The Church’s consideration of the “Four Last Things”—death, judgment, hell, and heaven—is called “eschatology” (from the Greek eschata meaning “last”, “ultimate”, or “final”). These topics fascinate people up and down the centuries because they deal with questions of universal importance. As we explore these crucial matters, you may be surprised by just how much there is to discover!

How to get the most out of The Last Things: Catholic Eschatology with Mike Creavey:

• First, read the course description and obtain all required materials listed below before the first class meeting.

• Have a notebook ready and available for class notes during each live session.

• Complete all assigned readings and view homework lecture videos (if assigned for that week) before class meetings.

• If you miss a class session or just want to review, feel free to watch that week’s live session recording after it posts.

• Complete all assignments, quizzes, and any extra work assigned for that week.

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

Special Notes: This course includes a writing component.

Total Classes:  9

Class Dates:  Mondays, January 13 to March 17, 2025 (No class Feb. 17)

Starting Time: 5:30 PM Eastern (4:30 Central; 3:30 Mountain; 2:30 Pacific)

Duration:  55 minutes per class

Prerequisite:  None

Suggested Grade Level:  11th - 12th grade (ALL interested high schoolers are welcome!)

Suggested Credit:  3/4 semester theology (+ additional reading suggestions for full credit opportunity)

Instructor: Michael Creavey, MA

Course Outline:

Class 1 – Course “First Things” (Intro)
Class 2 – Time & Eternity
Class 3 – Sin & Death
Class 4 – Judgment
Class 5 – Hell
Class 6 – Purgatory
Class 7 – Heaven
Class 8 – Special Topic
Class 9 – Course “Last Things”

REQUIRED Course Materials:

1. The Holy Bible, preferably the Revised Standard Version, 2nd Catholic Edition (RSV-2CE) or the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE). NOTE: Both can be accessed online for free through bible.com/“YouVersion” phone app or by visiting biblegateway.com and selecting the desired translation from the drop box menu. Students may use their own Bibles if they choose, but course material will always reference one of the above translations.

2. The Four Last Things: A Catechetical Guide to Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell by Fr. Wade Menezes, CPM, ISBN: 978-1682780428 (https://amzn.to/3JzZGC6)

3. Catechism of the Catholic Church: 2nd Edition (ISBN-13: 978-1601376497); also free online at http://ccc.usccb.org/flipbooks/catechism/index.html)

4. Various free online articles, PDFs, video, and audio links may be shared by the instructor throughout the course.

NOT required/expected, but recommended for those who wish to go deeper!

1. "The Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell" - outstanding talk by Fr. Mike Schmitz, “Lighthouse Talks: Augustine Institute” (available online > https://www.lighthousecatholicmedia.org/store/title/the-four-last-things-death-judgment-heaven-hell); students would benefit greatly from listening to this talk before the first day of class.

2. Eschatology: Death and Eternal Life by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, ISBN: 978-0813215167 (https://amzn.to/3GSATaY)

3. Dare We Hope That All Men Be Saved?: With a Short Discourse on Hell by Hans Urs von Balthasar, ISBN: 978-1586179427 (https://amzn.to/34EqQt3)

4. On Hope by Josef Pieper, ISBN: 978-0898700671 (https://amzn.to/3sO2Ifm)

5. The End of Time: A Meditation on the Philosophy of History by Josef Pieper, ISBN: 978-0898707267 (https://amzn.to/3vau3eP)

Homework & Assessments

Students should expect to read approximately 20-30 pages per week (course texts as well as web-based readings) and they may occasionally be required to access brief online video and/or audio material. Prior to some class sessions, students will be expected to view a pre-recorded lecture from the instructor relating to the upcoming class session topic.Assessments will consist of several online quizzes (70% of grade) and one culminating essay (30% of grade). More details on homework and grading will be provided during the first class.

Fee: For all 8 classes: $137 if you register on or before July 15, $157 if you register after July 15. (Registration closes one week before the first day of class. After that date, registrations are not guaranteed. There is a $20 surcharge for late enrollments after the course is closed.)