CCC 371-372)

6.4.1 TOB Define “original nakedness” as experiencing the true and clear vision of the person; as gift and in God’s image.
(TOB 13:1; CCC 337, 339, 377)

6.4.2 TOB Exhibit the virtue of reverence for God, his creation, and other people by treating them with respect and honor, for God is all good and his creation is a good gift.
(TOB 14:4, 15:4, 119-120, 132:1; CCC 2096-2097, 2415-2418, 2479)

6.5.1 TOB Explain how man, in the image of the Trinity, learns about himself through a gift of himself.
(TOB 8:4, 9:1-3, 10:1, 15:1; CCC 355-357,1889; Gaudium et Spes 24:3)

6.6.1 TOB Explain gift-of-self as thoughts, words or actions that place oneself at the service of others and seek the true good of the other.
(cf. TOB 14:2; CCC 1609, 1667, 1889, 1914, 1926)

6.7.1 TOB Describe how the body-soul unity reveals man’s special dignity.
(TOB 18:4, 19:3-5, 23:5, 56-57:3; CCC 2518, 2520-2524)

6.8.1 TOB Explain how the human body is a visible sign (a “sacrament”) of God’s invisible love.
(TOB 19:4; CCC 355-356, 364)

6.8.2 TOB Describe how the human body is the “temple of the Holy Spirit” (1Cor 6:15) and why it is necessary to “glorify God in your body” (1Cor 6:20).
(TOB 57:2; CCC 2516, 2519)

Seventh Grade

7.1.1 TOB Explain that even after the Fall, creation remains a good gift and is not totally corrupted; it is able to be redeemed.
(cf. TOB 32:3, 86; CCC 410-412, 422, 1045-1048)

7.1.2 TOB Provide examples of rightly ordered desire, given by God, and disordered “desire.”
(TOB 48:4; CCC 374-379, 400, 2514-2516, 2517-2520, 2528-2531, 2541, 2543-2544, 2546, 2548-2549, 2555, 2557)

7.5.1 TOB Propose how a “communion of persons” involves the loving gift-of-self (i.e. the Trinity, but also the unity of the Church, the family and the unity of man and woman).
(cf. TOB 8:4, 9:1-3, 10:1, 15:1; CCC 813, 1644 – 1647, 2205)

7.6.1 TOB Evaluate actions for self-mastery and describe how actions of self-mastery free one to make a full gift-of-self.
(TOB 15:1-4, 32:6; CCC 2339, 2340, 2343, 2346)

7.7.1 TOB Explain the body-soul unity in the human person from the standpoint of the “language of the Body.”
(TOB 9:4, 10:1, 14:6, 15, 16:1-2, 23:4-5, 123:4-5, 125: 1-2, 127:4; CCC 2518, 2521-2524)

7.8.1 TOB Describe how the body, by its mere existence, communicates that the human person is a gift just by the fact that it exists.
(TOB 14:4; CCC 357, 364)

7.9.1 TOB Point out that as a result of original sin man experiences concupiscence and needs to bring emotions and desires into harmony with what is truly good.
(TOB 26:5, 31:3, 31:6, 32:3, 33:1-2, 51:5-6, 54; CCC 397, 400, 405, 1707, 1865, 1949, 2514-2520, 2534-2535, 2549)

7.10.1 TOB Explain how Christ does not accuse but instead appeals to the human heart to be pure.
(TOB 45:5, 46:5-6, 49:7; CCC 2517-2519)

7.10.2 TOB Describe what ‘life according to the Spirit’ is and how following the law of God leads to true freedom and happiness.
(TOB 15:1, 45:1, 51:5-6, 53:4-5, 54:2-4; CCC 30, 736, 1731, 1824, 1828-1832, 2514-2516, 2548)

7.11.1 TOB Evaluate how love, as a power, is a participation in the love of God himself: How it is total. How it is faithful. How it is fruitful. How it is generous.
(TOB 127:1; CCC 2331, 2335, 2360, 2364-2369)

Eighth Grade

8.1.1 TOB Propose that creation should be received as a gift and not manipulated, dominated and controlled.
(cf. TOB 13:3-4, 59:3; CCC 358, 373)

8.5.1 TOB Compare how the loving communion of man and woman is like that of the Trinity, a communion of persons who are love and who in giving and receiving are fruitful.
(TOB 9:1-3, 10:4, 14:6, 15:1; CCC 355-357)

8.6.1 TOB Give examples of how a person is pure in heart, that is, when he/she perceives and respects others as a gift and seeks to make a gift of him/herself to others.
(TOB 50, 54, 57:3; CCC 2518, 2519)

8.8.1 TOB Explain that living out the spousal meaning of the body can be through marriage or virginity for the sake of the Kingdom.
(TOB 15:5, 81:6; CCC 915, 916, 922, 923, 926, 1640, 1646)

8.10.1 TOB Evaluate the beatitude: “Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God.”
(cf. Mt.5:8 and TOB 43:5; CCC 2518, 2519, 2530-2533)

8.11.1 TOB Describe the idea of a vocation and how it is the way one makes a total gift-of-self.
(TOB 78, 86; CCC 915-916, 929, 932, 1579, 1603, 1605, 1618-1620)

8.11.2 TOB Compare and contrast the sacrament of marriage and celibacy for the sake of the kingdom.
(TOB 76:6, 78:4; CCC 915, 916, 1603, 1618-1620, 1621)

8.11.3 TOB Explain how God invites, and does not force, when he calls someone to the vocation of married life, consecrated life, or the priesthood, leaving the person free to respond.
(TOB 73:3-4, 76:4, 79:8; CCC 915, 1565, 1578, 1599, 1618, 1625-1628, 2233)

8.11.4 TOB Describe how responding to the call of the consecrated life is a radical imitation of the life of Christ and is done to work for the kingdom of God on earth.
(TOB 75:1, 75:4, 76:3, 79:2, 79:9, 81:4; CCC 915-916, 929, 932, 1579, 1618)

8.11.5 TOB Explain that when God calls a man and a woman to the vocation of marriage, he is inviting them into a special sacrament of his love.
(Ephesians 5 and TOB 87-93; CCC 1601, 1604)

8.12.1 TOB Explain what will happen to the body at the Resurrection.
(cf. TOB 64-72; CCC 997-1001)

Standards for Christian Anthropology

Based on St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body Teachings

Scope and Sequence
Grades K-8

Standards for Christian Anthropology by Theme

Based on St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body Teachings

NOTE:  Within these Standards the term “man” refers to both “male” and “female.”  References to Theology of the Body (TOB) and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) are in parentheses after each Standard.

