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That They May All Be One: Getting to Know St. Irenaeus, the Doctor of Unity with Holly Vaughan
Recorded course taught by Holly Vaughan for High School Church History/Doctors of the Church
Summary

Instructor Access (optional grading support) for Unlimited Access families is available for this course!

The Church recently declared Saint Irenaeus the "Doctor of Unity.” Pope Francis wrote: “May the doctrine of such a great Master encourage more and more the path of all the Lord's disciples towards full communion.” Why was this Saint in particular chosen? What about him elicits such high praise from the Pope? We will look at his life and teachings, including his courageous and brilliant stand against some of the most pernicious heresies and the resulting adventures, in this course!

How to get the most out of That They May All Be One: Getting to Know St. Irenaeus, the Doctor of Unity with Holly Vaughan:

  • First, read the course materials below before watching the first class recording.

  • Then have a notebook ready and available for class notes for each recording.

  • Read assignments before watching recording.

  • Do the assignments, quizzes, and any extra work assigned for that week.

  • Once the course is completed to the parent's and professor’s satisfaction, there is a Certificate of Completion at the end to be filled in for your records.

Special Notes: Course materials are provided free.

Total classes: 6

Duration: 55 minutes per class

Prerequisite: None

Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th grade

Suggested credit: ½ semester Theology

Instructors: Holly Vaughan

Course description: It has been said of Saint Irenaeus that "The Church is fortunate that Irenaeus was involved in many of its controversies in the second century. He was a student, well trained no doubt, with great patience in investigating, tremendously protective of apostolic teaching, but prompted more by a desire to win over his opponents than to prove them in error." In this course we are going to look at the life of this great Saint, and his writings, to understand why the Church recently declared him the "Doctor of Unity," and why the challenges he faced and overcame can provide us with wisdom on how to live and share the Catholic faith in our own time and culture, which in many ways is similar to his!

Course Outline:

Week One: Who is Irenaeus and Why is He the Doctor of Unity?

Week Two: Early Life and Culture

Week Three: Bishop of Lyon

Week Four: Against Heresies

Week Five: Death and Legacy

Week Six: Recap and Review

Course materials: All course materials are provided free by the instructor.

Homework: Weekly reading plus weekly quizzes, graded by the computer for immediate feedback. Some quizzes will include short essay questions. An answer key is not provided.

Technical Help: If you have any technical trouble or questions about course content, please email us at homeschoolconnections@gmail.com.

Course name
That They May All Be One: Getting to Know St. Irenaeus, the Doctor of Unity with Holly Vaughan
Instructor
Holly Vaughan
Semester
Recorded
Category
Theology ➤ Church History/Doctors of the Church
Grade level
High School
Start time
April 25th, 2023 at 12:00 AM ET
Course type
Recorded, free with subscription
Relative due dates
Relative due dates are disabled for this course.

About Holly Vaughan

Holly Vaughan comes to Homeschool Connections with an extensive background in parish catechetical work. She has experience in catechesis with all ages, particularly with middle school, high school, and adult faith formation.

She has not only taught, but been involved in curriculum creation for all of these ages, and is especially interested in creating classes that teach in the format developed by the Early Church Fathers, which roots everything we learn in Scripture.

While studying theology at the University of Dayton, she was accepted to the Master’s Program at Augustine Institute to study for her MA in Theology with a concentration in Sacred Scripture. She has a special love for helping high school and young adult students grow in their faith, and for the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults, both of which provide many opportunities to see people come alive as the teaching of our Catholic faith resonates with them in a new way.

Holly lives in rural Southern Illinois with her wonderful husband, who is a farmer, and their three sons, one who graduated from Homeschool Connections and one who is a current Homeschool Connections student.

See Courses

  • Those Who Have Ears to Hear – Hear This! Unlocking the Mysteries of the Parables of Jesus

  • To Humanity, Love Paul

  • That They May All Be One: Getting to Know St. Irenaeus, the Doctor of Unity

  • A Note to Restless Hearts – The Confessions of Saint Augustine

  • Click here for more info on Holly Vaughan!