C21 Online

[http://www.bc.edu/c21online '’’C21 Online’’’] , or Church in the 21st Century Online, is a Boston College initiative that offers non-credit online courses for spiritual enrichment, ongoing faith formation, and professional development. C21 Online draws on the extensive pastoral and theological resources of Boston College, a leading national Jesuit, Catholic university. Under the direction of Program Manager Dr. Barbara Radtke, the program has leveraged the power of the Internet and attracted participants from all 50 states and 77 countries.

History

C21 Online emerged in response to a request by alumni outside of the Boston area looking to engage in the kind of discussions that grew out of the successful on-campus Church in the 21st Century initiative. In 2004, C21 Online became a program independent of the Church in the 21st Century Center, and it has developed to extend the resources of Boston College to the wider adult Catholic community. In June 2008 it will join the [http://www.bc.edu/schools/gsas/irepm/ Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry] and the Weston Jesuit School of Theology (to be known as the Ecclesiastical Faculty at Boston College) in the new [http://www.bc.edu/schools/stm Boston College School of Theology and Ministry] .

Courses

Most C21 Online courses are 4 weeks long, with some 2-week Scripture workshops, and one 6-week course. Each course is organized with weekly assignments for video viewing and reading. In addition, participants are assigned to a discussion group, facilitated by an experienced religious educator, where they are encouraged to engage in conversation about the course themes. To participate in C21 Online courses, there is no need to be online at any special time.

C21 Online offers a total of [http://www.bc.edu/sites/c21online/courses.html 9 different courses] including: Christian Faith and Moral Character, The Creed: What We Believe, Encountering Mark, Matthew and Luke: The Synoptic Gospels (6 weeks), The Gospel of Matthew (2 weeks), The Gospel of Luke (2 weeks), Parents Handing on the Faith, Spirituality Matters, Teaching Religion: Creative Strategies and Best Practices, What Makes Us Catholic, and Women Envisioning Church. Course readings and videos often feature Boston College scholars.

Individual discounts are available for registration in multiple courses. Groups (such as parishes, schools, religious communities, dioceses, book groups, etc.) are invited to join the [http://www.bc.edu/sites/c21online/network.html C21 Online Network] for special pricing.

Mini-Courses

C21 Online also offers two mini-courses, free of charge, that are self-paced and self-directed, available to the public 24/7 year round. The mini-courses include audio narration of commentaries, but no guided discussion. Participants can gauge their understanding with a self-check at the end of each section. The mini-courses are [http://www.bc.edu/sites/c21online/tutorials/birthofjesus/ The Birth of Jesus: Two Gospel Accounts] and [http://www.bc.edu/sites/c21online/tutorials/deathofjesus/ The Death of Jesus: Four Gospel Accounts] and are co-sponsored by the [http://www.bc.edu/research/cjl/ Boston College Center for Christian-Jewish Learning] .

External links

* [http://www.bc.edu/sites/c21online/ C21 Online Web Site]