Catholic High School Theology Curriculum

Ave Maria Press is publishing a brand-new series of Catholic high school theology textbooks for the 2025–26 school year.

These textbooks have been thoughtfully crafted to meet the needs of both you and your students, featuring updated content, fresh resources, and a strong focus on evangelizing catechesis that is intended to both form and inform students in the Catholic faith.

Input from Catholic high school theology teachers, students, and educational experts shaped this text, ensuring a student-friendly design and features:

6” x 9” format is sleek and portable, reflecting a serious academic approach.

In-text infographicspresent complex material quickly and concisely.

Eight chapters (rather than 10 previously) make them more usable in a 16-week semester

Bolded vocabulary terms with definitions in the margins and glossary enhance understanding.

Chapter Features

Inspiring artwork—both classical and contemporary—opens each chapter, encouraging spiritual reflection and further study.
Five creative student project options adapt to various learning styles (essays, art projects, oral presentations, etc.) and class formats, such as block scheduling and group assignments.
Focus questions engage students with the chapter’s core theme, reinforced throughout the chapter in multiple ways to cater to diverse learners.

End-of-section assessments include reading comprehension, vocabulary, and personal reflection questions to check students’ understanding.
“Pull-out” sections offer fresh perspectives on each chapter’s objective.
Chapter summaries restate the focus question, provide a review, feature a faithful disciple profile, and conclude with a prayer connected to the content of the chapter.
Enrichment text referenced in footnotes provides opportunities for students who want to go deeper into the material or for an honors-level course.

Online Teaching Resources

A wide variety of classroom resources for each textbook are available FREE on the Ave Maria Press classroom resource website including:

· Videos
· PowerPoints
· Handouts
· Crossword Puzzles
· Test and Answers
· and Much More!

Pricing

Student Textbooks: $30.95 | Teacher Manuals: $45.95

All Ave Maria Press textbooks are available in a number of digital options, including eTextbooks, Apple Books, and PDF Site Licenses.

eTextbooks: $22.99

Available from EdTech, Apple, VitalSource, Follett, MBS Direct, Adams, eCampus, and Redshelf.
Learn more about these eTextbook options.

PDF Site License: $19.99

Sold direct to schools from Ave Maria Press. Contact your school bookstore/IT department for more information or learn more about these licenses here.

Request your review copies today!

Want to set up a short 15-minute Zoom discussion to learn more? Click here to schedule.

Teacher Manuals

Teacher manuals for each course offer easy-to-find objectives, teaching approaches, assignments, and assessments labeled exactly by the corresponding Stedent Text sections.

God Reveals: An Introduction to the Bible (Teacher's Manual)

Ave Maria Press

$45.95

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God Loves: Jesus Christ Enters the World (Teacher's Manual)

Ave Maria Press

$45.95

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God Saves: We Are Redeemed through the Paschal Mystery (Teacher's Manual)

Ave Maria Press

$45.95

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The Holy Catholic Church: History and Mission of God’s People (Teacher's Manual)

Ave Maria Press

$45.95

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Scheduling the Course

Ave Maria Press textbooks are designed for a sixteen-week, one-semester course, suited for either extended block scheduling days or a Monday through Friday schedule. Each textbook contains eight chapters, with content structured for coverage over two weeks in both scheduling formats. Every chapter in the student text includes an introduction and four sections. Below are two sample scheduling plans.

Traditional Scheduling Example:

Week 1	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
50 minute periods	Browse chapter Examine art opener Assign projects	Choose Teaching Approach(es) to accompany Introduction Assign section assessment	Choose Teaching Approach(es) to accompany Section 1 Assign section assessment	Choose Teaching Approach(es) to accompany Section 2 Assign section assessment	Review Sections 1 and 2 Assign and discuss Faithful Disciple profile Work on chapter projects
Week 2	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
50 minute periods	Choose Teaching Approach(es) to accompany Section 3 Assign separate pullout feature Review focus question Assign section assessment	Choose Teaching Approach(es) to accompany Section 4 Assign section assessment	Review for chapter assessment Have students complete chapter review assignments	Review focus question Administer chapter test Work on chapter projects	Students turn in chapter assignments Display and allow for chapter project presentations Conduct prayer service using prayer in student text

Block Scheduling Example

Week 1	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
90 minute periods	Browse chapter Examine art opener Choose Teaching Approach(es) to accompany Introduction Assign section assessment Assign projects	Choose Teaching Approach(es) to accompany Section 1 Assign section assessment Have students complete chapter review assignments for Introduction and Section 1 Work on chapter projects	Choose Teaching Approach(es) to accompany Section 2 Assign section assessment Have students complete chapter review assignments for Section 2 Assign and discuss Faithful Disciple profile Work on chapter projects
Week 2	Day 4	Day 4	Day 6
90 minute periods	Choose Teaching Approach(es) to accompany Section 3 Assign section assessment Have students complete chapter review assignments for Section 3 Assign separate pullout feature Review focus question Work on chapter projects	Choose Teaching Approach(es) to accompany Section 4 Assign section assessment Have students complete chapter review assignments for Section 4 Allow students to study for chapter test and complete chapter projects Allow brief study period	Administer chapter test Display and allow for chapter project presentations Review focus question Conduct prayer service using prayer in student text Preview upcoming chapter

Ave Maria Press textbooks were part of the pilot process of theological review offered by the Institute on the Catechism of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Each textbook is in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the USCCB Curriculum Framework.

These textbooks were developed, organized, written, and designed after extensive consultation with theologians, clinicians of education, and especially, classroom high school theology teachers—in written surveys, symposiums, and face-to-face conversations.