1. Creation is a Gift

K.1.1 TOB Express that creation is a gift from God who is loving.
(TOB 13:2-3; CCC 301, 356)

1.1.1 TOB Express a sense of wonder for all of God’s creation.
(TOB 2-3, 13:2; CCC 299)

1.1.2 TOB Recognize the goodness of creation.
(TOB 13:3; CCC 280, 339)

1.1.3 TOB Express that every person is a gift from God.
(TOB 13:2-4, 14:4, 15, 16:3-4, 17, 18:3-19:1, 19:3; CCC 356-358, 371-372)

2.1.1 TOB Recognize that all creatures are a sign of God’s gift in love.
(TOB 13:3; CCC 339, 342)

5.1.1 TOB Compare and contrast ancient myths of creation to Sacred Scripture and God’s goodness in creating.
(cf. TOB 13:2-4; CCC 285, 287-301)

6.1.1 TOB Exhibit wonder and awe at the generosity of God in the gifts of His abundant and beautiful creation.
(TOB 2-3, 13:2; CCC 293-295, 341)

6.1.2 TOB Explain how creation is a good gift created from nothing.
(TOB 13:4; CCC 296-298)

7.1.1 TOB Explain that even after the Fall, creation remains a good gift and is not totally corrupted; it is able to be redeemed.
(cf. TOB 32:3, 86; CCC 410-412, 422, 1045-1048)

7.1.2 TOB Provide examples of rightly ordered desire, given by God, and disordered “desire.”
(TOB 48:4; CCC 374-379, 400, 2514-2516, 2517-2520, 2528-2531, 2541, 2543-2544, 2546, 2548-2549, 2555, 2557)

8.1.1 TOB Propose that creation should be received as a gift and not manipulated, dominated and controlled.
(cf. TOB 13:3-4, 59:3; CCC 358, 373)

2. Original Solitude

K.2.1 TOB Discuss that it is unique to the human person to care for creation.
(TOB 6:4; CCC 307, 373)

K.2.2 TOB Recognize that the human person has a special relationship with God in comparison to animals.
(TOB 5-6; CCC 356, 358, 380)

2.2.1 TOB Articulate how and why we are made for relationship with God (Communion).
(TOB 6:2; CCC 357-358, 374)

3.2.1 TOB Give examples of man’s unique relationship with God as set apart from the rest of creation: naming the animals, cultivating the earth, and choosing between good and evil.
(TOB 5:4, 6; CCC 343, 356, 373, 378)

6.2.1 TOB Define “original experience” as the most basic human experiences all humanity has in common: original solitude, original unity, original nakedness.
(TOB 4:4, 11:1)

6.2.2 TOB Explain how original solitude means the experience of man’s being alone-with-God; his unique relationship to God.
(TOB 6:2; CCC 374-375)

6.2.3 TOB Differentiate how man, as the pinnacle of creation, is both similar and dissimilar from God.
(TOB 6-7, 9:2-3; CCC 339-344, 355-358)

3. Original Unity

2.3.1 TOB Relate how we learn more about ourselves through our relationships with others.
(cf. TOB 9:4, 12:3)

2.3.2 TOB Discuss reasons why God made man male and female in Gen. 1:27 and Gen. 2:18-22a.
(cf. TOB 2-3; 13:2; CCC 371-372)

4.3.1 TOB Interpret the significance of Genesis 2:18: “It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper fit for him.”
(TOB 9:2; CCC 371-372)

4.3.2 TOB Compare Adam’s joy at the creation of Eve to his response to the creation of the animals.
(TOB 10:1; CCC 371)

6.3.1 TOB Define “original unity” as the experience of man’s unity-in-difference; the unique relation between male and female.
(TOB 9:1; CCC 369-373)

6.3.2 TOB Identify the two ways of being human, male and female.
(TOB 8:1, 10:1; CCC 369-372)

6.3.3 TOB Discuss why it is a good thing that God created man as male and female.
(TOB 9:3, 13:3, 14:1, 16:1-2; CCC 371-372)

4. Original Nakedness

5.4.1 TOB Explain how original nakedness refers to seeing the world and others as God sees; as Gift.
(TOB 13, 14:2; CCC 337, 339, 377, 2531)

6.4.1 TOB Define “original nakedness” as experiencing the true and clear vision of the person; as gift and in God’s image.
(TOB 13:1; CCC 337, 339, 377)

6.4.2 TOB Exhibit the virtue of reverence for God, his creation, and other people by treating them with respect and honor, for God is all good and his creation is a good gift.
(TOB 14:4, 15:4, 119-120, 132:1; CCC 2096-2097, 2415-2418, 2479)

5. Communion of Persons

K.5.1 TOB Explain that the human person is made in the image and likeness of God who is one God in three persons.
(TOB 5-7, 9:2-9:3, 19:1; CCC 299, 343, 355-357)

2.5.1 TOB Discuss how we are created in the image and likeness of the Trinitarian God.
(TOB 9:2 – 9:3, 13:2, 19:1; CCC 355-357)

