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High School Goals & Objectives

 

Many parishes combine 10th through 12th grade classes into a High School Class.  This may be done, in part, because of the number of available students.  Another reason for this grouping is that by now they have completed eight years of catechetical training and the emphasis should shift to a practical application of the faith in one’s life and the significance of faith in the world.  This does not mean that there will no longer be didactic presentations.  The vastness of Orthodox theology and Tradition requires us to present additional material to the high school student as needed.

 

For this to happen, a high school program needs to:

  1. Introduce our students to the issues and situations of the world.
  2. Identify the unique Orthodox characteristics (monasticism, theology, worship, and role in the world, social issues).
  3. Brings together the totality of Tradition that entails Scriptural ability and the skill of finding Patristic commentaries [Integrate Scripture, Church Fathers, Doctrine, Hymns, Icons, Church Services].
  4. Present the Orthodox teaching and maintain the Orthodox Ethos.

 

High Schoolers should:

  1. Take an active participatory role in the liturgical year, becoming knowledgeable of its details and conversant with such events as the Triodion, the Pentecostarion and the balance of the ecclesiastical cycle.  They could sing in the choir, be readers, and actively be a part of the charitable activities (collect, deliver things, etc.), and assume a stewardship role in the life of the parish.
  2. Know and understand the unique Orthodox aspects of a religious life.
  3. Be able to apply the teaching of the faith to everyday life and situations (drugs, sex, abortion, creation, worship, etc.).
  4. Know the meaning of the words listed on the Vocabulary List.

 

The following six units for discussion can be rotated over the course of four years, and even returned to for another level of understanding.  Comparative Religions, Eschatology, Marriage & Family Life, Modern Ethical Issues, Service & Mission, and Spiritual Life.

 

                   I.      COMPARATIVE RELGIONS

A.     OTHER CHRISTIANS: Protestant, Roman Catholic, Episcopal

Compare and contrast various teachings.

Refer to Scriptographic booklets.

Visit other churches (possible via video: Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, Baptist, Evangelical)

B.     NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS

Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism

 

                II.      ESCHATOLOGY

A.     CULTS & NEW AGE RELIGIONS [Refer to Southwest Institute for Orthodox Studies website for materials to download, www.orthodoxstudies.org.  Seraphim Rose’s Orthodoxy & the Religions of the Future].

B.     THE SPIRIT WORLD: angels, demons, spirits [Resource: Mother Alexandra’s The Holy Angels;/St. Basil’s Hexameron or St. Gregory of Nyssa’s continuation of the Hexameron.]

New age angels

The influence of Satan on each of us, and the limits God places.  Demonic influence as a reality.

What does the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed say about it?

Feast of the Archangels on November 8th.

C.     THE END OF TIMES

The Book of Revelation: Why was it written? For whom was it written? [Refer to the Orthodox Study Bible.] 

The second coming of Christ.  What does the Orthodox Church teach about it?

What is Rapture?  Do we believe in it?

What does the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed say about it?

D.     HEAVEN AND HELL

Are they real places?

What does the Orthodox Church teach about these?

E.      AN ORTHODOX UNDERSTANDING OF DEATH:

Soul, Body, Mind [Resources: the Gospel readings to be used at Orthodox Funerals; Funeral epistle reading from I Thessalonians.]

Examine the hymns of the funeral service. [Prepare handouts for students to use.]

The Orthodox funeral includes the singing of hymns and asking for God’s mercy vs. eulogizing.  It is also a time of self-reflection for those present.

What is the function of Memorial Services?

The psychological benefit of the way the Orthodox Church deals with the dead.

 

             III.      MARRIAGE & FAMILY LIFE [Resources: Greek Archdiocese’s Interfaith Marriage website, Meyendorff’s Marriage: An Orthodox Perspective, St. Paul on marriage, John Chryssavgis’ Love, Sexuality, and the Sacrament of Marriage, John Mack’s Preserve Them, O Lord, St. John Chrysostom; the video of the Clergy-Laity Interfaith Marriage Committee.]

Dating: Orthodox, Christians, and Non-Christians.

Choosing a mate.

The Orthodox understanding of marriage.  If I love him/her enough, can I change him/her?

Interfaith marriages: Christian and Non-Christian.  What are the consequences?

Orthodox sponsors [Need to keep up friendships with Orthodox.]

Children – Do we need to have them?

What is the Orthodox understanding of the role of godparents?

Choosing children’s names and celebrating Namedays

Restrictions in participating in non-Orthodox sacrament, ex. Godparent.

A.     DIVORCE AND BLENDED FAMILIES

What does the Orthodox Church teach about divorce?

What does the Orthodox Church teach about remarriage?

Parental issues of discipline and parenting styles.

B.     DUTIES OF AN ORTHODOX PARENT [Refer to St. John Chrysostom & St. Theophan the Recluse’ Raising them Right, Sr. Magdalen’s Children in the Church Today: An Orthodox Perspective.]

What is expected?

How does interfaith marriage affect this?

C.     THE MANY FACES OF LOVE

Erotic love, filial love, storge love, agape.

Can we choose to fall in love? Can we choose not to fall in love?

 

                 V.      MODERN ETHICAL ISSUES [Resource: Harakas’ Toward a Transfigured Life, especially chapter 2, and Contemporary Moral Issues.]

