Information on the Course UnitsRE601
RE601 What Makes a School Catholic?
Level 6, 15 credits
What makes a school Catholic? What is meant by “special character”? What is the role of teachers, Boards of Trustees and others, in maintaining and enhancing the Catholic character of a school? This course draws on Church documents, other current writings, and the participants’ experience to provide answers to these and related questions.
RE602 The Religious Education Curriculum
Level 6, 15 Credits
This course will enable students to explore and apply the Religious Education Curriculum in some depth. Using the Religious Education curriculum statements prescribed by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC) students will integrate, synthesise, and apply their knowledge and pedagogical skills to a nominated strand in the context of either a primary or secondary Catholic School.
RE603 Issues in Religious Education
Level 6, 15 Credits
This course examines some of the critical issues or concerns that affect the life and culture of Catholic Education within the social, cultural and religious context of Aotearoa New Zealand. It explores the questions of identity and difference of Catholic Education as these are understood within both the broader Ecclesial community of the Catholic Church and more specifically the ministry of teaching Religious Education.
RE604 Leadership in Catholic Schools
Level 6, 15 Credits
This course explores the nature and principles of leadership in the context of Catholic education in Aotearoa New Zealand. Using a range of Church documents on Catholic education and contemporary leadership models, students will be encouraged to explore their own leadership paradigm in relation to effective leadership in Catholic schools.
SC601 The Gospel in Aotearoa
Level 6, 15 Credits
The Gospels are not merely a record of the early Christian communities; they are the primary foundation of our Christian faith and mission. In this course, students will examine the content and structure of the designated Gospel for the liturgical year (or John’s Gospel). The central focus will be on the text, ‘ever ancient, ever new’, discovering the richness and relevance to our lives today.
TH601 The Sacraments Today
Level 6, 15 Credits
Using a contemporary sacramental theology, this course will explore the place of sacraments within the faith life of Catholic communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. The course will offer a synopsis of the seven Catholic sacraments and examine how the sacramental-liturgical celebrations of the Church express the identity of Christian communities and shape their sense of mission.
TH609 He Turanga Whakaaro
Level 6, 15 Credits
This paper provides an advanced understanding of the Māori concepts introduced in the certificate. Through their engagement in the Te Reo journey, students will deepen their understanding of how this provides a worldview that is the same, similar, and different to their own, and so gain a greater appreciation of the importance of their own story and its intersection with the Māori world.
TH624 Values for Religious Education
Level 6, 15 Credits
The radical changes in social practices and the increasing influence of new technologies in contemporary life and institutions are reshaping the framework of our decision-making. The Catholic perspective on values is formally expressed through the Church’s official teaching on social and political issues. In this course, students will explore the foundational principles for making decisions on matters of value. This course will help students critically reflect on ethical and social justice practices concerning contemporary issues within the framework of the Catholic Tradition.
Options (when available)
SC602 Bible in Religious Education
Level 6, 15 Credits
The holiness of Israel rests in their covenantal relationship with God, expressed in the Old Testament. The New Testament Church shares this covenant. This course will focus on a Special Topic from the Bible – excluding the Gospels – (e.g. the Pentateuch, the Prophets, Pauline letters, the Pastorals, the Apocalypse). It will explore the foundational notion of the topic of faith in the 21st century and apply it to Religious education.
TH620 Studies in Church History
Level 6, 15 Credits
This course explores the growth and development of the Christian Church as it responds to changing social, historical and cultural times. It investigates the dynamic nature of the relationship between the Church and the world. It examines the impact key institutions, movements, events and teachings of the Church have had on the people and history of their own time and on the contemporary Catholic Church.
TH625 Theology for Religious Education: Special Topic
Level 6, 15 Credits
This course introduces students to theology’s foundational principles and methodologies by studying a special topic. Students will explore the role of the special topic in the growth and development of Christianity. Using a variety of perspectives, they will examine the impact of the special topic within the Catholic tradition and current events. They will view their own faith journey from the perspective of this theological understanding.