4.5.1 TOB Extrapolate how man is created in God’s image through the communion of persons.
(TOB 9:3, 14:6; CCC 355-357)

6.5.1 TOB Explain how man, in the image of the Trinity, learns about himself through a gift of himself.
(TOB 8:4, 9:1-3, 10:1, 15:1; CCC 355-357,1889; Gaudium et Spes 24:3)

7.5.1 TOB Propose how a “communion of persons” involves the loving gift-of-self (i.e. the Trinity, but also the unity of the Church, the family and the unity of man and woman).
(cf. TOB 8:4, 9:1-3, 10:1, 15:1; CCC 813, 1644-1647, 2205)

8.5.1 TOB Compare how the loving communion of man and woman is like that of the Trinity, a communion of persons who are love and who in giving and receiving are fruitful.
(TOB 9:1-3, 10:4, 14:6; 15:1; CCC 355-357)

6. Gift-of-Self

2.6.1 TOB Express that man is called to give himself through love as “Gift.”
(TOB 15:1; CCC 357, 1878, 2196; Gaudium et Spes 24:3)

2.6.2 TOB Discuss how Jesus is the model of what it means for a person to be a gift.
(TOB 90:5-6; CCC 519-520)

3.6.1 TOB Contrast how God can enable people to view the world and others as gifts with how some people view the world and others as a threat, eliciting a response of selfishness and manipulation.
(cf. TOB 15:1, 46:6; CCC 2514, 2517-2519, 2524, 2531)

5.6.1 TOB Demonstrate that man comes to know himself through a gift-of-self.
(TOB 22:4; CCC 357; Gaudium et Spes 24:3)

6.6.1 TOB Explain gift-of-self as thoughts, words or actions that place oneself at the service of others and seek the true good of the other.
(cf. TOB 14:2; CCC 1609, 1667, 1889, 1914, 1926)

7.6.1 TOB Evaluate actions for self-mastery and describe how actions of self-mastery free one to make a full gift-of-self.
(TOB 15:1-4, 32:6; CCC 2339, 2340, 2342, 2346)

8.6.1 TOB Give examples of how a person is pure in heart, that is, when he/she perceives and respects others as a gift and seeks to make a gift of him/herself to others.
(TOB 50, 54, 57:3; CCC 2518, 2519)

7. Body-soul Unity

1.7.1 TOB Recognize that human beings manifest their inner life through their body language.
(TOB 19:4-5; CCC 2521 – 2524)

2.7.1 TOB Discuss how the character of a person is embodied in their comportment.
(cf. 1Cor. 6:19-20, 1Thess. 4:4, TOB 57:1-3; CCC 2521-2524)

4.7.1 TOB Connect how virtues (which have to do with man’s inner life) are expressed through the body.
(TOB 51:5-6, 53:4, 54:2-55:7; CCC 2516, 2520-2524)

6.7.1 TOB Describe how the body-soul unity reveals man’s special dignity.
(TOB 18:4, 19:3-5, 23:5, 56-57:3; CCC 2518, 2520-2524)

7.7.1 TOB Explain the body-soul unity in the human person from the standpoint of the “language of the Body.”
(TOB 9:4, 10:1, 14:6, 15, 16:1-2, 23:4-5, 123:4-5, 125: 1-2, 127:4; CCC 2518, 2521-2524)

8. Body Reveals the Person

2.8.1 TOB Analyze how the body reveals that each person is made for relationship with God, others, and the world.
(TOB 12:1, 13:4; CCC 340, 344, 371-373)

3.8.1 TOB Relate how the body reveals the person.
(TOB 14:4; CCC 364-366, 371)

6.8.1 TOB Explain how the human body is a visible sign (a “sacrament”) of God’s invisible love.
(TOB 19:4; CCC 355-356, 364)

6.8.2 TOB Describe how the human body is the “temple of the Holy Spirit” (1Cor 6:15) and why it is necessary to “glorify God in your body” (1Cor 6:20).
(TOB 57.2; CCC 2516, 2519)

7.8.1 TOB Explain how the body, by its mere existence, communicates that the human person is a gift just by the fact that it exists.
(TOB 14:4; CCC 357, 364)

8.8.1 TOB Explain that living out the spousal meaning of the body can be through marriage or virginity for the sake of the Kingdom.
(TOB 15:5, 81:6; CCC 915, 916, 922, 923, 926, 1640, 1646)

9. Historical Man/Fall and Redemption

3.9.1 TOB Relate man’s relationship with God in original solitude to the restoration of man’s relationship with God through baptism.
(cf. TOB 91:5, 92:2, 96:2-5; CCC 374, 1265, 1272-1273)

4.9.1 TOB Recognize that suffering is a result of the Fall and that suffering can make it difficult for us to see the gifts of God.
(cf. TOB 26:4-5, 27:1-2; CCC 385, 400, 402, 404-405)

4.9.2 TOB Relate how Christ nourishes communion through the gift of himself in the Eucharist.
(TOB 99:1; CCC 1391, 1392)

5.9.1 TOB Recognize that Jesus reveals the love of the Father.
(TOB 23:4, 67:5; CCC 606-607; 1823)

7.9.1 TOB Point out that as a result of original sin man experiences concupiscence and needs to bring emotions and desires into harmony with what is truly good.
(TOB 26:5, 31:3, 31:6, 32:3, 33:1-2, 51:5-6, 54; CCC 397, 400, 405, 1707, 1865, 1949, 2514-2520, 2534-2535, 2549)

10. Purity of Heart/Virtue

K.10.1 TOB Compare the special dignity of man’s work to the activity of animals.
(cf. TOB 5:4; CCC 307, 342-343,378)

1.10.1 TOB Recognize that true freedom comes by choosing the good.
(TOB 13:3; CCC 1696, 1730, 1733)

3.10.1 TOB Relate being connected to Jesus the True Vine (Jn 15:4-5) to manifesting the fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23).
(cf. TOB 51; CCC 736, 1831-1832, 2074)

