Let us set out for any place where the work is great and difficult, but where also with the help of the One who sends us, we shall open the way for the Gospel. -- Ven. Samuel Mazzuchelli, O.P., founder of the Sinsinawa Dominicans Congregation, the founders of Edgewood

Several EHS students attend the Dominican Preaching Conference each summer

COURSE SEQUENCE: Course Descriptions
All students at Edgewood are required to take a Religious Studies course each semester. The first five semesters comprise a core curriculum and the last three semesters are electives. In this way, our program seeks to supply each student with first the building blocks of mature faith, and then an opportunity to deepen faith through specific exploration of advanced topics. The core curriculum is comprised of the following courses:

Freshmen: Understanding Catholic Christianity
Sophomores: Hebrew Scriptures first semester, Christian Scriptures second semester
Juniors: Morality one semester
Electives: Juniors and Seniors must choose one course each of the remaining three semesters. The electives are grouped into three categories - Praxis, Reflection and Social Sciences.

• Praxis Focus: Contemporary Justice Issues, Peer Ministry, Peer Ministry Assistantship
• Reflection Focus: Prayer and Sacrament, Reflective Living
• Historical/Social Sciences Focus: Church History, Personal, Moral & Social Psychology, and World Religions in America

PHILOSOPHY
The Religious Studies Department occupies a unique place at EHS. Integral to the program of study, its subject matter transcends the narrow concept of a department and links our school not only with the broader Catholic-Christian community, but also with the universal community of all people. In the tradition of the Sinsinawa Dominican sisters who founded Edgewood, EHS Religious Studies challenges all students to look beyond themselves, understand their place in the world, become people of peace and justice, and serve others in the model of Christ.

INSTRUCTORS: Faculty Profiles
Kevin Tahany, Department Chair
Jim Baltus
Jean Bondoc
Tonya Bubolz
Joshua Kraemer
Dennis McKinley
Al Minnaert
Joan Rundhaug-Witz

RELATED CO-CURRICULA
Amnesty International
Close Up
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Key Club
LIFT (Life Information for Teens)
STAR (Sisters Taking Active Roles)
Vita Semper (Life Always)

APPROACH
Edgewood High School has a diverse religious population. About one quarter of our student body is non-Catholic. Religious Studies courses reach out to all students, teaching the Catholic tradition, examining other traditions and discussing commonalities and differences. Courses are academic in nature, are graded, and students are expected to employ the same skills in their Religious Studies work as in any course. Success is attainable by all students.

Faith development is much more than academic. It is a life-long experience which must be fostered in lived situations. EHS academic courses provide students with background understanding and moral decision-making processes. Through EHS Service and Campus Ministry programs, students are then given opportunities to apply skills and information they have learned. Religious Studies attempts to prepare students for the individual assent necessary in faith.

"Catholic" means universal. Edgewood strives to model both the broad concept and the specific Roman Catholic tradition. The Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation, which founded and operates Edgewood, states: We are called to proclaim the Gospel through the ministry of preaching and teaching, in order to participate in the building of a holy and just society. Faculty challenges students to create a community based on respect, understanding and justice.