The Course Catalog lists all courses available from the GRN Acadmeny. Please note that not all courses are made available during each session.
Philosophy
The Unmoved Mover: Aristotle’s Glimpse of God
How a pagan philosopher discovered eternal truth and prepared the way for faith
Instructor
Dr. Ray Lopez
Course Description
This course introduces Aristotle's Metaphysics, a foundational text in Western philosophy that explores being, substance, causality, and the divine intellect. Over seven weeks, students will examine key Books (I - XII) to understand Aristotle's inquiry into being qua being, and how it becomes the framework for Catholic theology and metaphysics.
Introduction to Aristotle's Ethics
Instructor
Dr. Ray Lopez
Course Description
Aristotelian ethics forms the framework for moral theory in the western world and is foundational to Catholic moral theory. The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to Aristotle’s ethical philosophy, emphasizing the development of virtuous character and the pursuit of a flourishing life (eudaimonia). We will cover Aristotle’s views on happiness, virtue, moral responsibility, friendship, and the role of reason in ethical decision-making.
The Dignity of the Human Person Made to God’s Image
According to the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologica
Instructor
Dave Palmer
Course Description
The human person is an amazing, unique, and rather complicated creature. We’re composed of both body and spiritual soul, made to the Image and Likeness of God with a nature assumed by God Himself at the Incarnation. During this live, interactive course we will discuss St. Thomas Aquinas’ Treatise on Human Nature from the Summa Theologica. At a time when the the human person is under attack on many fronts, it’s necessary for Christians to be able to defend its dignity, based on the teachings of the Angelic Doctor.
Introduction to the Summa Theologica
Instructor
Dave Palmer
Course Description
This course will give participants an introduction to St. Thomas Aquinas’ *Summa Theologica* in an engaging and interactive manner, and will include an overview of the foundational theological and philosophical teachings of the Catholic Church. This first course will focus on the teachings from the first part of the *Summa Theologica* (Prima Pars) in which St. Thomas begins the Summa with his teachings on such topics as the Divine Nature, the Holy Trinity, the Angels, Human Nature and the Governance of the World.
How to Live a Happy & Joyful Life, Both Now and for Eternity
Instructor
Dave Palmer
Course Description
There’s one thing that every single person desires of necessity, and that is to be happy. Yet, sadly, so few people achieve happiness and joy in this life and certainly many will not enjoy happiness and joy in eternity. Since there is nothing more important than our eternal happiness and the eternal happiness of our loved ones, it seems appropriate to learn how we can be happy, both now and for eternity. In this course Dave Palmer will guide you through the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas as found in the Summa Theologica, about the very nature of happiness and the way in which all people can achieve happiness both here below and forever with God for eternity.
Lived Faith
Meeting the Protestant Challenge
Instructor
Dr. Karlo Broussard
Course Description
Protestants challenge Catholics in many ways. Sometimes the challenge takes the form, “Where’s that in the Bible?” But other times they object to a particular Catholic belief because they think a bible passage contradicts it. For example, “How can the Catholic Church teach that Mary was a perpetual virgin when the Bible says Jesus had brothers?” In this short course, Karlo walks through the most common bible passages that Protestants commonly use to challenge Catholic beliefs and explains how to respond.
Music in the Living Word
Instructor
Julie Carrick
Course Description
The purpose of this class is to assist in the understanding of Catholic Liturgical music while at the same time offering practical ways of engaging more fully while attending the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. This class is a great tool for every Catholic who attends Mass as well as people seeking to understand why we do what we do during this sacred celebration when it comes to the musical aspect of it.
Communication Skills for Catholic Apologetics
Instructor
Steve Gleason
Course Description
To equip our student body with the skills to effectively communicate and defend Catholic theology with confidence, charity, clarity, conviction and all rooted in Scripture, Tradition, and Reason.
We Share Our Story
Instructor
Julie Carrick
Course Description
- A step-by-step class to help you put your personal journey of faith into words.
- Discover how your unique life story reveals God’s work and love.
- A class to help you reflect, write, and share the ways God has worked in your life
Living our Catholic Creed
Instructor
Julie Carrick
Course Description
- A step-by-step class to help you put your personal journey of faith into words.
- Discover how your unique life story reveals God’s work and love.
- A class to help you reflect, write, and share the ways God has worked in your life
On the Job with Jesus: The 7 Habits for Professional Success
Instructor
Vanessa Denha Garmo
Course Description
Award-winning communicator, Communications Evangelist, and faith-based Leadership Development Coach Vanessa Denha Garmo invites learners to stop compartmentalizing their faith and start integrating it — especially at work. Inspired by the Visitation in Luke’s Gospel, where Mary brings the presence of Christ into Elizabeth’s home, this course explores what it means to carry Jesus into every meeting, every conversation, and every decision. Through Christian principles and the stories of others, Vanessa offers practical ways to connect, communicate, and collaborate with purpose and integrity.
Holy Habits: Building a Life of Holiness One Moment at a Time
Instructor
Zachary Allen
Course Description
TBD
Theology
Angels and Demons
Instructors
Debbie Georgiani, Adam Blai
Course Description
Angels play critical roles in scripture, from Genesis through the book of Revelation. They have been seen by numerous saints and common people through the centuries. Guardian angels, though usually not seen, accompany each person through their life journey. They inspire us toward God and strengthen us in times of temptation. The ancient church was thinking and writing about angels from the beginning, and a few Church fathers and saints wrote large amounts on them. Most Catholics are interested in their guardian angel and know some of the basics about angels. Fallen angels have been a constant source of fear and fascination by the Catholic and secular culture. We will discuss both authoritative information on demons, as well as the observations Adam has made over twenty years of exorcism experience. In this course we will go beyond the common list of basic characteristics of angels and demons, and go deeper into scriptural analysis and the struggles of the church to understand and define these creatures, and how we are to relate to them.
Spiritual Warfare
Old and New Approaches to the Eternal Struggle
Instructors
Debbie Georgiani and Adam Blai
Course Description
TBD
A Tale of Two Cities: Making Sense of the Book of Revelation
Instructor
Monsignor Charles Pope
Course Description
We will explore the Book of Revelation from a First Century view. We will also explore the view that the primary antagonist of the early Christians is not merely Rome but a more complex reality: Jews and Romans acting in concert against the early Christians. Of course, the primary antagonist is the devil, pictured as a horrible Red Dragon. This Red Dragon gives birth to two beasts, one from the sea, the other from the land. This view also holds that the harlot city is Jerusalem, not Rome. In Chapter 11 the “Great City” is declared to be the city “where the Lord was crucified.” Thus the city destroyed is in fact Jerusalem, corresponding to what historically happened to Jerusalem in 70 AD. We will explore the Book of Revelation as a prophecy of these events that warned Christians of the signs preceding the destruction so they could flee before Jerusalem's doom was sealed. As such it is John’s exposition of Jesus’s Mount Olivet Discourse on the same topic with similar warning signs. This view also places the Book of Revelation in the context of the prophets who warned of and described the first destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BC. Many things fall into place as we explore this view.
