From Fear to Courage: A Journey Toward
Becoming an Effective Evangelizing Church
By
Jennifer A. Houidobre
St. Norbert College
De Pere, WI
A thesis project submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree
of
Master of Theological Studies
Copyright 2006 Jennifer A. Houidobre. All Rights Reserved.
The author hereby grants to St. Norbert College permission to reproduce
and distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document
in whole or in part.
CONTENTS
Introduction
This paper focuses on adult catechesis as Òthe principal form of catechesis because it is addressed to persons who have the greatest responsibilities and capacity to live the Christian message in its fully developed form.Ó[1] In developing this thesis I engaged in a project that assessed two current models of adult catechesis used by parishes in the United States today. The models assessed were Intergenerational Religious Education and Whole Community Catechesis. This project also involved a case study of adult faith formation needs at my parish. The results of this study were used to help my parish determine which model or variations of the models could be of most use in developing an ongoing and lifelong program of adult faith formation.
The impetus for writing this paper came from a conversation I had with a coworker regarding an invitation she received from a friend from another Christian denomination to attend a work camp experience. It was expected that a number of busloads of members were expected to go help with repair work needed in a particular community in Alabama. It was also expected that, with Bibles in hand, the group would be able to do some ÒevangelizationÓ work. My coworker declined the invitation for different reasons, one of which was because she was not comfortable going to share in a Bible experience she felt she was not prepared for. After this conversation I began to seriously consider that because faith formation in most parishes in the United States has not been ongoing and lifelong, many Catholic faithful are not knowledgeable about or articulate in the faith. As a result many parishes are not able to effectively carry out the ChurchÕs missionary mandate as given by Jesus[2] to ÒGo into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creatureÓ (Mk 16:15).
Encouraging adults in the parish to participate in an adult faith formation program is a challenge because it requires a change in their thinking process. The majority of adults have been focused on the faith formation of children to the virtual exclusion of continued faith formation of adults. Often catechesis stops at various stages in the process of the faith formation of children, thus hindering them as adults in their efforts to deepen, share and spread their faith. Many children do not continue their faith formation after receiving the sacrament of the Eucharist. Others end their catechetical experience after being confirmed. Without a continued effort to develop and deepen their faith, as adults they may feel inadequate with their knowledge of the Catholic faith and uncomfortable with or evasive about becoming involved in an adult faith formation program that involves them with their children or with other members of the parish. In an effort to develop the most appropriate program of adult catechesis, the following section presents a case study that examines the current needs of adult faith at my parish.
A Case Study Assessing Adult Needs
The National Directory for Catechesis (hereafter, NDC) contains a number of effective methods that should guide the selection of a program for adult catechesis. One of these methods is the identification of catechetical needs, situations and circumstances of adult lives.[3] A main reason for writing this paper is to address, in a practical way, adult needs at my parish. As a starting point to determine those needs, I designed a questionnaire.[4] The questionnaire does not include religious conditions or concerns as I am interested in those adults who are involved with the religious education of their children, presuming that most are Catholic. The questionnaire also does not contain questions that specifically refer to their experiences, problems or spiritual maturity, though some of these concerns are intimated in the answers given.
The questionnaire was given to ten persons in the age groups and categories within the parish as listed below. Eight of those returned answers to the questionnaire.[5] The responses received are a very small sampling of adults involved with the religious education program. Their answers provide some idea of adult catechetical needs but if the questionnaire is used in the future, a greater sampling would be needed for a more comprehensive examination of adult needs at my parish.
Adults- 35-55 years
-married with young to adolescent children in the RE program
-married with no children
-married with small children to younger, some in the RE program
-married with no children*
-for grades K-8
-for grades 9-12
The parish community is predominately Hispanic having a low to middle income range. It has well-established immediate and extended families who have lived in the community for many generations. There is a high elderly population, many of whom are raising or caring for their grandchildren.
