Religious Studies I invites students to explore the history, traditions, and spirituality of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary (RSHM), the founding religious order of Marymount High School, Los Angeles. Additionally this course will serve as an introduction to Sacred Scripture. Students will gain a general knowledge and appreciation of our school’s founding order and the Catholic Bible. Students will be introduced to the Catholic method of interpreting scripture by examining these sacred texts in light of revelation, faith, and history. In so doing, students will discover the beautiful story of the unfolding covenantal relationship between God and humankind.

Part One: The History and Spiritual Life of Jesus
In this course, students examine the teaching, preaching and being of Jesus Christ, as presented in the Gospels. The course studies the teachings of Jesus in great depth, cultivating a personal understanding of teachings that have shaped Western culture in immense ways. Students encounter spiritual practices that will help them develop their faith and spirituality.

Part Two: The Church - Mission and Spirituality
The course moves into a study of New Testament texts that detail the nature of the early Church, and highlight influential women who shaped Christianity. Students examine the way Jesus’ mission continues in the Church, and what it means to be a person of faith in the contemporary world. 

Part One: Morality and Ethics
In our commitment to the continuity of our Marymount Sister schools, students explore a variety of ethical theories and their application to selected ethical dilemmas. Students identify, assess, and resolve ethical questions. Students first gain an ethical perspective through consideration of Philosophical thought and Christian ethical theories, and the philosophical thought of Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Kant, and others. The course includes the study of moral reasoning, conscience, values, ethical norms, and moral decision-making. Research, reflection, creative expression, discussion, and debate are among the techniques used to examine issues.

Part Two: Social Justice
Students begin the study of the social justice teachings through the lens of the Catholic Church, with an emphasis on recent church documents. Social justice teachings of other religions are also studied, in view of their role in solving current social issues. The Church’s role in providing moral leadership in society will be examined, both historically and in the present day. Using the tools of social analysis and community service, students raise their awareness both of the social situation in which they live and of their responsibility to work toward a just society. Students engage in community service through established agencies dedicated to direct service and social change through a 30-hour service project. Requirements include community service, interviews, and a final paper presented during our weekly Community assemblies.

Part One: Introduction to World Religions
Throughout the semester, students explore how the Catholic Church recognizes and values the respective truths found in the world's religions through inter-religious dialogue. Students are introduced to the nature and philosophy of the worldviews of various religious traditions, namely those of Indigenous communities, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. During the course students explore the elements of each religion and the ways in which human persons have experienced the presence of the sacred and sought to comprehend the mystery of life. Attention is given to various rituals and traditions associated with each religion alongside a comparative evaluation of how each comes to understand the unique roles of the divine, human nature, and our shared search for meaning. As a result, this academic and experiential study helps the students to not only understand the doctrine, history, and philosophical foundations of other religions, but also to see their own spirituality in the context of a pluralistic and ecumenical world.Note: This course may be used to fulfill the UC elective requirement.

Part Two: Fully Alive - Understanding and Living Our Call (Vocations)
Following the study of World Religions, the second section of the Religious Studies IV course focuses on empowering students as they prepare to transition into a new season of life beyond Marymount. Through the exploration of practical life skills, purpose and identity, emotional and interpersonal intelligence, and relevant social issues, students will work to cultivate agency, resilience, a grounded sense of self, and an ethical posture in their communities. We will engage often-underutilized capacities for curiosity, wonder, and imagination, as students learn to generously process their encounters with difference and difficulty. This portion of the course focuses on student-led discussion and experiential learning.