Philosophy                                                           Mr. Spitzley, Fall 2009

Senior Theology

 Course Texts and Materials

 - Fundamentals of the Faith; Peter Kreeft. 

- Man’s Search for Meaning; Viktor Fankl.

-  New American Bible.  Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 1986.

-  Catechism of the Catholic Church

- Various Handouts

- Basic Supplies – You need a notebook that will be devoted to this class alone.  I will collect your notebook from time to time making it unavailable for other classes.  You should also have a folder to hold all in class handouts so they are available for assignments and to study from.

 Items to bring to class every day:  Textbook, pen(not red), loose leaf paper, folder, and theology notebook.

Course Description

Philosophy is a semester course which encourages students to reflect on the relationship between faith and reason.  “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of the truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth – in a word, to know himself – so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come  to the fullness of truth about themselves.” (Pope John Paul II, Fides et Ratio)  By studying the great minds of philosophy throughout history, both Christian and non-Christian, the students will understand the reasonableness of the claims of the Catholic Church and have an understanding of God’s vision for the human person, modeled after the perfect human person, Jesus Christ.

Course Outcomes

 Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

 1.  Recognize that truth is objective and that wisdom is better that knowledge and opinion.

2.  Articulate what virtue is and how it is attained.

3.   Understand that is it probable that God exists and be able to articulate philosophical arguments for God’s existence.

4.  Demonstrate knowledge of the Church’s teachings on heaven, hell, and purgatory and the belief that God calls each of us to heaven.

5.  Understand and be able to defend the unique claims of the Catholic Church.

6.  Recognize that God calls each of us into union with Himself and to identify the number of ways the mystics responded to that call. 

 Assignments

 Exams – A final exam covering the entire semester will be given during the scheduled exam time.

 Tests/Quizzes – Tests/Quizzes will cover all reading assignments, homework, notes, and discussions.  They will be given in short answer and essay format.  Test/Quizzes will generally be given with at least 3 days warning, pop quizzes will be given occasionally throughout the year.

 If you are caught cheating on an exam or quiz (this includes looking at others papers or speaking to others) you will receive a zero and be sent to the office.

 Homework - Many reading assignments will be given as homework.  I expect you to participate in the classroom discussion as evidence that you have completed these assignments. 

 Late Work/Sick Days

 Late Work policy – If a homework assignment is not handed in on time, you can only earn 50% when it is handed in.  This applies to assignments 5 minutes late or 5 days late.  All homework will be collected at the beginning of the class period it was due.  The only exception to this rule is if you have had an excused sick day. 

 You are responsible for keeping track of what you have missed due to sick days.  If you have missed a day, you need to see me the very next day and get your missing work.  If you have missed a quiz, be ready to take it the day you return. 

 Grading

 Grades will be determined by points.  The percentage of points you have earned out of the possible point total will tell you what your grade is at any point during the class.  By keeping all of your theology papers in one folder you will easily be able to determine your grade.  Lansing Catholic’s grading scale will be used, please refer to the Student Handbook.

 Expectations

 -  If you are not in the room when the bell rings, I will mark you as tardy.

-  Students who are not dressed according to the dress code will be sent out of the classroom to correct the problem.

-  Bathroom breaks will only be allowed in an emergency.  Do not ask in the middle of a discussion.

-  Do NOT work on assignments from other classes during this class.

-  Any disrespectful, racist, sexist, or other derogatory comments will not be tolerated.

 Service Hours

 Seniors are required to complete 5 hours of approved community service work to receive credit each quarter.  Failure to complete these hours will result in a failing grade for the semester.

 These hours need to be with an agency – not assisting a family member.  Work-a-thon does not count as service time.  If you have a question about what might count, ask me before completing the hours!  Find somewhere where you feel you are giving back to the community – your time will benefit others and you will enjoy what you are doing much more than simply putting in time somewhere.

 Contact Information

 At School – I am always here about an hour before school.

 E-mail - spitzley@lansingcatholic.org