The parish community, agriculturally oriented in the past, has become a more urban technical community. This reality is understood as due in part to the employment by Intel, causing a large number of young families to move into the immediate and surrounding areas.
Because of the increasing number of younger families moving into the area as well as young adults who grew up here, remained in the area and are raising their own families, the religious education program is experiencing a high number of students in attendance. Many of the new families in the area are monolingual Spanish-speaking families. These circumstances contribute to four parish priorities. The first is the building of a new school to accommodate the rising numbers of students in the religious education program. This includes a large number of adults who participate in the RCIA and Adult Confirmation programs. The religious education program is well developed, contributing to a second parish priority, that of sacramental preparation. Because of the priority of sacramental preparation, the program is family oriented. Responses to the questionnaire indicate a third priority, the desire to involve parents and families more directly in the religious education of their children. Exciting changes are being made in that area, in which parents and guardians are invited to join in sharing a simple meal before classes begin and returning fifteen minutes before classes are over to share with their children those things that were learned during class.
While other parish ministries are headed by individuals within each particular ministry, the religious education program is headed primarily by the Religious Education Director who oversees facilitators, coordinators and volunteers.
Other active ministries include those for older adults, such as the Catholic Daughters and Knights of Columbus. However, there is a lack of ministries in which young adults who belong to the parish and youth that have already been confirmed can be more active. The fourth priority at the parish is to provide enough programs that reach out to adolescents, youth and young families to keep them involved and to evangelize to those lacking in the faith. There is also a concern that more sophisticated programs for adults be developed.
When asked about the importance of age group catechesis, responses ranged from Ònot very interestedÓ to Òvery important to Òimportant for youth.Ó There was little explanation regarding any of the answers. This reveals one flaw in the questionnaire. It is possible that the term Òage groupingsÓ in question #12 is not understood well enough to give more specific or concrete answers. This question would need rewording for future use to include a statement about what the term Òage groupingsÓ in catechesis means.
As regards current and potential leaders able to conduct age group catechesis, most responses to the questionnaire indicated that there were enough persons willing to head the different kinds of programs but that most volunteers needed training before doing so.
Part of that training would involve an awareness of a mission statement for the parish. My parish does not have a mission statement which guides the different parish ministries. There are, however, written aims for the religious education program. Program aims include proclamation of the Word, promoting worship of God, inspiring moral living, encouraging a spirit of prayer, developing the community of God and motivating persons to do service.
Based on responses to the questionnaire, there is a wide range of understanding regarding evangelization. The common thought is that evangelization efforts are focused within the parish and are for aiding the parish community in its understanding of the faith. Responses to the questionnaire included promoting membership, taking communion to the sick, providing religious education for children and listening to the readings during the Sunday liturgy.
The common theme running throughout the responses to the questionnaire is that, in an ideal parish situation, there needs to be more involvement in programs and varied forms of group participation offered at all age levels. The desire was expressed that persons develop confidence through knowledge of the faith by becoming involved in Scripture study and prayer groups.
It is interesting to note that the pastor did
not respond to the questionnaire.
In order for any vision of change to take place at the parish level, it
is important that the endeavor receive support from the pastor. The document Adult Catechesis in the
Christian Community (hereafter
ACCC), published by the International Council for Catechesis in 1990, states that priests assume the responsibility for the local
communities and should be directly involved in the catechesis of adults.[6] Support by the parish priest is
essential in careful planning of adult catechesis helping to close gaps created
in the Religious Education experience of many Catholic adults, aiding them in
becoming mature in their faith.
Recognizing
ÒA Broken EcologyÓ
In
order to understand what is needed to bridge gaps created in the religious
education experience so that the Catholic faithful achieve full maturity of
their faith, it is important to understand some of the contributing factors
that have hindered this goal.
