Religious Education

Year 7 Religious Education

The ways in which believers live their faith

At Brigidine College, we acknowledge the diversity within our classrooms and have developed the Religious Education program with consideration for this context. Year 7 students engage in a range of teaching and learning experiences that explore the foundations of faith across the Abrahamic traditions and embark on an understanding of spirituality and morality that inform the Brigidine tradition. Students at Brigidine are also fortunate to engage in class masses to develop a lived experience of faith and an enriched understanding Church experiences.

Unit 1 – Common Beginnings: Three Religions, One God

This unit explores the common beginnings of the three Abrahamic faiths through a deep exploration of the history, sacred text, symbolism and core beliefs of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Through this unit, students are able to understand the concept of monotheism and differentiate how adherents express their faith across communities despite the commonalities. Understanding these similarities and differences assists students in sequencing historical events relevant to reach religion that inform future study within the subject.

Unit 2 – Sacraments: A foundation of the Catholic faith

After learning about the development of Christianity, this unit allows students to engage in an in-depth study relating to Catholic sacraments. Students will develop an understanding of the significance of prayer, ritual, and sacred texts and how this allows adherents to live out their faith journey individually and as a community. Students will recognise the seven Sacraments with an emphasis on Eucharist. Engaged in a lived experience, students will also participate in College and class masses to understand the meaning and purpose of Eucharist that is essential to the Catholic faith.

Unit 3 – Church History: The significance of St Paul

Understanding the history of Christianity is essential in the overall understanding of the Church today. In this unit students engage in various aspects of Church history from 6 BCE-650CE with an emphasis on understanding the beginnings of Christianity. Students will engage in a study around the significance of St Paul in the establishment of the Church by sequencing events in the early development, forming an inquiry around the historical influences of the time and providing reasoning for the change and continuity in the early Church.

Unit 4 – Morality: The importance of having the right Beatitude

After investigating and studying the history and development of the Church, students are then engaged in a unit that asks them to explain the significance of the Church’s teaching and principles in the 21st century. Through a depth study of the Beatitudes, students explore Christian morality and what this means for adherents personally and communally. Using Jesus’ teachings of the Beatitudes as a foundation to the study, students will seek to explore why these teachings are still vital to all people, particularly youth, in the modern day.

Year 8 Religious Education

The relationship between God and God’s people

The Year 8 Religious Education Program is based on a holistic approach that takes into account historical context in understanding the relationship between individuals, community and God. There is a deep emphasis in this unit on the core beliefs of faith that bind and solidify the unique relationship with God and how this continues to inspire adherents to maintain the mission and work of Jesus in the 21st century. Students will engage in a range of experiences throughout the unit that helps foster this community spirit within the College.

Unit 1 – God and God’s People: Covenants and prophets

This unit explores the foundational covenants and prophets of the Old Testament that inform the unique relationship between God and God’s people. Students use the Three Worlds of the Text model to discover the historical context that forms the continuing understanding of the modern relationship between God and God’s people. Through an in-depth study of the Abrahamic, Noahic, Mosaic and Davidic Covenants students understand the structure that informs the Old Testament narratives. In addition, students explored the actions and messages of the Old Testament prophets including Isaiah and Jeremiah. Although at a foundational level, this unit established essential knowledge that enriches the units to follow.

Unit 2 – Rites of Passage: Initiation rituals

As a continuation of the Year 7 program, students explore initiation rituals in the monotheistic traditions with an emphasis on Catholic Baptism. Through Lovat’s ritual model, students explore the process and purpose of rituals in informing the relationship between God and God’s People. Using scripture as a basis of investigation students explore the eight elements of ritual to understand the continuing significance of initiation rituals in religion.

Unit 3 – Church History: The role of significant figures in the Church

Exploring Church history from 650 CE- 1750 CE, students will investigate significant figures and reformers within the early life of the Church. Students will explore the role of Matin Luther in the Reformation of the Church. Through an analysis of the key messages and writings, students are able to identify and describe key events and people who challenged the Church and the impact this had on the Church overtime.

Unit 4 – Living a Virtuous Life: Catholic Social Teaching

Through an understanding of social justice initiatives within the College students engage in a depth study about Catholic Social Teachings and how this is lived out within the College community. This unit allows students to understand how the work of the Church remains relevant and active in the world today with a consideration for how Jesus’ mission continues to be present in the life of the College.

