Unit rationale, description and aim
Catholic institutions are communities shaped by a distinctive theological vision that informs their mission, culture, relationships, and understanding of the human person. Consequently, those who work in such institutions require an informed understanding of the central beliefs of the Christian faith and the ways these beliefs continue to shape Catholic identity and practice in contemporary contexts.
This unit introduces students to the foundations of theological inquiry, exploring the nature of faith, revelation, Scripture, Tradition, and theological reflection. Students develop specialised knowledge of core Catholic beliefs, particularly those concerning God, the Trinity, Jesus Christ, creation, salvation, and the human vocation. Through engagement with theological scholarship, students critically examine the significance of these beliefs within contemporary culture and various Church settings.
As a specified theology unit within the course sequence, the unit establishes key theological concepts and interpretive skills that support further study in biblical studies, ecclesiology, ethics, and sacramental theology. Students are invited to bring theological insights into critical dialogue with their own worldview and professional contexts.
The aim of the unit is to develop specialised theological knowledge, critical understanding, and the capacity to assess, apply and communicate central Catholic beliefs within contemporary 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 key beliefs of the Catholic tradition, par...
Learning Outcome 01
Analyse major beliefs of the Catholic tradition a...
Learning Outcome 02
Justify explanations of key Catholic beliefs for d...
Learning Outcome 03
Content
Topics will include:
- The nature and role of faith, belief, revelation and theology
- Sources of theological reflection—Scripture, Tradition, and human experience
- Catholic beliefs in regard to:
- The reality of God; the Christian God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit
The person, work and significance of Jesus Christ as fully human, fully divine and saviour; his life, death, and resurrection
- The implications of the Incarnation for understanding the nature of the human person, and the transformation and destiny of the person and the world in Christ
- Christian faith in dialogue with contemporary culture
- Implications for teaching and being part of a Catholic school community
Assessment strategy and rationale
In order to pass this unit, students are required to demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes by submitting all assessment tasks and obtaining a combined score of at least 50 per cent.
Assessment tasks are designed to support the progressive development of theological knowledge, understanding, critical analysis, and communication skills. Students first engage foundational theological concepts and beliefs, then analyse and evaluate their significance within contemporary contexts, before applying and communicating theological insights for specific audiences and professional settings. Together, the assessment tasks enable students to achieve the learning outcomes by demonstrating progressively higher levels of theological understanding and application consistent with AQF Level 8 expectations.
Assessment Task 1 requires students to analyse and explain selected beliefs of the Catholic tradition through engagement with theological sources.
Assessment Task 2 is a critical reflection task requiring students to evaluate the significance of key Catholic beliefs within personal, professional, or contemporary contexts.
Assessment Task 3 requires students to communicate and justify theological understandings of a core Catholic belief for a specified audience or context.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Written or Oral Examination S...
Assessment Task 1: Written or Oral Examination
Students are required to explain some of the key beliefs of Catholic theology.
30%
Assessment Task 2: Critical Reflection on the Pe...
Assessment Task 2: Critical Reflection on the Person and Work of Jesus Christ
Students are required to reflect on the person and work of Jesus in relation to their own contexts.
40%
Assessment Task 3: Students communicate and just...
Assessment Task 3: Students communicate and justify a key Catholic belief for a specified audience using appropriate theological and educational approaches.
30%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
The unit adopts an " student-focused" approach, in line with ACU Vision 2033, p. 13. It involves 150 hours of focused learning, or the equivalent of 10 hours per week for 15 weeks. The total includes formally structured learning activities such as lectures, tutorials, online learning, , or in-class tasks. The remaining hours typically involve reading, research, and the preparation of tasks for assessment.
Learning activities are designed to support students in achieving the unit learning outcomes by developing critical and nuanced insight into the major beliefs of the Catholic faith, particularly those concerning the person, work, and significance of Jesus Christ (ULO1). Through structured engagement with theological sources and guided theological reflection, students analyse and bring these beliefs into critical dialogue with their own belief stance and with contemporary cultural contexts (ULO2). Learning activities further support the integration and application of theological knowledge by enabling students to assess and communicate core Catholic beliefs clearly and effectively to diverse audiences (ULO3).
Collaborative learning is emphasised to support the acquisition and integration of theoretical and practical insights thus enabling students to engage with diverse perspectives and to apply interpretive skills in ways that are both academically rigorous and professionally relevant.
Representative texts and references
Bauerschmidt, Frederick C., and James J. Buckley. Catholic Theology: An Introduction. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2017.
Bevans, Stephen B. An Introduction to Theology in Global Perspective. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2009.
Cunningham, Lawrence S. An Introduction to Catholicism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
Hession, Aidan, and Pádraig Kieran, eds. Exploring Theology: Making Sense of the Catholic Tradition. Dublin: Veritas, 2007.
Kelly, Anthony J. God Is Love: The Heart of the Christian Faith. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2012.
McGrath, Alister E. Christian Theology: An Introduction. 6th ed. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2017.
Mansini, Guy. Fundamental Theology. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2018.
O’Collins, Gerald, and Edward G. Farrugia. Catholicism: The Story of Catholic Christianity. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003.
Rausch, Thomas P. Systematic Theology: A Roman Catholic Approach. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2016.
Rowland, Tracey. Catholic Theology. London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2017.
Towey, Aidan. An Introduction to Christian Theology. London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2018.