4.10.1 TOB Discuss how the body expresses virtue.
(cf. TOB 57:1-3; CCC 1803-1804)

5.10.1 TOB Articulate how virtue is part of ‘life according to the Spirit’ (cf. Eph. 6:13-17).
(cf. TOB 51:5-6; CCC 736, 1824, 1830, 1839-1841, 2514-2519)

7.10.1 TOB Explain how Christ does not accuse but instead appeals to the human heart to be pure.
(TOB 45:5, 46:5-6, 49:7; CCC 2517-2519)

7.10.2 TOB Describe what ‘life according to the Spirit’ is and how following the law of God leads to true freedom and happiness.
(TOB 15:1, 45:1, 51:5-6, 53:4-5, 54:2-4; CCC 30, 736, 1731, 1824, 1828-1832, 2514-2516, 2548)

8.10.1 TOB Evaluate the beatitude: “Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God”(cf. Mt.5:8).
(TOB 43:5; CCC 2518, 2519, 2530-2533)

11. Vocation

1.11.1 TOB Recognize that each person is unique and unrepeatable.
(TOB 20:5; CCC 357, 366)

1.11.2 TOB Recognize that God calls us to make a gift of ourselves in love.
(TOB 46:6, 78:3; CCC 357, 1878, 2196, Gaudium et Spes 24:3)

4.11.1 TOB Demonstrate how through our work we make a gift of ourselves.
(cf. TOB 6:4, 7:2; CCC 2427-2428)

4.11.2 TOB Relate how work helps us fulfill a mission.
(cf. TOB 6:4, 7:2; CCC 373, 2427-2428)

7.11.1 TOB Evaluate how love, as a power, is a participation in the love of God himself: How it is total. How it is faithful. How it is fruitful. How it is generous.
(TOB 127:1; CCC 2331, 2335, 2360, 2364-2369)

8.11.1 TOB Describe the idea of a vocation and how it is the way one makes a total gift-of-self.
(TOB 78, 86; CCC 915-916, 929, 932, 1579, 1603, 1605, 1618-1620)

8.11.2 TOB Compare and contrast the sacrament of marriage and celibacy for the sake of the kingdom.
(TOB 76:6, 78:4; CCC 915, 916, 1603, 1618-1620, 1621)

8.11.3 TOB Explain how God invites, and does not force, when he calls someone to the vocation of married life, consecrated life, or the priesthood, leaving the person free to respond.
(TOB 73:3-4; 76:4; 79:8; CCC 915, 1565, 1578, 1599, 1618, 1625-1628, 2233)

Vocation: Virginity for the Sake of the Kingdom

8.11.4 TOB Describe how responding to the call of the consecrated life is a radical imitation of the life of Christ and is done to work for the kingdom of God on earth.
(TOB 75:1, 75:4, 76:3, 79:2, 79:9, 81:4; CCC 915-916, 929, 932, 1579, 1618)

Vocation: Sacramentality of Marriage

8.11.5 TOB Explain that when God calls two people to the vocation of marriage, he is inviting them into a special sacrament of his love.
(Ephesians 5 and TOB 87-93; CCC 1601, 1604)

12. Eschatological Man/Resurrection

3.12.1 TOB Recognize that in heaven there will be a profound unity and harmony between the soul and the body.
(TOB 66:5-6; CCC 996-997)

4.12.1 TOB Discuss how at the Resurrection we will experience the most perfect communion with God and others.
(TOB 68:1-4; CCC 1023-1025)

4.12.2 TOB Identify ways where God is, or was, present in their own life.
(cf. TOB 65:5; CCC 356-357, 22ff)

5.12.1 TOB Discuss how at the Resurrection we will see as God sees and our bodies will perfectly reveal his love.
(TOB 68.1, 69:6; CCC 997, 1003, 1011, 1023, 1026, 1028)

8.12.1 TOB Explain what will happen to the body at the Resurrection.
(cf. TOB 64-72; CCC 997-1001)

Glossary

Body–Soul Unity   “The unity of soul and body is so profound that one has to consider the soul to be the ‘form’ of the body: i.e., it is because of its spiritual soul that the body made of matter becomes a living human body; spirit and matter, man, are not two natures united, but rather their union forms a single nature.” CCC 365. 

Communion of Persons   a deep union/unity with another which exists through a sincere and mutual gift-of-self.  More than a simple interaction with something or someone.  

Concupiscence   the inclination toward things that aren’t good for us; it is a consequence of original sin and a permanent wound in our nature. It is not a sin in itself. 

Eschatological Man   the human person at the end of time in heaven, after Jesus returns for the final judgment and the dead receive their bodies back for eternal life in heaven or eternal condemnation in hell. 

Gift-of-Self   thoughts, words or actions that place oneself at the service of others and which seek the true good of the other. 

Historical Man   the human person in his fallen condition after original sin (everyone after Adam and Eve, except for Jesus Christ and Mary). 

Language of the Body   the way in which the body speaks without words. Even before you do something, your body already communicates that you are a gift (from, with, and for others) just by the fact that it exists. 

Man   the human person (adam – pronounced a dom in Hebrew) considered as a human being (both male and female). In the creation account of Genesis, the Bible distinguishes the first human being, ‘man’ (adam), as ‘male’ ‘ish’ (pronounced eesh) and ‘female’, ‘isha’ (pronounced eesha) 

Original Experiences   the most basic human experiences all humanity has in common: original solitude, original unity, original nakedness (See below).  

Original Man   a way of talking about the state of man before Original Sin. 

Original Nakedness   the experience of “seeing” the true and clear vision of the person; it is the experience of seeing the person as God sees them in the deepest truths of who they really are as unquestionable signs of the image of God in man.  

Original Solitude   the experience of man being alone with God. The fact that there is no other like him; Man is different from the animals, from plants and all created things. This difference is exhibited in his physical body, in his intellect (self-consciousness), in his will (self-determination).  

