Full course description
Faith: The Substance of Things Hoped For
Self-Paced
Instructor
Fr. Pieter van Rooyen
Assistant Professor of Theology & Director of Graduate Seminarians, Sacred Heart Major Seminary
Teaching Assistant
Melissa Pordon
Course Description
Though faith is most basic to Christian life, its meaning and power are often misunderstood. Far from mundane “wishful thinking,” Christian faith is a supernatural gift from God through which we surrender our lives to Him and share in His divine life (cf. Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is the substance of things hoped for...”).
In this course, Fr. Pieter van Rooyen, STD, will explore the meaning and power of the Christian faith according to the Scripture and the teachings of Thomas Aquinas and other saints and doctors of the Church, with a particular focus on Therese of Lisieux and Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
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 assistants 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
Schedule of Topics:
- Introductory Module:
- Module 1: The Necessity, Nature, and Power of Christian Faith
- Module 2: Growth in Faith
- Module 3: The Demands of Faith
- Module 4: Darkness and Faith
Module Activities:
The following learning activities are available to students in each module. There are no specific requirements for participating in the course. However, those who complete all the videos and self-tests will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course.
- Video lectures
- Recommended readings and links to additional learning resources
- Self-test to see what you’ve learned
- Group discussion activities for participants to share with each other what they are learning and encourage each other
The time commitment is flexible for this course. There is one to two video lecture (~20 min) per module. Participants who are interested in completing all recommended readings and course tasks can expect to spend around 2-3 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: