We are excited to announce that Magis Center has partnered with the Sophia Institute for Teachers to create high school and middle school coursework on faith, science, and reason.
Founded by Catholic educators, the Sophia Institute for Teachers provides professional development, resources, and curricula for teachers. For years, they had a long-hoped-for goal of helping teachers strengthen high schoolers’ faith. Though their teachers strived to prepare them to challenge the harmful biases of our day toward atheism, scientism, and relativism, too often, they would say:
"As my students get into more advanced science classes, their Faith is shaken."
The teachers would find themselves on the defensive, struggling to provide answers that would satisfy skeptical minds.
Magis Center’s mission is to turn the rising tide of unbelief through scientific and rational evidence. This partnership with the Sophia Institute for Teachers opens new opportunities to help young people maintain their faith. Fr. Robert Spitzer believes that “Sophia Institute for Teachers’ expertise in pedagogy and content/delivery design is essential to transforming our content into high-quality resources for both faculty and students.”
Apologetics Courses from Magis Center and Sophia Institute for Teachers
Magis Center and Sophia Institute for Teachers have developed two high school courses, Apologetics I: The Catholic Faith and Science, Apologetics II: Challenges of the Modern World, and Speak the Faith.
Apologetics I: The Catholic Faith and Science
With an upbeat precision, Apologetics I: The Catholic Faith and Science covers the abundant scientific evidence for God and the definitive proofs of His existence. This new course is completely accessible for high school students and easy for any teacher to present in a single semester. This six-unit elective course has fascinating essays, primary source materials, critical thinking questions, saint biographies, creative interactivity options, and much more. Each unit also includes instructions for an activity to team-teach with a chemistry, biology, or other science teacher!
This elective high school course (and the middle school version coming next Spring!) will equip teachers and students to answer such questions as:
- What is the precise scientific evidence for the existence of the soul?
- How exactly does science show that belief in God is reasonable?
- What evidence is there for Jesus’s miracles and Resurrection?
- Why do we need organized religion—and the Catholic Church in particular?
- Why do bad things happen to good people?
You can download a sample from the Magis Center resource page.
Apologetics II: The Catholic Response to Challenges of the Modern World
Apologetics II: The Catholic Response to Challenges of the Modern World will give students the understanding they need to respond to our time's critical and challenging moral issues. This course focuses not simply on what the Ten Commandments say but delves deeply into the reasons why we should follow them. Students will be equipped to defend the Catholic position on today’s most challenging topics, including abortion, homosexuality, and gender ideology, as well as the virtues we must cultivate in our response. Each chapter includes a study of primary sources from Church history, focus and reflection questions, complete instructions for interactive activities, art and other visual reflections, scripture readings, and inspirational stories of the saints.
Apologetics: Speak the Faith
Speak the Faith is a compelling 15-week course designed to help students come to know and confidently defend the Catholic Faith. Focused on common objections to Christianity that are prevalent today, your student will soon be able to demonstrate scientific proof that God exists, show evidence that Jesus rose from the dead and performed miracles, and explain why He allows suffering, among many other topics. Each chapter includes readings, discussion questions, and complete activity instructions utilizing proven teaching strategies, rubrics, and answer keys. Perfect as a religion class, a public speaking elective, or a confirmation prep program, this course provides speech templates, videos, and instructions for three public speaking workshops to help your students succeed in speaking convincingly about our Faith.
You can download a sample from the Magis Center resource page.