Original Unity   the experience of man’s unity-in-difference; the unique relation between male and female. Men and women share the same nature and the same dignity as being made in the image and likeness of God; they are embodied souls, yet they are different in their physical bodies which together form a complete picture of what it means to be human.  

Purity of Heart    is the right ordering of desires which allows us to love what is truly good; to treat God, ourselves, and others with reverence. It is an attitude, an ability, a virtue that has its source in the heart and is expressed in action.  

Spousal Meaning of the Body   the body expresses the fact that my life is a gift and that I am called to make a gift-of-self. This is the deepest meaning of my life and what is most basically true about being a human, male and female, created in the image of God. 

Threefold Concupiscence    John Paul II cites 1 John 2:16-17 in speaking of the threefold form of “the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life” (TOB 26:1). These have to do with our disordered desires for pleasure, possessions, and power. 

Virginity for the Sake of the Kingdom/Celibacy for the Sake of the Kingdom   interchangeable terms used in John Paul IIs Theology of the Body for choosing to reserve one’s sexual powers in imitation of Christ and as a sign of the future kingdom so as to be totally at the service of whatever mission God calls them to on earth. This way of life involves renunciation and sacrifice for higher goods and the exclusive gift-of-self for the kingdom of God in heaven.  

Professional Reviewers 

We gratefully acknowledge the following Catholic educators, academics, and catechists whose reviews and comments contributed significantly to the development of these Standards: 

Jill Annable
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Technology
Diocese of Grand Rapids, MI 

Timothy Carpenter, MA
Director of Religious Education
Diocese of Lansing, MI 

David Crawford, JD, STD
Assoc. Dean, Pontifical John Paul II Institute for the Studies on Marriage and Family
The Catholic University of America 

Mary Ann Draudt
Assistant Superintendent Curriculum & Technology Integration
Diocese of Joliet, IL 

Steven Greene, MA
Director, Kino Catechetical Institute
Archdiocese of Phoenix, AZ 

David C. Hajduk, PhD
High School Religion Teacher, TOB Author
Diocese of Paterson, NJ  

Keith Houde, PhD
Professor of Psychology and Chair of the Department of Psychology
Ave Maria University 

David McCutchen, MA
Director Religious Education
Diocese of Toledo, OH 

Elena Orozco, EdD
Assistant Director
RC Education 

Fr. John Riccardo, STL
Acts XXIX Ministry
Archdiocese of Detroit, MI 

Jim Rigg, PhD
Superintendent of Schools
Archdiocese of Chicago, IL 

David L. Schindler, PhD
Professor of Metaphysics and Anthropology, Pontifical John Paul II Institute for the Studies on Marriage and Family
The Catholic University of America 

Meghan Schofield, PhD Candidate
Pontifical John Paul II Institute for the Studies on Marriage and Family
ROOTED: Theology of the Body, Grade 6-8 Author 

Michael Waldstein, PhD
Professor of Theology
Franciscan University Steubenville 

Deacon Paul Ward, MA, MS
Superintendent of Schools and Director of Religious Education
Diocese of Steubenville, OH 

George Weigel, MA
Senior Fellow, Ethics & Public Policy Center Washington DC 

Petroc Willey, STL, PhD
Professor of Catechesis
Franciscan University Steubenville 

Fr. Thomas Wray, MDiv
Parish Priest, Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Chaplain and Curriculum Consultant
Ruah Woods Press 

Katrina J. Zeno, MTS
Theology of the Body
Author, Speaker, and Teacher Trainer 

And, of course, Pope St. John Paul II,  
for starting it all. 

 

Into the Light: Webinar with Patrick Reilly

/in /by

On May 31, 2020, Newman Society President Patrick Reilly presented a webinar with the Institute of Catholic Culture entitled, “Into the Light.”

The webinar explored the exciting renewal of truth and fidelity happening in Catholic education today, and also discussed St. John Henry Newman’s “Idea of a University,” his innovations in Catholic secondary education, and how Catholic educators are once again taking up Newman’s fight against “liberalism in religion.”

The Cardinal Newman Society was thrilled to help arrange this special event. A recording of the webinar can be viewed here: https://instituteofcatholicculture.org/events/into-the-light

 

Thomas More College of Liberal Arts

Distance Learning Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

/in /by

It’s been a strange and difficult semester for Catholic schools and colleges. Our institutions offer a unique social, spiritual, and intellectual formation that depends on personal presence, but students have been exiled from our classrooms, chapels, and athletic fields.

For Catholic educators who have struggled to build on the strong relationships formed in the first three quarters of the school year, the serious limitations of distance education are obvious. And as the academic year draws to a close, it’s a good time to consider how the sudden and temporary change from a traditional classroom education to distance education may have affected student formation.

But before we do so, we would be remiss not to recognize one very important benefit to the temporarily forced distance between educator and student: this experience of exile has surely helped our families and educators better appreciate the amazing gift of an “in-person” Catholic education. We yearn for it, because we know that it is good, and we realize how much we love what has been taken away from us.

Continue reading at Crisis Magazine…

Courts Weigh Future of Catholic Education

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This month the Little Sisters of the Poor returned to the U.S. Supreme Court, once again defending their right to practice the Catholic Faith by refusing to provide for contraceptives in their health insurance plan.

This is a stark reminder that even years later the Obama administration’s assault on religious freedom continues to impact religious organizations. And other serious threats have since emerged.

Catholic educators especially are nervously awaiting court rulings that could have a severe impact on schools and colleges. That’s scary, but it’s also true that each case presents a new opportunity to re-establish the rights of religious educators under the First Amendment, should judges be so inclined.

Now is a great time for your prayers!

Continue reading at Crisis Magazine…

doctor

These College Grads Are Saving Lives

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Light shines bright in the darkness! One highlight among the COVID doldrums has been the heroism of so many Catholics and others in our nation’s hospitals and doctor’s offices.

