Unit rationale, description and aim
The life and mission of the Catholic Church shape the identity, culture, and educational practices of Catholic schools. Teachers, leaders, and other professionals working in Catholic education are regularly required to engage with questions concerning faith formation, sacramental life, ethical decision-making, liturgical practice, and the Church's mission in contemporary society. An informed understanding of these dimensions of Church life is therefore essential for effective participation in Catholic educational communities.
This unit develops specialised knowledge of the Church's communal, sacramental, liturgical, and moral traditions. Students critically examine major historical developments, contemporary expressions of Church life, and emerging challenges facing Catholic communities. Through critical reflection and theological inquiry, students evaluate the implications of Church teaching and practice for Catholic schools and other ministry contexts.
The unit aims to develop advanced understanding of the Church's life and mission and enable students to critically assess, apply, and communicate theological insights in contemporary educational, pastoral, and professional settings.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Explain the Church's role, mission and major commu...
Learning Outcome 01
Evaluate the communal, sacramental, liturgical and...
Learning Outcome 02
Justify theological understandings of the Church's...
Learning Outcome 03
Content
Topics will include:
- The communal nature of Christian faith
- The nature, role and mission of the Church
- Key developments in the history of the Church
- The local and universal dimensions of Church life
- The sacramental life of the Church: sacraments and sacramentality
- Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation
- Liturgy and Prayer in Church life
- Moral and ethical life in the Church
- Variety in Catholic traditions
- The role of Mary in the Church
- Contemporary challenges facing the Church in the world
- Implications for teaching and being part of a Catholic school community
Assessment strategy and rationale
To successfully complete this unit, students need to complete and submit all assessment tasks and achieve an aggregate mark of at least 50/100.
The learning activities listed below are organised to support a progressive developmental sequence of learning / scaffold learning progressively. They take a social constructivist approach which recognises the relevance, value and need for peer to peer engagement in learning within theology.
Assessment Task 1: A Written Task that seeks to explain and evaluate theological understandings of the Church's nature, mission and historical development. This task will address Learning Outcomes 1 and 2.
Assessment Task 2: A Critical Reflection on theology of the sacraments that evaluates the significance of sacramental theology for contemporary Catholic faith and practice. This task will address Learning Outcomes 2 and 3.
Assessment Task 3: A Communication Task that communicates and justifies theological insights concerning the Church's mission, sacramental life, liturgy, or moral teaching for a specified educational, pastoral, or professional audience. This task will address Learning Outcomes 1, 2 and 3.
Overview of assessments
Written Task that seeks to explain and evaluate ...
Written Task that seeks to explain and evaluate theological understandings of the Church's nature, mission and historical development.
20%
A critical reflection on theology of the sacramen...
A critical reflection on theology of the sacraments that evaluates the significance of sacramental theology for contemporary Catholic faith and practice.
30%
A communication task that applies theological und...
A communication task that applies theological understanding of Church life and mission to a contemporary educational or pastoral context.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit adopts a constructivist approach to learning that recognises students bring diverse personal, professional, cultural and faith experiences to theological study. Learning activities are designed to support students in engaging critically with new theological knowledge and integrating it with their existing understandings of faith, education, and professional practice.
Through inquiry-based learning, guided reading, discussion forums, case studies, reflective activities, and collaborative engagement with peers, students progressively develop deeper understanding of the Church's communal, sacramental, liturgical, and moral life. These activities encourage students to analyse theological perspectives, evaluate contemporary issues, and apply theological insights to authentic educational and pastoral contexts.
The learning sequence progresses from foundational knowledge acquisition to critical evaluation and contextual application, supporting the development of advanced theological understanding and professional capability. Opportunities for reflection and dialogue enable students to test assumptions, consider alternative perspectives, and communicate theological ideas effectively within diverse contemporary settings.