Objectives: To comprehend the major ingredients of Christian discipleship: natural flourishing, supernatural participation Christ, and discernment of a state of life in the Church.

Learning Goals : By the course’s end students will be able to: a) articulate the case for natural law in the format of a Platonic dialogue; b) distinguish between Christian Discipleship and Moralistic Therapeutic Deism in an essay format; c) explain in writing how Ignatius Loyola would advise them to choose in an upcoming decision.

Contents: What does it mean to be Christ’s disciple, to follow the God-become-man? What does it mean to fulfill human nature? How does following the Christ of the Gospels require us to go beyond what is merely natural? What is the Ignatian method of discerning one’s personal vocation to follow Christ? We will answer these questions and more as we examine Christian discipleship through three main lenses: the way of natural law, the supernatural way of Christ and the Church, and the way of Thomistic-Ignatian way of prudent decision.

Methodology : A mixture of lecture and discussion. Students will provide written responses to assigned reading prompts, which will serve as the basis for class discussion.

Means of evaluation: These will include responses to prompts for each class (20%), two unit essays (2 x 20%), one cumulative election essay (30%), and class participation/attendance (10%).