Interdisciplinary Classes

Advanced Algebra with Financial Applications*
Grades 11-12
1 credit
This course will introduce students to the mathematical tools needed to become a financially responsible young adult. The course employs selected topics in Algebra II, Precalculus, Probability, Statistics, and Geometry to solve financial problems that occur in everyday life. Real-world problems in investing, credit, banking, auto insurance, mortgages, employment, income taxes, and budgeting and planning for retirement are solved by applying the relevant mathematics. Field projects, computer spreadsheets, and graphing calculators are key components of the course.
*Prerequisite: Algebra II

Bioethics*
Grade 12
.5 credit
Bioethics explores moral traditions in conversation with advancements in technology and medicine. As a branch of applied ethics, Bioethics invites us to consider deep and abiding questions about matters of life and death,  standards of medical care and research, and the development and administration of new technology to intervene into natural processes. Bioethics is an evolving global discipline with direct and relevant application to political and social issues such as, but not limited to, abortion, reproductive technologies, euthanasia and the right to die, cloning, organ donation, gene editing, and animal research. Students will build a robust understanding of moral theories (i.e., Consequentialism, Deontology, Virtue) as well as an appreciation for the complex features of the central debates in the field.
*Prerequisites: Religion and Ethics, Biology, Chemistry
*Successful completion of the course also garners Science credit.
Offered spring semester in alternate years – offered spring 2027

Contemporary Perspectives on Global Issues
Grade 12
.5 credit
This semester-long course will give students the opportunity to explore what global issues are; how they interact with one another and with people, economies, and the natural environment; and how a systems-thinking approach and academic frameworks (like political science and sociology) can help us understand and address these challenges. This course will equip students to use the tools of social science (particularly political science and sociology) to discuss, analyze, and consider ways to address global issues. In addition, the course will ask students to use research tools of the humanities to access and evaluate primary source material concerning global issues, and to apply scholarly approaches to research these challenges.
Offered fall semester

Climate Change and Storytelling in Religion and Science*
Grade 12
.5 credit
This class is an interdisciplinary experience in interpreting and telling stories about who we are in the Anthropocene (the age of humans)—who do we understand ourselves to be, and who do we want to become? In conversation with multiple and diverse modes of storytelling, the course outlines the science of climate change, including the greenhouse effect, human-driven changes in CO2 levels and subsequent changes in temperature (air and water), as well as data related to melting polar ice, carbon cycling, climate feedback loops, and other greenhouse gases. Students study the different consequences of climate change: sea level rise, wildfires, drought, climate refugees, hurricanes and flooding, habitat loss, species extinction, and so on. Stories in the form of journalism, ethnography, poetry, music, creative nonfiction, podcasts, film, and religious ecologies will guide us as we explore climate change impacts and pathways of perseverance, resilience, problem-solving, and hope.
*Prerequisites: Religion and Ethics, Biology, Chemistry
*Successful completion of the course also garners Science credit.
Offered spring semester in alternate years – offered spring 2026

Global Studies*
Grade 11
.5 credit
Global Studies Seminar is the gateway course to the Global Studies Certificate Program and familiarizes students with the outcomes of the program. Students examine topical global stories through human rights and globalization frameworks, explore how cultural perspectives shape our understanding, and examine the fundamental social systems that undergird intercultural interactions. Course readings include primary and secondary texts. The course culminates in projects that prepare students to meet the objectives of the Global Studies program, including an independent presentation in which each student defines and addresses a global problem of their choice.
Offered fall and spring semesters
*Prerequisite: Successful application to the Global Studies Certificate Program

The Good Life–Honors*
Grades 11–12
.5 Credit
This honors-level, reading-intensive course in Religion and English takes up the philosophical question of the good life, or how to live a meaningful life. What does it mean to live well? Is there a purpose or end to human life? Is there anything we ought to do in order to live well? What does it mean to be responsible? How do theists engage the problem of evil? Is the good merely a matter of taste or preference? How should we think about humanity as a member of the democracy of species? The course explores such philosophical questions in a literary mode. The first quarter focuses attention on the form of the personal essay. The second quarter explores a close reading of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov.
*Prerequisite: Religion and Ethics, English department approval for Honors/AP-level work
*Successful completion of the course also garners English credit.
*Students in Grade 11: this course may only be taken in addition to a year-long English class. It does not reduce English course load requirements in later years.
Offered fall semester

Modern American History and Art: Context and Creation*
Grade 11
.5 credit
Where do artists find inspiration for their work? How does the work of artists reflect the culture and society in which it was created? This course explores United States history and American experience through the lens of visual art. Students encounter the unique expression of U.S. politics, ideology, and social and technological change conveyed from a variety of notable artists. Students develop visual and interpretive literacy as they create their own artwork that reflects the themes and styles of these artists, produce sketchbook discoveries, deliver describe-interpret-evaluate speeches, and write short papers. Close reading of excerpts from various primary and secondary documents provide historical context for each image. A field trip to a local art museum or similar experience is planned.
Offered spring semester
*Prerequisite: Successful completion of any Arts Department course
*Successful completion of this course also garners Arts credit.

