This approach suggests a systematic and thematic presentation of the content of the three-year programme. Key concepts have been linked to create themes for study.
Each topic is dealt with as the syllabus presents it, with suggestions for each year.
| FIRST YEAR |
| (Any two of the following sections) | Christianity - the Context
B1
historical and geographical background to the life of Jesus and its impact on the lives of the people, political and religious structures at the time | Foundations of Religion
Major World Religions - the Context
C1
background, original foundation |
Community
A1
types, characteristics, individual/community responsibility | Evidence about Jesus
B2
sources of information; documents of faith and documents of history, the development of the gospels | Source of Evidence
C2
primary sources; faith documents, historical documents, the development of the tradition |
Communities at Work
A2
role of communities in society, variety of roles within communities | The Person and Preaching of Jesus
B3
characteristics of the Kingdom of god, evidence of the characteristics in Jesus and his followers | Rites of Passage and other Rituals
C3
key beliefs and symbols, religious practice of followers |
Communities of Faith
A3
churches and religious groups in Ireland; inspiring vision, commitment and role within two of these groups, stories of the founders of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism. | The Death and Resurrection of Jesus
B4
moments of conflict in Jesus' life, Last Supper as Passover meal and eucharist, gospel accounts of the death of Jesus, impact of the Resurrection appearances on followers of Jesus | Development of Tradition
C4
key people, moments, followers |
Relationships between Communities of Faith
A4
respect for one's own belief and that of others, sectarianism, ecumenism, interfaith dialogue | Faith in Christ
B5
early Christian Communities and faith today, new titles for Jesus | Tradition, Faith and Practice Today
C5
comparison between faith and practice of early communities, and that of communities today, links between the chosen world religion and others |
Organisation and Leadership in Communities of Faith
A5
different styles of leadership in human and religious/church communities, the relationship between leadership and authority in religious / church communities | | |
| SECOND YEAR |
The World of Ritual
E1
sacred places, actions, times | Sign and Symbol
E4
sign and symbol in human life and in religious tradition, meaning of religious symbols/meaning of sacrament, place of sacrament in two Christian denominations | Introduction to Morality
F1
what it means to be moral, consequences of actions and decisions, Influences on human behaviour |
The Experience of Worship
E2
key elements of worship | Prayer
E5
importance of prayer for individuals and religious traditions, types of prayer. | Sources of Morality
F2
sources, moral vision, moral codes |
Worship as Response to Mystery
E3
the experience of mystery, worship as response to mystery | | Growing in Morality
F3
moral development, conscience |
| THIRD YEAR |
Religious Morality in Action
F4
process of moral decision making, influence of religious moral vision; forgiveness. | The Beginnings of Faith
D2
asking questions, meaning, reflection, awe, wonder, humanism | Challenges to Faith
D5
world views and today's culture, the challenge of faith, the relationship between the scientific and the religious views of creation |
Law and Morality
F5
relationship between state law, personal morality and religious morality | The Growth of Faith
D3
images of God, stages of faith | |
The Situation of Faith Today
D1
changing patterns of religious belief and practice, the factors that influence the religious beliefs of the adolescent. | The Expression of Faith
D4
prayer, worship, morality as expressions of faith, stories of faithful people from two religious traditions | |