John Westerhoff, in his book Will Our Children Learn?, states that the problem rests not in the educational program itself, but in the model or paradigm which supports or guides educational efforts.[7] Since the turn of the twentieth century, Christian educators in the United States have functioned according to a Òschooling-instructional paradigm,Ó[8] one that mirrored public education. The schooling paradigm equated teaching as ÒtellingÓ to children assembled in rows of desks in a classroom[9] that tended more toward lecturing with a heavy emphasis on moral preaching. This method lacked what Thomas Groome calls a holistic or humanist[10] approach to education, one that involves the whole of a person--head, heart and hand.[11]
To understand the need to shift thought from the ÒschoolingÓ paradigm to a new model, it is important to first understand what Westerhoff describes as seven ÒinstitutionsÓ in society that existed during the first one-third of the twentieth century. These institutions intentionally worked together to produce an effective educational paradigm[12] during that time.
The first ÒinstitutionÓ found the community consciously engaged in religious education. Life in a typical small town nurtured persons in the particular culture of the community in which persons lived. Secondly, families were basically secure. The community had few single parent families and no interfaith marriages. Persons lived and died within one hundred miles of where they were born. The third ÒinstitutionÓ provided a natural family setting which made a significant contribution to a personÕs religious education. Living under the same roof, both parents were frequently at home and shared family life together. Relatives living nearby had continuous interaction with family members. In the fourth Òinstitution,Ó Protestant parochial schools practiced a daily ritual of Bible reading, reciting the LordÕs Prayer and working on moral religious lessons. Roman Catholics, in turn, supported their own parochial school system to educate their children. The fifth ÒinstitutionÓ was Church supported by the community. Church was a place where community members regularly met to interact with each other and to share their faith. In the sixth Òinstitution,Ó the availability of religious reading materials provided a major source of ÒentertainmentÓ and religious education in the home. The final ÒinstitutionÓ involved the entire community in its ÒSunday schoolÓ religious instruction. Teaching was lay-directed, with women playing a significant leadership role. Religious education provided an intergenerational setting where persons could engage in religious celebrations such as Christmas, Easter, dedications and baptisms, as well as school and secular events. The whole community was involved in Church and social functions.
Westerhoff describes several societal changes that occurred by the end of the first one-third of the twentieth century, causing a break in the cycle that he calls Òa broken ecology.Ó[13] Religious education in the Church today continues to accept the schooling-instructional paradigm, ignoring the changing societal structures which make it no longer viable as a workable or effective model.[14] Societies in which persons live today are more heterogeneous.[15] There is a plurality of cultures and religions that compete with transmitting a particular set of religious understandings.[16] Family members often lack direct interaction with extended family members. Both parents may work outside of the home. There are situations of divorce, unwed mothers and single parents raising the family. There are interfaith marriages which often bring tension within the family, causing a greater chance of isolation from both spouseÕs sets of belief systems. Day care centers and retirement homes have taken over much of the care that used to be provided by immediate and extended family members. The majority of organized youth activities is secular and often conflicts with the activities of the Church. Public schools are religiously neutral.[17] Religion can be taught there but in general terms rather than as a personal statement of belief. Fewer parents are sending their children to parochial schools.
Societal changes require new thinking regarding the religious education process. It is now more imperative than ever before that the Church recognizes its need to form a Christian community of believers who are mature in their faith and are prepared to withstand the pressures of todayÕs societal values. This calls for Christians who can articulate and boldly proclaim the gospel message in a world that is often opposed to, ignorant of, or desiring to know of GodÕs great initiative of love as made known through Jesus Christ.