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

In particular, I often receive updates from the faithful Newman Guide colleges, and they have been full of stories about valiant alumni on the frontlines. These men and women are putting their lives on the line for the good of their fellow man, and they draw strength from their years of Catholic formation in faith, truth and virtue.

One such hero is Dr. Thomas Heyne, a graduate of the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas. He is treating patients with COVID-19 at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

“Caring for patients suffering from COVID-19 has been challenging,” he says. “It takes courage, charity, patience and endurance — even simply wearing those N-95 masks for prolonged periods is physically painful.”

That’s all the more reason that Heyne is “grateful for UD for helping to foster those virtues — first imbued by my parents — while I was in my first years as an adult.”

“My four years at the University of Dallas were some of the happiest, most positively forming years of my life.” He explains:

First, the premedical formation in the sciences was quite strong, and helped to open the way to a good medical school and residency program…

Second, the academic habits that I learned at UD served me well in medical school and beyond. All students are required to complete a large cadre of humanities courses in the core curriculum. These humanities courses honed my skills at reading critically and writing convincingly.

Third, the humanistic virtues that were inculcated at UD have helped me be a more compassionate physician. I was blessed to have friends who cared about their faith, about living a life of virtue (including the practice of charity). But also, friends that were normal and fun. I learned how to socialize and have fun (e.g., after finishing exams) in a way that was healthy and wholesome.

Finally, Heyne credits extracurricular activities, such as spring break trips to Mexico and student leadership positions, for helping him develop as a person and even discern his calling to medicine.

Another doctor responding to COVID-19 is Dr. Mark Kissinger, medical director for Jefferson County, Ohio, which includes his alma mater Franciscan University of Steubenville. The county has not seen a large surge in patients, but Kissinger’s days are occupied with “disaster planning, tracking patients with the disease and educating the public.”

Kissinger says his education is impacting the way he does his work. “My Franciscan education has taught me to remember that we are dealing with people, not statistics and cases. As such, all people deserve respect and dignity as God’s own.”

Claire Pedulla, a registered nurse in an intensive care unit at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, discovered her calling to medicine while on a Benedictine College mission trip to Saint Lucia. She told her alma mater that the words of one of her professors have helped her greatly during this difficult time: “You are God’s earthly hands, eyes, ears and words. You are caring for his most vulnerable children. Show your servant heart for his work.”

Katie Ellefson, a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California, is now a nurse in a Virginia hospital, where her entire floor was turned into a COVID unit. She explained to the College that nurses are often the “only people who are physically coming into the room to check on these patients,” and they are “generally more lonely, scared, and anxious than our typical patients.”

“Being able to be the person who can go in there and cheer them up and make their stay even just a little better has honestly been such a gift,” she says.

Surely her patients are at least as grateful for Ellefson and her Christian heroism! The work of these graduates and so many others is a great blessing and inspiration, and it reflects well on the faithful Catholic education that they received.

May God bless all who are keeping us healthy in these dangerous times, and may he protect them as well.

This article first appeared at The National Catholic Register.

JPCatholic

With Mission to ‘Impact Culture for Christ,’ JPCatholic University Won’t Settle for Mediocrity

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George Simon

George Simon spent his first two years in college at a state university, but he wasn’t satisfied with the education he was receiving. He transferred to John Paul the Great Catholic University in Escondido, Calif., which is recommended in The Newman Guide, and the University made a “huge impact” on every aspect of his life.

“JPCatholic,” the nickname adopted by students and graduates, is a faithfully Catholic institution that combines an exciting emphasis on creative arts and business with serious theology and liberal arts. It has developed a creative community of artists and innovators in the heart of Escondido, which lies between San Diego and Hollywood. The university strives to prepare young people to evangelize and transform culture.

Today, Simon is a professor of film production at JPCatholic and is married to a fellow graduate. The Newman Society recently asked Simon to share about his experience at JPCatholic, and why it’s important for young creative Catholics to develop their artistic gifts.

Newman Society: Can you tell us about your background and relation to JPCatholic?  

Professor George Simon: Sure! I was born in Michigan and my family moved to American Samoa when I was seven years old. My parents bought a video camera so that we could record home movies and send them back to our family. My dad agreed to let my brother and I use the camera, and we spent the next seven years running around the island making movies.

In 2006, I enrolled at a state university in Michigan, which was not a good fit. I decided to transfer, and after hearing about a small Catholic film school in San Diego from my mom, I sent in my application and enrolled at JPCatholic in 2008. I graduated in 2012 with an emphasis in screenwriting.

After graduating, I spent four years growing a video production company and working in San Diego, Grand Rapids, and Chicago. In 2016, I married my wife, Melinda, a fellow grad of JPCatholic, and accepted an opportunity to work at JPCatholic. I was awarded my Master’s degree in film producing in 2018 and currently work there as a full-time professor.   

The Simon Family

Newman Society: Why did you choose to transfer to JPCatholic?   

Professor George Simon: After two years studying broadcasting and cinematic arts in Michigan, I became really discouraged by the lack of hands-on filmmaking classes. I researched other universities in Michigan that had programs related to film and television, but none of them offered a rigorous, hands-on curriculum that involved actually making movies.

When I discovered JPCatholic and saw that I would be taking multiple classes in film production, directing, screenwriting and post production in my first year, I knew it was the right fit. As I went through the curriculum, every class made me say, “Yes, this is exactly what I want to be studying.” Three months later, I was on a train from Michigan to San Diego, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made.   

Newman Society: How did you benefit from the Catholic education and formation provided by JPCatholic?   

Professor George Simon: The decision to transfer from a secular university with 25,000 students to a small Catholic university had a huge impact on every aspect of my life. I went from a culture where the expectation is that everyone is going to party for four years, straight to a place where I was surrounded by passionate Catholics and where daily Mass and confession is offered on campus.

