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De Smet Theology Department

As a Catholic and Jesuit high school, the teachings of Jesus Christ and the traditions of the Church are the foundations of all the school's programs and activities at De Smet (Philosophy: De Smet Jesuit High School). All members of the De Smet community share a responsibility in the religious dimension of the school. The integrating factor, however, in the process of helping our young men discover God and understand the true meaning of human life is the Religion Department.

Theology Department Course Descriptions

Religious Objectives

The mission of the Religion Department and the Pastoral Program in its curriculum of courses and activities is to help each person strive to growby:

  • understanding the teachings of Jesus Christ and his redeeming mission as well as the embodiment of that mission in and through the Catholic Church
  • learning to pray both in private and through the sacraments
  • forming a Christian conscience, evaluating moral choices, and reasoning through moral issues with increasing clarity
  • understanding the relationship between faith in Jesus and the obligation to participate in the building of a humane, civic, and ecclesial community
  • becoming aware of the global nature of many current social problems
  • beginning to understand the structural roots of injustice in social institutions, attitudes, and customs
  • recognizing the needs of disadvantaged segments of society
  • developing compassion and empathy for the victims of injustice and seeing one's self as an agent of change
  • recognizing the family as an important element in the development of the whole person
  • exploring career and lifestyle choices within a framework of Christian values
  • appreciating non-Christian and non-Catholic religious traditions