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7th and 8th Grade Goals & Objectives
The curriculum of the 8th & 9th grade class needs to be interactive and hands on. By the end of the 2-year period, the students will have reviewed and shown a certain degree of mastery of the basic information and concepts presented in Fr. Thomas Hopko’s The Orthodox Faith: An Elementary Handbook of the Orthodox Church – Doctrine, Worship, Bible & Church History, Spirituality. This class is a preparation for the High School class that will focus in moral and daily application of Orthodox Faith.
Each unit will include various levels of understanding:
Level I: Rote facts
Level II: Concepts
Level III: Comparisons & Inferences
Level IV: Independent Study/Projects
ORTHODOX SOURCES FOR DOCTRINE & INFORMATION:
1. Scripture
2. Church Fathers
3. Service Books [Prayer Book/Euchologion, Menaion, Triodion, Pentecostarion]
4. Concordance
5. Hopko 4-volume series
6. Internet resources
WORSHIP: Divine Liturgy
1. Identify the divisions of the Liturgy.
2. Identify the major hymns and prayers of the Liturgy.
3. Identify what each particle of bread of the Proskomidia, as well as the water and wine, represent.
4. Explain the major hymns.
5. Compare and contrast the three Liturgies used by the Orthodox Church.
6. List the comparisons between the Old Testament worship and the Liturgy.
7. Identify the roots of the Liturgy found in the New Testament.
8. Come to understand that when we worship during the Liturgy or at other times, we are “out of time”, that time stands still. We enter “God’s time”.
WORSHIP: Mysteries/Sacraments
1. Name the 7 Mysteries/Sacraments of the Orthodox Church.
2. Locate the Scripture references for each mystery/sacrament.
3. List the visible and invisible signs of each mystery/sacrament.
4. Explain the origins and meaning/purpose of each mystery/sacrament.
5. Explain the preparation needed for each mystery/sacrament.
6. Compare the mysteries/sacraments of the Orthodox with Roman Catholic and Protestant churches.
7. Give the historical development of each mystery/sacrament.
8. What makes a mystery/sacrament a mystery/sacrament?
WORSHIP: Cycle of Services
1. Name the six services that make up the daily cycle [Hours, Matins, Liturgy, Vespers, Compline, and Midnight Office].
2. Identify the time each is celebrated.
3. Give a basic definition of each.
4. Identify the purpose of each service.
PRAYER:
1. Recite the Lord’s Prayer.
2. Recite the Nicene Creed.
3. Recite the Prayer of St. Ephraim.
4. Recite a Pre-Communion & Post-Communion Prayer.
5. Recite the Jesus Prayer.
6. Write out the Nicene Creed.
7. List what the Creed professes about God the Father.
8. List what the Creed professes about Jesus Christ.
9. List what the Creed professes about the Holy Spirit.
10. List what the Creed professes about the Church.
11. Compare and contrast how Orthodox Christians, Jews and Moslems view God.
SCRIPTURE:
1. List the Ten Commandments.
2. Identify the key stories that make up Jesus’ life.
3. Identify the key stories of the Old Testament [Creation, Expulsion from Eden, Moses, the Exodus, the Ten Commandments, Jonah, Three Holy Youths, David, Joseph…].
4. List the Beatitudes.
5. Discuss the meaning of the key Parables [list].
6. Explain how the Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
7. Explain each of the Ten Commandments.
8. Give an example from Scripture for each of the Ten Commandments.
9. Apply the Ten Commandments to daily life.
10. Explain how the books of the New Testament were selected.
11. Compare and contrast the Orthodox and Protestant Old Testament.
12. Compare and contrast the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant churches’ approaches to the Scripture.
13. Explain how the two Commandments given by Christ fulfill the Ten Commandments.
CHURCH HISTORY:
1. Distinguish between BC and AD.
2. List the dates/centuries of the Seven Ecumenical Councils.
3. When did the schism/split between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches occur?
4. When did the Protestant Reformation occur?
5. Identify the countries where Orthodox Missionaries first traveled.
6. Great moments of Church History centered on key figures and events. (St. Ignatios of Antioch, St. Anthony the Great, St. Athanasios, SS. Constantine & Helen, St. Photios, St. Kosmas Aitolos, St. Nektarios, and others.
DOCTRINE:
1. List the three persons of the Holy Trinity.
2. List the two natures of Jesus Christ.
3. Define Sin.
4. Define Salvation.
5. Define Theosis.
6. Explain the Incarnation.
7. Explain why Jesus had to die.
8. Explain how Jesus’ resurrection affects us.
9. Explain how Pentecost relates to us.
10. Compare and contrast the Old and New Adams.
11. Compare and contrast Eve and the Virgin Mary.
12. Apply Mary’s example to your life.
13. Explain Sonship.
MARRIAGE & FAMILY LIFE [Resources: Greek Archdiocese’s Interfaith Marriage website, Meyendorff’s Marriage: An Orthodox Perspective, St. Paul on marriage, John Chryssavgis’ Love, Sexuality, and the Sacrament of Marriage, John Mack’s Preserve Them, O Lord, St. John Chrysostom; the video of the Clergy-Laity Interfaith Marriage Committee.]
Dating: Orthodox, Christians, and Non-Christians.
Choosing a mate.
The Orthodox understanding of marriage. If I love him/her enough, can I change him/her?
Interfaith marriages: Christian and Non-Christian. What are the consequences?
Orthodox sponsors [Need to keep up friendships with Orthodox.]
Children – Do we need to have them?
What is the Orthodox understanding of the role of godparents?
Choosing children’s names and celebrating Namedays.
Restrictions in participating in non-Orthodox sacrament, ex. Godparent.
A. DIVORCE AND BLENDED FAMILIES
What does the Orthodox Church teach about divorce?
What does the Orthodox Church teach about remarriage?
Parental issues of discipline and parenting styles.
B. DUTIES OF AN ORTHODOX PARENT [Refer to St. John Chrysostom & St. Theophan the Recluse’ Raising them Right, Sr. Magdalen’s Children in the Church Today: An Orthodox Perspective.]
What is expected?
How does interfaith marriage affect this?
C. THE MANY FACES OF LOVE
Erotic love, filial love, storge love, agape.
Can we choose to fall in love? Can we choose not to fall in love?
MODERN ETHICAL ISSUES [Resource: Harakas’ Toward a Transfigured Life, especially chapter 2, and Contemporary Moral Issues.]
D. CREATION & EVOLUTION
Refer to St. Basil’s Hexameron
Refer to Creationism Versus Evolution by Fr. George Nicozisin (out of print)
Refer to the Orthodox Idea of Creation by John Boomjamra, Ph. D. The Word, June 1999, pp. 31-34, available on http://home.neo.rr.com/pmonest under Spring 2000 packet.
What does the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed say about it?
Did it really occur in six days?
What does the Orthodox Church teach about it?
E. WHEN DOES LIFE BEGIN? END?
[Resources: Sacred Gift of Life by John Breck, Garment of Skin by Mantzarides]
Abortion
Euthanasia
F. GENETIC ENGINEERING
Cloning
Souls
Fertility Issues
G. ECOLOGY [Resource Chrissavgis’ Beyond the Shattered Image]
Abuse of the environment
H. ADDICTION
Virtues vs. vices
Materialism and possession [Resource: Videos that Teach, Death Becomes Her”, St. John Chrysostom]
I. SEXUALITY/HOMOSEXUALITY/ABSTINENCE
[Resources: Family Research Council, MISH: Medical Institute for Sexual Health, Orthodox Christian Publication Center]
Value systems and lifestyles
Peer pressure
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