In this course, students will develop a theological perspective informed by interreligious dialogue with Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Islamic, and global Catholic voices and the four movements of The Spiritual Exercises. Specifically, students will (1) encounter the teachings, practices, and histories of global religious traditions within and beyond the Catholic faith; (2) through the lens of Ignatian Spirituality, reflect deeply on the relationship between these religious traditions and the Church; and (3) guided by Catholic social teaching, develop a capstone centered on a concern for justice in light of the student’s encounter with global religious voices.

In this course, students will be invited to experience themselves as beloved by God and as members of the Loyola community. Through self-reflection and dialogue, students will co-create a classroom community by engaging questions about themselves, the communities to which they belong, and the God revealed in Scripture. These
questions will be explored through the careful integration of foundational biblical interpretation and the Ignatian Spiritual Tradition. This course traces the movement of
Salvation History in Scripture, culminating in a response to the call to leadership as “contemplatives in action.”

In this course, students will be invited to experience themselves as beloved by God and as members of the Loyola community. Through self-reflection and dialogue, students will co-create a classroom community by engaging questions about themselves, the communities to which they belong, and the God revealed in Scripture. These questions will be explored through the careful integration of foundational biblical interpretation and the Ignatian Spiritual Tradition. This course traces the movement of Salvation History in Scripture, culminating in a response to the call to leadership as “contemplatives in action.”

Rooted in the spirit of Pedro Arrupe, SJ’s vision to cultivate persons for and with others, in this course, students who desire extensive experience in social service, advocacy, and the work for social justice will directly encounter vulnerable communities, confront and reflect on the limitations of their own worldview as they study structural and systemic justice issues. Theological reflection, Christian spiritualities, and insights from the social sciences are utilized to encourage mutuality with a community partner. This course provides a context for personal discernment and the promotion of a faith that lives justice that will be demonstrated through a capstone project. As an Ignatian Service Learning course, students will complete seven service site visits each semester outside of school hours.

In this course, students will explore ultimate questions and a diversity of responses to them. What is the meaning of life? Why do we suffer? How ought I live? Philosophy and theology offer diverse perspectives on these ‘big questions.’ Through reflection on personal experience, class discussions, readings, and a capstone project, students will explore what it means to be human and how we ought to live together. Although these questions are enduring, students will be encouraged to develop an authentic path to a “hope-filled future.”

In this course, students will pilgrimage through The Spiritual Exercises exploring themes of grace, discipleship, suffering, and hope in the Gospels and, especially, in unexpected places: movies, stories, and daily lived experience. Students will be invited into a dynamic and spiritually active classroom community that is marked by routine prayer, journaling, and conversation, plus a class retreat and a capstone project. By the end of this course, students will cultivate a Catholic Imagination, will discern their emerging vocation, and will embody a more mature and ever-deepening faith for the pilgrimage ahead.