A Church in Crisis:

Pathways Forward

Self-Paced

Instructor

Dr. Ralph Martin, Professor of Theology & Director of Graduate Programs in the New Evangelization, Sacred Heart Major Seminary

Teaching Assistant

Melissa Pordon

Course Description

The Church today faces significant challenges: an increasingly secularized society, disruptive culture, scandals, and a growing polarization caused by lack of clarity about what the Church teaches.

In this short online course, Dr. Ralph Martin, Director of Programs in the New Evangelization, offers a detailed look at the growing hostility to the Catholic Church and the dilution of its teaching. This course seeks to uncover the forces working to undermine the Body of Christ and offers hope to those looking for clarity and seeking truth in our modern world. The curriculum is based on Dr. Martin’s book A Church in Crisis: Pathways Forward. 

This course is not intended to be academically strenuous but to provide a shallow-entry point for those who have busy lives and need flexibility. This course is designed for personal enrichment and does not count towards any academic credit at Sacred Heart Major Seminary or for any certification in the Archdiocese of Detroit. 

Contact

For questions about course content contact the instructor/teaching assistant using the Inbox on the red menu bar on the left side of your online course page. 

For technical support see the Tech Support guide in the Welcome module of the course.

Textbooks

Required Readings:

No required texts for this course

Recommended Readings:

Dr. Ralph Martin. A Church in Crisis: Pathways Forward. Emmaus Road Publishing, 2020.  

Schedule of Topics:

• Introductory Module

• Module 1: What Is the Crisis? 

• Module 2: The Shield of Faith 

• Module 3: Sexual Morality and Sacred Scripture 

• Module 4: The Virus of Universalism 

• Module 5: Prophetic Insight 

• Module 6: What We Can Do Personally 

Module Activities:

The following learning activities are available to students in each Module. There are no specific requirements. Those who complete all the videos and self-tests will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course. 

• Video lecture

• Recommended readings and links to additional learning resources

• Self-test to see what you’ve learned

• Suggested topical Scriptures for Lectio Divina prayer

The time commitment is flexible for this course. Lectures are generally around 20 minutes long. Participants who are interested in completing all recommended readings and course tasks can expect to spend around 1-2 hours/module on the course. However, levels of participation and engagement are up to the discretion of the individual.

All Equip Courses Include These Features:

• A dedicated online learning support coordinator to offer prompt assistance

• 24/7 access to the digital learning environment

• Engagement as a community of connected learners who share a common faith

• Extended access to course content after the course end date

• Learning environment support provided by Canvas (our learning management platform)

• Technical assistance provided by Sacred Heart’s IT staff

• A Certificate of Completion is awarded to those who complete the course learning activities.

Technical Requirements:

Canvas Tech Requirements