SPIRIT of TRUTH
An Engaging K-8 Religion Textbook Series
Experience the fastest-growing Catholic religion textbook in the U.S.
Lead your students on an immersive journey through the Catholic Faith. Unlike conventional textbooks, Spirit of Truth gives you a full year of varied lesson plans, allowing you to create an active learning environment that engages your students while helping them to improve knowledge retention.
As a non-profit, we priced Spirit of Truth to accommodate shrinking budgets without sacrificing quality. You get a whole lot more for a whole lot less.
Most of all, Spirit of Truth helps young people integrate what they learn into their daily lives so they can become the saints God is calling them to be.
Questions? Email us or call (800) 888-9344
What makes Spirit of Truth unique?
Resources Included with Spirit of Truth
What students learn by grade level
Kindergarten: Jesus and the Holy Family (School Edition) 2nd Edition
Students are introduced to the loving goodness of Jesus Christ, meet the members of the Holy Family, and learn who the saints are and what they teach us.
- Why virtue is good and sin is bad.
- The importance of developing good habits.
- How to speak to God in prayer.
Grade 1: God is Love (School Edition) 2nd Edition
Students begin to develop an awareness of God as our Father in Heaven, the creator of Heaven and earth, who is all good, who created them in His image and likeness, and who loves them unconditionally.
- Basic parts of the Mass.
- The reality of sin in connection with the Sacrament of Confession.
- The lives of saints and the basics of prayer as a conversation with God.
Grade 2: Our Life in Jesus (School Edition) 2nd Edition
Students focus on how much children are loved by Jesus Christ, and how His death and Resurrection has opened the way to Heaven.
- The parts of the Mass.
- Lives and lessons of the saints.
- More ways to pray.
- A special focus on the Sacraments of Confession and Eucharist.
Grade 3: The Kingdom of God and the Church (School Edition)
Students learn about the Catholic Church, the Holy Spirit and how He guides Her, and how Jesus continues His mission through Her.
- Basics of the Trinity and all seven Sacraments.
- Prayer and living as children of God.
- Jesus’ Parables of the Kingdom, and Mary as the Mother of the Church.
- Includes a supplement on Confirmation for restored order dioceses.
Grade 4: Jesus Teaches Us How to Live (School Edition)
Students focus on the moral life.
- What it means to be created in the image and likeness of God, and how we should respond to His grace so we can spend eternity with Him in Heaven.
- Conscience formation, the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the Golden Rule, and the Great Commandment.
- The reality of sin and the necessity of virtue.
Grade 5: The Sacraments (School Edition)
Students will explore in-depth the gift of God’s grace in the Sacraments.
- Sacraments: what they are and why Jesus instituted them; form, matter, history, celebration, and effects of each Sacrament.
- The meaning of God as the source of life
- The Holy Mass and Holy Days of Obligation.
- Longer biographies of the saints, especially young saints.
Grade 6: Sacred Scripture (School Edition)
Students spend this year immersed in God’s Word in Sacred Scripture, and explore how the Bible, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, records God’s plan of salvation.
- Basics of how to use the Bible and Magisterial authority.
- How and why we should pray with Scripture.
- How the Bible is different from other books.
- The four senses of Scripture.
Grade 7: Living as a Disciple of Christ (School Edition)
Middle-school students explore Jesus and the Gospel message, with an emphasis on unifying themes in Scripture and an in-depth examination of the four Gospels.
- Personal growth: the origin, dignity, and destiny of the human person.
- An exploration of each Sacrament.
- Prayer: its elements, qualities, and challenges; ways of praying; Mary and the saints as models of prayer.
Grade 8: The Communion of the Faithful (School Edition)
Middle-school students build on their understanding of personal growth, with an emphasis on our vocation to love and our responsibilities to God and each other.
- Morality: conscience formation through prayer and an objective moral standard.
- Church History: our identity as Catholics; how the saints have shaped the liturgy, hierarchy, and doctrine of the Church.
- Citizen and Government: the natural rights of persons; the purpose of government.
- God's Plan for Marriage and the Family: our identity as male and female; purposes and abuses of sexuality; resisting temptation so as to avoid sin and grow in virtue.
Speak the Faith: A Public Speaking Course on Faith, Science and Reason
This compelling 15-week course is designed to help students come to know and confidently defend the Catholic Faith. Focused on common objections to Christianity that are prevalent today, your student will soon be able to demonstrate scientific proof that God exists, show evidence that Jesus rose from the dead and performed miracles, and explain why He allows suffering, among many other topics. Perfect as a religion class, a public speaking elective, or a confirmation prep program, this course provides speech templates and videos, and instructions for three public speaking workshops to help your students succeed in speaking convincingly about our Faith.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who writes your textbooks?
All Sophia Institute for Teachers materials are written by veteran Catholic school teachers with advanced degrees. They are then tested in classrooms as well as reviewed by leading academics before publication.
Do I need anything else to use Spirit of Truth?
In grades K-5, as long as you have a teacher’s guide for your use and student workbooks for each student, you are ready to go. We recommend each student have his or her own copy of the Bible to use in grades 6, 7 and 8.
Additional online supplementary materials can be found here.
Do you offer online resources or support?
Yes!
Once you adopt the Spirit of Truth religion textbook for your school, you will be assigned a Sophia Institute master teacher for the life of the program who will provide you and your faculty with a free, live training webinar, as well as be available via email to answer questions or provide other advice. Additional webinars that help provide background knowledge on the Faith and teaching strategies may be purchased.
We also provide your teachers with fresh classroom materials each month. Free lesson plans on the Sunday Gospels are provided for each week, and lesson plans that help students apply Catholic principles to current events are provided each month. Teachers also have access to our curriculum exchange, and all of the sacred art included in our books are also available in our digital art library.
How can I review Spirit of Truth to decide if it’s right for my school?
You may view sample units on this page. Please email us to request review copies.
We encourage you to schedule a live tour to see how Spirit of Truth can help your classroom come alive.
My teachers don’t have strong theology backgrounds. Do they need a lot of knowledge to use Spirit of Truth?
No!
The beauty of Spirit of Truth is its lesson plan format. Its comprehensive but modular design ensures that it can be used successfully by experienced and knowledgeable teachers as well as by teachers with little to no theology background.
Because all the readings, handouts, activities, and assessments are ready to go, your students will receive a complete understanding of the Faith even if their teacher is learning along with them.
Teachers frequently report how well Spirit of Truth has increased their personal understanding of the faith and bolstered their own spiritual life.
Do you offer volume discounts?
To help you manage the expense of textbooks, we offer you 40% off if you order 10 copies or more of the student workbook.
Can you send me a sample set?
Schools and parishes considering Spirit of Truth may request two free sample sets of a printed teacher's guide and student workbook. Additionally, you will be given access to an online folder where you can review all grades in PDF form. If you would like additional hard copy samples, these may be purchased at regular price, and may be returned within 90 days for a full refund if you decide against adoption. Email us here to request sample sets.
Questions? Email us or call (800) 888-9344