Learn how to reason and understand Thomistic philosophy in this relatable course that simplifies the complex for your student. Learn how to think intelligently about God and the world He made -- and how to exercise reason in its highest form. Get easy-to-understand philosophy -- and complete your understanding with Part Two!
How to get the most out of Philosophy: An Introduction to The Summa Theologica by St. Thomas Aquinas, Part Two ) with Dave Palmer:
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First, read the assigned reading before the class meets.
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Then have a notebook ready and available for class notes each live session.
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Watch that week’s recording if you need to revisit information from our live session.
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Do the assignment and quiz each week and complete the class participation 'quiz' each week as well.
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Once the course is completed to the parent's and professor’s satisfaction, there is a Certificate of Completion at the end to be filled in for your records.
Total Classes: 12
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes (75 minutes)
Prerequisite: None
Suggested Grade Level: 9th to 12th grade. However, younger advanced students would be acceptable.
Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester Philosophy or Theology
Instructor: Dave Palmer
Instructor Email: davepalmer@grnonline.com
Course Description: Every Christian should be grounded in an understanding of solid principles of Christian philosophy and Dave Palmer believes the younger a person learns them, the better he or she will be equipped to live an authentically Christian life in the midst of our challenging culture. The Catholic Church’s understanding of philosophy is based on the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas and his classic, The Summa Theologica. This class is designed to provide students with an overview of the main themes and teachings of The Summa Theologica over the course of two semesters. The focus of the class is on Thomas’ teaching on the end and purpose of the human person, which is to spend eternity with God and how one best accomplishes this goal through a life of virtue, holiness, and awareness of the presence of God in our everyday experiences.
Course Outline:
Class 1- Faith, Hope, and Love
Class 2- Prudence, Fortitude and Temperance
Class 3- What’s Justice?
Class 4- Was Christ’s Incarnation Necessary?
Class 5- Jesus Christ: the God-Man
Class 6- The Blessed Virgin Mary & her Son
Class 7- The Passion, Death & Resurrection of Christ
Class 8- The Sacraments of Baptism & Confirmation
Class 9- The Source & Summit of the Christian Life: The Eucharist
Class 10- Penance, Anointing, the Priesthood & Marriage
Class 11- What is the Resurrection?
Class 12- The Last Things: Heaven, Hell & Purgatory
Course Materials: The Summa by St. Thomas Aquinas, which can be found free online.
Homework: Will consist of taking a weekly quiz and answering short essay questions based on class material each week. Other assignments will involve connecting what is being learned to issues in the news of the day. Estimated two hours spent on reading and assignments outside of the classroom.
- Teacher: Dave Palmer