Nature and Experience*
Grade 12
.5 credit
What is our place in the natural world? How do literary depictions of wildness, wilderness, and the pastoral reflect or evoke religious dispositions such as gratitude, joy, reverence, and awe? How do environmental writers use religious texts and traditions? To engage such questions, this interdisciplinary course explores selected texts in creative nonfiction that examine the relationship between “Nature” and human flourishing. Representative figures include Henry David Thoreau, Aldo Leopold, Annie Dillard, Camille Dungy, Wendell Berry, Terry Tempest Williams, Barry Lopez, Gary Snyder, Doug Peacock, Lauret Savoy, and Robin Wall Kimmerer.
*Prerequisite: Religion and Ethics
 

Organizational Behavior
Grade 12
.5 Credit
How can the principles of human behavior be applied to organizations and groups? How can the academic frameworks used in sociology, psychology, and anthropology help organizations function more efficiently? How are leadership skills developed? What can be done to motivate individuals? Organizational behavior is a field concerned with using principles and practices from a variety of academic disciplines to understand how groups and individuals function in an organization, and to help people work together successfully and efficiently. This social science course will focus on behavior at the individual, interpersonal, and organizational levels, incorporating elements of anthropology, sociology, and social psychology. Students will study the history and modern application of organizational theory and practices, and explore the inputs and elements that contribute to the functioning of a successful organization.
Offered spring semester

Introduction to Philosophy*
Grades 11–12
.5 credit
Philosophy is a love of wisdom and an appreciation for the complexities of life. Students explore the thought, writings, and influence of major philosophical thinkers. Students pursue the basic questions of philosophy, including topics in elementary logic and reasoning, ethics and morality, issues in political and social philosophy, and ecological citizenship. Students learn to frame contemporary issues and problems within  philosophical traditions in order to shed new light on what is at stake for the individual, society, and the environment.
*Prerequisite: Religion and Ethics
Offered spring semester

Religion and Ethics*
Grade 10
.5 credit
This foundational course in Religion introduces and cultivates skills in religious literacy, ethical analysis, and the development of the moral imagination. As an introduction to religion and ethical theory, the course investigates Pennington’s values of honor, virtue, and humility through three big questions: How have the world’s religious traditions described the human creature? How do we make ethical decisions? Why is the study of religion important for the work of ecological citizenship?
*Required course for sophomores
Offered fall and spring semesters

Religion and Visual Media*
Grades 11-12
.5 credit
This course explores the intersection of religion and visual media. Students will examine how selected media reflect, critique, and embody religious and philosophical themes. We will study how visual storytelling mediates deep questions about meaning and the human condition. Through screenings, discussions, and projects, students will develop critical thinking skills, deepen religious literacy, learn to interpret religious and ethical ideas in cultural texts, and reflect on their own ideas in dialogue with others.
*Prerequisite: Religion and Ethics
Offered fall semester

Rhythm of the Sacred*
Grades 11–12
.5 credit
This semester course explores how music is a powerful and essential part of religious experience. World religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Sikhism are examined in conversation with  composers and congregants. Students learn basic elements of music to then analyze the ways in which sacred music is an integral part of both individual spirituality and congregational worship. Understanding of musical style is enhanced and synthesized by listening to audio recordings, video performances, live music presentations, and student “hands-on” playing of rhythm instruments and piano keyboards.
*Prerequisite: Religion and Ethics
*Successful completion of this course also garners Arts credit.
Offered fall semester

Sociology of Sports
Grade 12
.5 Credit
What is sociology, and how can the study of this discipline help us understand who we are?  Can a cultural activity like sports help us understand how we interact with each other beyond mere competition? How can we critically evaluate history through a sociological lens using sports as a cultural artifact? In 2009, ESPN Films launched the Emmy Award–winning documentary series 30 for 30, based around sports topics, focusing on much larger global issues and their impact on society. These in-depth films show how sports are a reflection of humankind. Accomplished filmmakers from around the world have covered a wide array of topics including historical periods and events such as the Vietnam War, apartheid in South Africa, and the rise of Fidel Castro in Cuba. Students explore topics such as the evolution of the athletic shoe industry, its effect on college and professional athletes, and its impact on the economy. The examination of social issues, such as urban violence on the streets of Chicago, racial tensions in the South, and varying experiences of college athletes who play on the same team, has been central to the documentary series as well. Students engage in dialogue and research, applying different sociological models and theories to a different film each week, exploring related topics and other aspects that may not be readily discussed in the viewing. Students think and write critically about sociological theory, topics, and the impacts addressed.
Offered spring semester