Skip to main content
St. Vincent Homepage

Sanctity of Life

  • Minor
sanctity of life students fellowship outside saint vincent

Building a Culture of Life and a Civilization of Love

The interdisciplinary sanctity of life minor explores questions of human dignity across the academic disciplines of theology, philosophy, science, politics, and social science. The minor, housed in the Theology Department and administered through the Saint Vincent Center for Catholic Thought and Culture (CCTC), provides a thoughtful and engaging program that helps us understand the meaning of human life and how we can build what Saint Pope John Paul II called a Culture of Life and a Civilization of Love. Rooted in our college’s Catholic, Benedictine, and liberal arts mission, the required courses explore a broad range of human-life questions with an open heart seeking truth, listening to others, and responding both courageously and charitably to the challenges of our time. In today’s world, the message of Life has never been more urgent.

Undergraduate Programs

Program Highlights

The sanctity of life minor provides opportunities to:
  • Explore how we can properly care for the elderly and the most vulnerable in our communities.
  • Examine the foundation of human equality and justice.
  • Learn how to foster civil discourse that respects the dignity of every person.
  • Discuss what is ethical—and what is not—in medicine and healthcare.
  • Engage with today’s pressing public debates through academic excellence, not partisan activism.
  • Focus on understanding and truth-seeking rather than advocacy, while considering real-world issues at local, state, and national levels.

Student Spotlight

  • $item.alt

    Carolina Walters, C’26

    “My time at Saint Vincent College has taught me that searching for God should not end in intellectual activity. It should flower into charitable activity and a love for the people in my community.”

Curriculum Requirements

  • Minor: Required Courses

    Sanctity of Life Minor

    • TH 337 Gospel of Life, Gospel of Creation 
    • TH 251 Intro to Catholic Social Teaching
    • PL 210 Philosophical Anthropology
    • PS 369 Civil Liberties
    • CLS 341 Empirical Analyses of Faith, Family, & Life 
    • XXX Science and Bioethics

  • Key Courses

    Gospel of Life, Gospel of Creation: In this course, you’ll explore what it means to be created in God’s image and placed in a world deemed very good. Drawing on Scripture, theology, Church teaching, and insights from science, you’ll develop a deeper understanding of human life and creation. Together, we’ll look at how the “Gospel of Life” (St. John Paul II) and the “Gospel of Creation” (Pope Francis) speak to timeless questions.

    Philosophical Anthropology: What does it mean to be human? In this course, you’ll examine major ideas about human existence from the past 24 centuries and consider modern perspectives. You’ll reflect on what makes us rational, moral, playful, religious, and embodied beings shaped by history, language, and culture.

    Empirical Analysis of Faith, Family, and Life: This course looks at social science research on life issues and public policy. You’ll explore topics like the impact of abortion on families, approaches to discipline, addiction recovery, the death penalty, and end-of-life care. Using research, you’ll engage in thoughtful discussions about what these issues mean for society and public policy.

Undergraduate Programs
Back to Top