A.     CREATION & EVOLUTION

Refer to St. Basil’s Hexameron

                     Refer to Creationism Versus Evolution by Fr. George Nicozisin (out of print)

Refer to the Orthodox Idea of Creation by John Boomjamra, Ph. D. The Word, June 1999, pp. 31-34, available on http://home.neo.rr.com/pmonest under Spring 2000 packet.

What does the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed say about it?

Did it really occur in six days?

What does the Orthodox Church teach about it?

B.     WHEN DOES LIFE BEGIN? END?

[Resources: Sacred Gift of Life by John Breck, Garment of Skin by Mantzarides]

Abortion

Euthanasia

C.     GENETIC ENGINEERING

Cloning

Souls

Fertility Issues

D.     ECOLOGY [Resource Chrissavgis’ Beyond the Shattered Image]

Abuse of the environment

 

              IV.      MODERN ETHICAL ISSUES (con’t…)

 

A.     ADDICTION

Virtues vs. vices

Materialism and possession [Resource: Videos that Teach, Death Becomes Her”, St. John Chrysostom]

B.     SEXUALITY/HOMOSEXUALITY/ABSTINENCE

[Resources: Family Research Council, MISH: Medical Institute for Sexual Health, Orthodox Christian Publication Center]

Value systems and lifestyles

Peer pressure

 

                 V.      SERVICE AND MISSION

A.     STEWARDSHIP

What does God expect from us?

What does it take to become a merciful person?

Getting out of our “comfort zone”

Volunteering in a soup kitchen, tutoring disadvantaged youth, IOCC, OCMC, Habitat for Humanity.

B.     MISSIONS

Domestic

Foreign

Historical Overview

C.     CAREERS & COLLEGE

The importance of the Church in the life of the young adult.

Should we choose a school that has no Orthodox presence in the vicinity?

Should we choose a job that has no Orthodox presence in the vicinity?

Today’s choices may have a greater consequence than we realize.

Dealing with the responsibilities of part time jobs.

              VI.      SPIRITUAL LIFE

A.     THEOSIS

 

Becoming Christ-like

Define

How does living in a secular world affect this?

A different outlook on life.

Analysis of a choice of music, TV, videos, magazines, entertainment, and internet as sources of spiritual growth or temptation or sin.

Power of the media.

Can we choose whether what we see and hear will influence us? [An Orthodox understanding includes guarding against exposure to certain things.]

Monastics struggle against what we expose ourselves to.

Making the Orthodox Christian life one’s own not Mom or Dad’s.

Image and Likeness, Personhood.

Free Will/Determinism,/Pre-Destination/Synergia – cooperating with God

 

B.     PRAYER LIFE [Resource: Coniaris’ Introduction to Orthodoxy]

From the scriptures: ex. Psalm 50/51

Jesus Prayer

Lord’s Prayer

Study of the Doxology

 

C.     SIN IN TODAY’S WORLD

How is it manifested?

How does it affect you and me?

The seduction of the world.

Today’s idols (Check out Balaam)

Body piercing, tattoos, provocative clothing, excessive make-up.

 

D.     THE SACRAMENTAL LIFE

How does this help us in our journey?

Where does Fasting fit in?

 

E.      PAIN, SUFFERING, AND LOSS

The Book of Job [Refer to Wisdom Let Us Attend: Job, the Holy Fathers and the Old Testament by Johanna Manley.]

Death: an Orthodox understanding

Suicide [Video: Hot Talk Starters, Suicide]

Broken relationships

Forgiveness

 

F.      ASCETICISM & MONASTICISM

We are all called to lead an ascetical life.  How can we do this “in this world”?

Visit a monastery.

Mt. Athos/Mt. Sinai

 

G.     REPENTANCE & CONFESSION

What does the Lord’s Prayer say about it?

 

H.     MIRACLES

Define

Stories of miracles

Within our families

 

I.        THE CHRISTIAN LIFE UNDER PERSECUTION – THE PAST AND TODAY

Life in the Church until the Emperor Constantine.

Compare the persecution and martyrs with what occurred in the former Soviet block countries in the 1900’s.

What is happening now in Indonesia, Ethiopia, and elsewhere?

Refer to the lives of Fr. Arseny and Mother Maria.

 

J.       THEOTOKOS AND THE SAINTS

Could she have said, “No”?

How many are there?

Compare and contrast the Orthodox, Protestant, and Roman Catholic understandings.

The Church Fathers today. Are they relevant? (ex. Theophan the Recluse wrote Raising Them Right.)

St. Seraphim of Sarov

Relics of saints

Church Militant and Triumphant.

Identify and relate the life of one’s patron saint.

           VII.      Additional Topics listed on the Detroit 1998-99 and 1999-2000 listings

(Some of these have been dealt with in grades 7 & 8)

1.       Does God Exist?

2.       New Testament – How It Came to Be?

3.       Lord’s Prayer

4.       Holy Trinity

5.       Baptism

6.       Hierarchy & Authority: Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Laity

7.       Old Testament/Septuagint

8.       Church Calendar

9.       Great Lent

10.   Liturgical Music

11.   Crusades

12.   St. Paul

13.   St. Ignatius

14.   Byzantine Hymnology

15.   Icons

16.   Seven Imperial/Ecumenical Councils

17.   Overview of each Gospel

18.   Overview of Genesis, Exodus, Isiah

19.   Transfiguration