Philosophy & Theology
Truth, Faith & Vocation
Three-Year Programme
Upper School students follow a three-year programme consisting of:
Philosophy
Key topics
- Truth
- Ultimate meaning
- Nature of reality
- Existence of God
Perennial Philosophy
In this year, students gain a foundation in perennial philosophy: the pursuit of truth, the search for ultimate meaning, and the nature of reality. They consider how this understanding of philosophy differs from alternative conceptions of philosophy as a process, an art of rhetoric, or a contest between competing ideas and arguments.
Defending the Christian Worldview
The course equips students with the philosophical foundations and apologetic arguments needed to understand and defend the Christian worldview. Particular attention is given to the prevailing philosophies of our time that are incompatible with the Christian understanding of the human person, morality and God, including philosophical arguments concerning the existence of God.
Learning from Aquinas
In this year, students build upon their philosophical foundations and explore theology in greater depth, drawing particularly on St Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Theologiae. They develop a deeper understanding of God, the human person and humanity’s ultimate end, and examine how this end is attained through a life of grace and virtue.
Practical Spirituality
Through the study of practical spirituality, students come to understand more clearly the purpose of their faith and are encouraged to recognise the call to grow in holiness, together with a clear path for pursuing it throughout this life.
Theology
Key topics
- Summa Theologiae
- Humanity’s ultimate end
- Grace and virtue
- Holiness
Vocation and Virtue Studies
Key topics
- Christian anthropology
- Marriage and family life
- Religious life
- The priesthood
The Gift of Self
In this year, students develop a deeper understanding of the human person and the principle that human fulfilment is found in the gift of self. They study the different stages of human growth and maturity and develop a detailed understanding of the vocations to which people may be called.
Roles, Duties and Service
The course considers Christian anthropology, marriage and family life, religious life and the priesthood. The course considers the roles and duties of the Christian father, mother and children in the home, the workplace and wider society. Students are encouraged to consider how they can use their particular gifts in a life of service to God and to others.