The
ChurchÕs Mission of Evangelization through catechesis
The NDC states that evangelization and catechesis are among the principal means by which the Church hands on the faith.[18] GodÕs message of salvation was revealed fully in Jesus Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the disciples of Jesus preached the Gospel as Christ commanded, handing on divine revelation to all future generations. This mission includes not only passing on the faith but also building up the Kingdom of God, a kingdom begun here on earth and terminating in an eschatological event that is meant for all people of all times.[19]
Catechesis is an essential dimension of Church activity that contributes to its missionary effort and formation of disciples of Christ. The NDC lists elements of the catechetical endeavor: giving form to missionary preaching that is intended to arouse the first signs of faith, allowing for examination of reasons for belief, bringing the faithful together so that they may express their experiences in light of Christian living, preparing the faithful for the celebration of the sacraments, facilitating integration into the Church community, and preparing the faithful for the ecumenical mission of the Church.[20]
Within the ChurchÕs mission of evangelization, catechesis gives support to and helps bring to maturity the faith of the Church community. Since Vatican II, Catholic Church documents make clear the importance of parents as primary catechists in the faith formation of their children. The CCC states that the role of parents in faith formation is so important that it is impossible to provide an adequate substitute.[21] Parents have the greatest responsibility and capacity to live out their faith and hand it on to their children.[22] Because of this importance, the NDC states that adult catechesis should have high priority at all levels of the church because all other forms of catechesis are oriented in some way to adult catechesis.[23] The U.S. Catholic BishopsÕ document Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us (hereafter, OHWB) considers adult catechesis the central task, the axis around which revolves the catechesis of childhood, adolescence and old age.[24]
Rationale for adult faith formation in the Church must speak clearly to its members so they can better understand why they are an important and vital part of an on-going and lifelong process of faith formation in the task of evangelization. As such, parents, having the greatest responsibility for handing on the faith, are the primary catechists for their children. On the other hand, in the Address of Pope Benedict XVI to the participants in the Ecclesial Diocesan Convention of Rome, he states that parents, single-handedly, cannot transmit to children love and the meaning of life.[25] Part of this responsibility is conferred upon the Church, the larger family in which through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, GodÕs eternal and indestructible love may be communicated and recognized by every person. Benedict continues by stressing the important relationship of the family, a Òsmall domestic church,Ó[26] to the larger Church. Both family and Church are called into collaboration in the fundamental task that consists in the formation of the person and the transmission of the faith.[27]
Catechists, parents of our children, and adults of the faith community are all encouraged to nurture the seeds of faith necessary for fostering and making concrete the ChurchÕs mission of evangelization. Effective evangelization is intimately tied to effective catechesis by and for the adults of the community. In order that our children, adolescents and youth become adults of mature faith,[28] the Church community must always be involved on every level in Òproclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindranceÓ (Acts 28:31). The Church must more strongly become a people who, by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, shares with and draws people to GodÕs message of hope offered to all humankind through his son Jesus Christ.
The Church, as the people of Christ, must be prepared to proclaim all that Christ is and has done for the world through his saving action on the cross and in his resurrection. The NDC states that the ChurchÕs evangelization activity consists of several essential elements: to proclaim Christ, preach Christ, bear witness to Christ, teach Christ and celebrate ChristÕs sacraments.[29] The emphasis on evangelization is focused on Christ and aims at both an interior change of individuals as well as an exterior change in society.[30] Evangelization cannot take place without the support and constant efforts of adults mature in their faith. Neither can the faith be passed on to our children if parents and adults in the faith community are not prepared or eager to do so.
A step to be taken in the effort to encourage those reluctant to initiate a program of adult faith formation, be it the parents, adults in the faith community, members of the pastoral staff, or the parish priest, is to use sources that bear witness to the reasons and need for such a program. The Church has three such sources of rationale at its disposal: that of Scriptural witness, Christian Tradition and contemporary experience.
As Scriptural witness, the Bible is not simply an historical account of events or a guide for moral living. ÒAll Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good workÓ (2 Tim 3:16-17). Along with Sacred Scripture, our Catholic faith is built on Christian Tradition, Òthe living and lived faith of the Church.Ó[31] Adults play an important role in Christian Tradition as we experience and share with others the traditions of the faith. A third and rich source of rationale for the catechesis of adults can be found in contemporary experience, as expressed through the documents of the Church and through the works of well-known authors in the fields of developmental psychology and religious education. These sources will help frame the importance and need for adult faith formation that provides its participants with a better vision for becoming an evangelizing Church.