Year 9 Religious Education

Faith in the lives of believers

The Year 9 Religious Education Program aims to engage students with a deeper understanding of morality and social justice issues through an investigation into the history of the emergence Catholic Social Teachings that are foundational to Biblical texts. Students will develop inquiry and analysis skills that enhance their knowledge of religious sacred texts. Overall, the Year 9 program is foundational to the questions of meaning and purpose that strive to create a personal moral responsibility consistent with the values of the College.

Unit 1 – Themes of the Pentateuch

The first unit in the Year 9 Program, explores a deeper understanding of God in the monotheistic religions through an analysis of the four sources of the Pentateuch. By doing this, students are able to understand the key themes of the Pentateuch and engage in a deep exploration of the Worlds of the Text that are important to understand the Old and New Testament. This core knowledge allows students to understand the divergent understandings of God that are reflected in core beliefs and teachings of Judaism and Christianity.

Unit 2 – Parables and Miracles: The question of good and evil

Year 9 students will engage in a unit that explores the question of good and evil in the world through learning parables. To enrich their analytical skills, students apply Biblical criticism to support an in-depth interpretation of sacred text that provides teaching to adherents through the analysis of textual and language features. By understanding the historical and cultural settings of the parables, students are able to gain insight into the key teachings and continuing purpose of these stories in informing and answering moral questions in the modern day.

Unit 3 – Church History: The response to the Industrial Revolution

Through the exploration of Church history from 1750CE-1918CE students engage in an investigation about the Church’s response to the Industrial Revolution. Students are exposed to key encyclical documents like Rerum Novarum (On the Condition of Labour) by Pope Leo XII to understand how the Church played a significant role in responding to social issues that emerged during the time of the Industrial Revolution. As an extension to the Year 8 program, this allows Year 9 students to understand more about the context behind the development and implementation of Catholic Social Teachings as a response to social justice issues.

Unit 4 – Spiritual Writers

In this unit, Year 9 students explore the prayers and writings of Christian spiritual fathers and mothers with an emphasis on Mary MacKillop. As the patron of one of Brigidine College’s House System and Australia’s first Saint, the depth study of Mary MacKillop focuses on her leadership in advocating for those that are disadvantaged. This unit allows students to engage in a reflective process that evaluates the impact of Catholic Social Teaching on the moral behaviour of individuals and communities through the example of the inspiring work of Mary MacKillop.

Year 10 Religious Education

The mystery of God; named, encountered and better understood in today’s world.

The Year 10 Religious Education Program provides a foundation to senior studies in Religion and Ethics, Study of Religion and Religion, Meaning and Life. Students engage in a range of learning experiences that involve questioning that guides inquiry learning. Understanding the core beliefs and teachings of world religions through an investigation of the mystery of God and Church history allows students to consider their place and moral purpose within the world. The Year 10 program offers opportunities for students to engage in discussions and learning experiences that promote the growth and development of each student.

Unit 1 – The Mystery of God: One God, many names

In this unit, Year 10 students develop an understanding of the mystery of God present in scriptures. Responding to emerging ultimate questions, students engage in deep analysis of sacred texts that identify the different representations of God in the Old and New Testament that are also interpreted by various human authors. In addition, students seek to understand the mystery of God through modern Christian spiritual writings and commentators including Michael Leunig. Students are able to contemplate and draw conclusions about the mystery of God that helps develop connections between adherents and God.

Unit 2 – World Religions: Environmental ethics

As an introduction to the world religions, students explore Ninian Smart’s Seven Dimensions of Religion within the context of the five major world religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). Through the core beliefs and teachings, students explore the world religions in the context of environmental ethics and how religions respond to the threat to environmental and human ecology. This unit on world religions forms the foundation of their senior studies.

Unit 3 – Church History: The response to global conflict

This unit allows Year 10 students to explore Church history from 1918CE to the present in an investigation into the Church’s response to global conflict particularly after the events of World War II and the Holocaust. They will analyse a range of writings in response to global conflict with an emphasis on the response of the Second Vatican Council after World War II. In addition, students will understand how the Second Vatican Council has shaped and renewed the mission of the Church over time.

Unit 4 – Spiritual Life: Eucharist

Consolidating prior learning, this unit emphasises what continues to provide nourishment to the spiritual life of believers. Drawing connections between the Old and New Testament, students engage in a study of the Eucharist that is built on knowledge of the significance of Exile and Passover and how this provides historical context to the important of Eucharist as a primary source of nourishment for adherents.

Year 5 and 6 Religious Education

Learnings from Scripture and Applied Theologies