I was born and raised Catholic and my dad is a deacon, but it wasn’t until I started attending JPCatholic that I ever went to adoration or spent time in an adoration chapel. The theology and philosophy classes helped me to grow in my faith and challenged me to think for myself and tell stories that are good for humanity, instead of just trying to emulate whatever Quentin Tarantino or David Fincher are doing.   

Newman Society: Can you share about some of your film projects like Get Clean and Almost Home? 

Professor George Simon: Absolutely! ​Get Clean​ is a short film that my wife and I made while we were both in college. Melinda came up with the idea of a character whose sins begin manifesting as marks on her skin. The character tries, unsuccessfully, to wash the marks away and is ultimately only able to remove them by receiving the sacrament of confession.

The process of making the film was crazy, because it was put together really quickly. We didn’t have any equipment other than a camera, so I used a giant roll of trash bags as a make-shift tripod. We edited the film that night and submitted it to a scholarship contest an hour before the submission deadline.

We ended up winning the top prize, which was a $25,000 scholarship for Melinda and a $25,000 grant for JPCatholic. Unfortunately, I had withdrawn from the university due to financial reasons and was not eligible for the scholarship. Derry Connolly, the president of the university, used the grant to create an additional scholarship to make it possible for me to come back and finish my degree.   

Almost Home​ is a short film that was created as part of the 8Beats Anthology, which is an anthology film that explores modern parables based on the eight Beatitudes of Jesus Christ. The story follows a truck driver who is trying to get home to his family and a little boy on a road trip with his parents, who cannot stop fighting. The film just concluded its festival run after winning awards at multiple festivals including the Windy City Film Festival in Chicago and the Transparent Film Festival in New York City. The 8Beats Anthology is produced by Catholic Creatives and is scheduled for release in 2020.   

My most recent project is a short film titled ​The Scar,​ which tells the story of Arthur, who cares for his wife Mercy in the aftermath of an accident that destroyed her memory. In an effort to stimulate her mind, Arthur tells tall tales about the mysterious scar on his chest, which appeared the same day Mercy lost her memory. The film is extremely ambitious and required scenes in feudal Japan, the old West, and the Mediterranean Sea. We’re close to finishing up post-production, and I’m excited to send this small-but-mighty film out into the world.   

JPCatholic

Newman Society: How does the Catholic faith influence the courses you teach as a film professor?   

Professor George Simon: As artists who are seeking to impact culture for Christ, we all recognize that we cannot settle for mediocrity in our art. Everyone strives for excellence and pushes one another to be excellent, not just for their own personal benefit, but because the mission we are all undertaking demands that we become exceptional storytellers. Otherwise we have no ability to compete in an industry that has immense power to either call humanity closer to Jesus Christ, or to push them away.   

I teach a Fundamentals of Production class that is basically movie making 101—students learn how to use a camera, record audio, set up lights, write, produce, film and edit. It can seem challenging to infuse a demonstration on how to set up a C-Stand with the deep theological truths of the Catholic faith, however, even in these technical moments is the collective faith of the students and faculty that have the greatest impact. The Catholic faith that is shared between my students is powerful and influential.    

Newman Society: Why do you think it’s important for young creative Catholics to develop their artistic gifts? Why do you think it’s important for the Church to be involved in the arts?   

Professor George Simon: For me, as a filmmaker, developing my creative gifts and growing as an artist is inseparable from my journey to heaven. God invites every one of us to develop our talents and when we accept that invitation, we glorify Him and show the world the unique beauty He has planted in our souls. Every young Catholic artist should develop their creative gifts, because it is an integral part of who God made them to be.

One of the first things I tell my students is that, as filmmakers, we live in the best possible time in human history to make movies. As cameras and film equipment have become more accessible, it has become more possible than ever to create content that can compete with major studios. It is crucial for young Catholic artists to develop their gifts in order to become exceptional storytellers and earn the right to be heard.

Studios and networks spend billions of dollars each year creating stories that have tremendous impact on the world. In order to fully answer the call to “make disciples of all nations,” it is imperative that young artists are perfecting their raw talents into precise and experienced craftsmanship, enabling them to share the experience of God’s love, whether overtly or subtlety, in every script they write, set they work on and story they create. 

JPCatholic

Christendom College ‘More in Demand Than Ever,’ Says Enrollment VP

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While six in ten colleges missed fall enrollment goals in 2019, Christendom College in Front Royal, Va., which is recommended in The Newman Guide, is thriving. Not only has it grown 30 percent over the past six years, but it is also setting a standard for fidelity in Catholic higher education.

Even in these uncertain times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the college is currently poised to meet or exceed its enrollment goals for Fall 2020 – a true testament to the value of its offerings at this unique time in our history.

Christendom College is committed to strong Catholic identity in academics, student life, and across campus. As a result, graduates of the college are “faithful and articulate Catholics who are not afraid to stand up for the truth,” according to Tom McFadden, vice president for enrollment at the College.

The Newman Society recently asked McFadden to discuss what makes Christendom unique, and about recent events at the college, including the progress on the new Christ the King Chapel.

Newman Society: Christendom College was founded more than 40 years ago to counter harmful trends in Catholic higher education. Today, the College sets a standard for fidelity and strong Catholic education. What makes Christendom such an exciting choice for Catholic families?

Tom McFadden: We have all seen the culture continue down a rapidly more secular path, especially in recent years. Catholic families are understandably worried about how their children will continue to learn the truth and live the faith today, especially during the college years. Our institutions of higher learning, even “Catholic” ones, are becoming places where students are falling away from the faith, rather than growing in it.

Christendom offers a solution for these families: a fully Catholic liberal arts education, taught by faithful Catholic professors from a Catholic worldview, in an authentic Catholic environment for the purpose of sending the graduates out into the world to make it more Christ-like. We are preparing the next generation of truly Catholic leaders who are not afraid to get off the sidelines and get involved in the great moral, spiritual, academic, philosophical and cultural battles that are coming our way – and families want their children to be prepared to handle these problems in the future.