Rationale
for Adult Catechesis from Scriptural Witness
The Church receives its vision of family and community in part from Sacred Scripture. As Christians, we are taught to turn to the Bible as a source of strength, encouragement and hope. We consider its contents as authoritative and meaningful for our lives. The message of salvation was revealed to all humankind through Jesus, as passed on by the apostles and their successors and committed to writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Church holds both the Old and New Testaments as sacred and canonical because, written under the power of the Holy Spirit, they have God as their author.[32] As such, all books of Scripture must be acknowledged as teaching solidly, faithfully and without error so that those who belong to God Òmay be efficient and equipped for good work of every kind.Ó[33] As the inspired Word of God, the Bible is a primary source for explaining and demonstrating the important and necessary role adults play in the formation and the expansion of the Christian community.
The Old Testament writings or Hebrew Scriptures reveal how the Spirit of God was present with the Israelites in their relationship with God and through their experiences with each other. The message that God dwelled among them helping the people was meant to be instilled in their hearts for all time. Deuteronomy 4:9 exhorts parents to remember all that has been seen and spoken so that they can teach the faith to their children and their children after them. Passing on the faith to future generations by remembering GodÕs goodness is a central task in maintaining a relationship with God.
It is by the will and power of God alone that the Israelites are delivered out of slavery and out of the hands of enemies. The writer of Psalm 44:1 remembers the good deeds God has done as handed on to him through his ancestors. As the psalmist remembers GodÕs deliverance of his people in the face of adversity, he does not forget that redemption comes from God alone. The opening of Psalm 78 instructs that the good deeds of the Lord be taught to children as God commanded the forefathers of the Israelites. The psalmist retells the history of the Jewish nation from the time of slavery in Egypt to DavidÕs reign so that generations to follow would not make the same mistakes as their ancestors.[34] The Book of Proverbs repeats the necessity of listening to a parentÕs teachings (1:8; 4:1; 6:20) and gives words of wisdom to the young so that ÒWhen you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with youÓ (6:22).
The New Testament also shows the importance of the role that adults play in passing on the faith. First, it was the responsibility of the elders sound in faith (Titus 2:2), exhorting each other to tend to the flock (1 Peter 5:1-2). Tending the flock implies passing on a sound faith to all in the community. This included women who were to teach what was good, an implication that the domestic responsibilities of early Christian women included passing on the faith to younger women and to children (Titus 2:3). Young men were to accept the authority of the elders, model good works, teach with integrity, gravity and sound speech that could not be censured. In doing so, Ò. . . then any opponent will be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of usÓ (Titus 2:7). Even slaves were to be taught the faith so that they would be Òan ornament to the doctrine of GodÓ (Titus 2:9).
Every believer needs to be educated in the faith. To give strong and clear witness to God, one must have a firm grasp of the Word. The Gospel, however, does not become effective until it moves from beliefs and teachings to life-changing experience.[35] The Acts of the Apostles records the spread of the Gospel and the growth of the Church. Luke, its author, gives the witness of the early Christians to their new faith in Christ by personal testimony (Acts 11; 22:1-22; 26:9-23), preaching (2:14-42; 10: 34-43; 11:26; 14:1, 7; 17:1-7; 28:31) and defense before authorities (4:7-12; 7, 24:1-21). They did so with boldness and courage. Wherever Christians were residing and whenever they were forced to flee from their homes, they testified to their experience in such a way that numbers were being continually added to the Church (2:47; 5:14; 6:1,7; 9:31; 11:21,24; 16:5).