Over the past 42 years, our alumni continually tell us the same thing, over and over again: they left Christendom with a top-rated academic education; were given the tools to think critically, innovate and communicate clearly; and embraced the knowledge and love of the faith that has enabled them to not only help themselves thrive as Catholics, but to help others discover the truth as well.

Our mission of “restoring all things in Christ” is not some hyped slogan, but a reality. With 96-98 percent of our alumni still practicing the faith, and 91 priests and 52 sisters counted amongst our alumni ranks, and with close to 500 alumnus-alumna marriages over the past 42 years, we are most certainly fulfilling our mission in the world!

As the recently retired Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia said of us, “Christendom College is not just a superior academic institution. It forms young men and women into real Christian disciples, people of keen intellect, prudent judgment, deep Catholic culture and a zealous love of God and learning… No one can ask anything higher from higher education… The Church owes a hearty ‘thank you’ to everyone in the Christendom College community for their extraordinary witness of Christian humanism and unembarrassed, joyful dedication to living the Catholic faith.”

I think that the good Archbishop did a solid job of summarizing why so many families love sending their children to Christendom and why we set a standard for fidelity and strong Catholic education today!

Newman Society: How is the College preparing graduates to go out into the world and rebuild Christendom?

Tom McFadden: While students are here, they are studying the greatest thinkers of Western Civilization in an educational environment that encourages them to think critically about these subjects. From smaller classrooms that ensure personalized attention, to a distinct focus where Christ is at the center of all our learning, students are uniquely prepared to excel after graduation in a way unlike what they would receive in a specialized, narrow education at another college.

A Catholic liberal arts education gives students the full picture, ensuring they go into the world after graduation with the skills and knowledge necessary to truly bring Christ into their careers and to every person they encounter. Our founder, Dr. Warren H. Carroll, envisioned graduates going into every career field, armed with the knowledge, skills, and faith to rebuild Christendom. The world may be more secular than ever, but Christendom graduates are leaving with the Catholic, liberal arts background necessary to accomplish that mission.

Through our unique Education for Life career courses that are part of our core curriculum, as well as through our personalized career development offerings, our students are better prepared than most college graduates to enter any career field possible. They are smart, confident and, most importantly, faithful and articulate Catholics who are not afraid to stand up for the truth — no matter the consequences. They are living and working across the country and around the world, armed with the mantra “Truth Exists. The Incarnation Happened” – the watchwords of Christendom College. Although it has only been around for 42 years, and there are only around 4,000 people who have ever attended Christendom College, we are making a deep impact on the Church and the world.

Newman Society: Just recently, the College raised $45 million over two years for its Call to Greatness campaign, part of which included funds for the new Christ the King Chapel. Why did the College choose to embark on building this chapel, and why do you think you’re receiving such strong support for it?

Tom McFadden: Practically speaking, our student body has grown exponentially in recent years, due to our education being more in demand than ever. Over the past six years, we have grown by 30 percent — when most colleges are fighting to either maintain enrollment levels or just keep their doors open — and as such, our need for a larger capacity chapel was self-evident. We currently have two Masses a day on campus, with more than two hours of confession available daily, and many in the local community also take advantage of our liturgical offerings. All of this has led to the building of the new chapel.

Another reason we believed we needed to build a new chapel is because today, in our current environment, the world needs outward signs of commitment to Christ and His Church. In medieval times, great cathedrals were constructed, raising people’s hearts and minds to Heaven. We wanted to bring that spirit back and inspire all who look upon this chapel to think on Christ, and to realize that in the end, He will reign as King.

Our donors are passionate about the need for such works of art today, and they see our new Christ the King Chapel as a true call to greatness. We’ve been so grateful for the outpouring of support we’ve received, and we look forward to celebrating the sacraments in this beautiful new chapel for generations to come. Their support is so crucial to our success since we do not accept any Federal funds — a sometimes difficult decision that we live with, but ultimately a prudent one, we believe.

Newman Society: This past fall, a Christendom freshman came into the Catholic Churchin the college’s chapel. How does the college help students go deeper in their faith?

Tom McFadden: Freshman Charles Fuller’s story is an inspiration to all of us, but we’re also thankful to say that this is not the first time this has happened on campus. Since our founding, students have come to Christendom eager to learn more about the truths of the Catholic faith. Although the vast majority have entered as Catholic, we have had some non-Catholics attend who have converted to Catholicism, while the vast majority of our students end up falling deeper in love with Christ and His Church.

The college’s emphasis on the importance of the Catholic faith and its centrality to a life of virtue is paramount. Through the celebration of Mass twice daily; the recitation of communal prayers in the residence halls and chapel; the required courses in the fundamentals of the Faith, Old Testament, New Testament, moral theology, Catholic apologetics, plus all the many required courses in Catholic history and philosophy; the First Friday devotions, including all-night adoration; the availability of the Sacrament of Penance for more than two hours each day; the faith formation talks, groups and fellowship; the celebration of Catholic feast days as a community; the ringing of the bells throughout the day; the singing of the Salve Regina at the conclusion of college events; and the truly Catholic leadership of our college president, Dr. Timothy O’Donnell, the entire community remains focused on the prize and the pearl of great price.

Through the liturgical offerings, academic courses, the great examples set by the faculty mentors and their families, the social activities that are uplifting and fun, and the vibrant community life on campus, the joy of the Catholic faith is visibly present.

As Greg and Toni Whittaker, who have sent 11 of their 12 children to Christendom, put it, “The most beneficial thing about a Christendom education is that our children can receive an academic and spiritual formation that is Catholic – it is the ‘pearl of great price’ that we as parents want to buy for our children. If you are going to put your money into higher education for your children, go for a good, solid investment like Christendom. At Christendom, your child will not have to compromise his faith, rather, he will be encouraged by the vibrant Catholic environment. Our children are now part of the solution to the cultural crisis that we see all around us as they build up a Catholic culture in America.”