The early Christians could not accomplish the task of being witness to the faith by their own effort. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, given to them at Pentecost, Christians were able to sustain themselves in proclaiming the Gospel message, many times under great persecution, as they joined together for support and strength. Just as the apostles met together on the day of Pentecost, the day they received the power of the Holy Spirit, so the newly forming Christian community met together as believers who encouraged each other in many ways through prayer, examining Scripture and sharing in the remembrance of the risen Lord in the breaking of the bread. Spending much time together (Acts 1:14; 2:46 12:12; 15:6,30; 16:13), these Christians used prayer to make decisions (1:24-25), to give thanks and praise (2:47; 4:24-28, 10:46; 19:6), for support and encouragement (4:32-37; 6:1-6; 13:3; 15:30-33; 16:40; 18:27; 19:6; 20:1-2,36; 21:5-6), in supplication (9:40; 10:2; 21:5) and sharing in receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus (2:42, 46; 20:7, 11). They also met together for examining the Scriptures (2:46; 5:42; 6:2; 11:26; 17:11; 23:23, 31). By careful study, the early Christians preserved and transmitted the word of God, having confidence in their ability to preach boldly.
Raymond E. Brown, in his book The Churches the Apostles Left Behind, gives insight into how the early Church survived after the death of the apostles. His book is a study of different types of Christian Churches as described in the New Testament, each with its own unique emphasis on community life. Each of these different churches offers for us today examples and lessons which can help the Church renew its effort to form adult communities that are willing and prepared to proclaim the Good News.
Brown presents to us a picture of a Church structure that is primarily pastoral, one concerned with tending the flock. In Acts, for example, the dying PaulÕs advice on how to survive, given to Timothy and Titus, shows concern for an existing flock that might be led astray by false teachers. Scriptural passages that stress the importance of passing on the faith first by the elders of the community to younger men, then to the women and children, even to the slaves within the families, suggests the necessity of passing on the faith so that early Church members could discern truth from false teachings.
Like
the early Christian Church, parishes today wanting to bring to their members a
new or renewed effort in adult faith formation, must look seriously at a
structure that will preserve the apostolic heritage of the church. Paul wanted to protect early Christians
against those who could be easily lead them astray by radical or new ideas not
in keeping with or misinterpreting the Gospel message. Many Church members today, who
lack a basic and clear understanding of scripture, are in danger of accepting
as a norm the common social attitudes held in society that threaten to
undermine Christian values.
Learning from the elders of the community, whether from a priest giving
the homily during mass, a parent in the family structure or a trained catechist
teaching others, pastoral care of Òthe flockÓ is a necessary first step in
preserving an apostolic heritage that is ongoing and lifelong so that all the
faithful may Òhold firmly to the sure word as it was taughtÓ (Titus 1:9). GodÕs revelation of salvation for all
as revealed to us through Jesus Christ and passed down by the apostles
continues through the Church faithful today. The understanding of divine revelation is always an ongoing
and lifelong process as it is played out in Christian lives and in the evangelical
mission of the Church.
Brown develops the idea of fellowship or Koinonia of the early church. Early Christians were tied together by their personal relationship to Jesus as experienced in the resurrected Lord. Through the celebration of the Eucharist, they were bound in a unique way to the Body of Christ and by their personal relationship to the Father through Christ as the People of God. In sharing the Word and in the celebration of the Eucharist, Koinonia was strengthened among believers. The early Church survived the many heretical ideas that threatened to disrupt the essential teachings of the Christian faith because its members were able to stand firmly on the solid ground provided by the relationship each member had to one another. Through the Òbreaking of the bread,Ó they were encouraged and strengthened as a group and in their personal relationship with the risen Christ, the animating principle of the community, still Òalive and wellÓ in their midst.[36] In maintaining Koinonia among its members, the early Christian community was seen and experienced as both familial and personal. The Church today must, as Brown states, Òbring people into some personal contact with Jesus so that they can experience in their own way what made people follow him in the first place.Ó[37]
Rationale for Adult Catechesis from
Christian Tradition
The second important source of rationale for the catechesis of adults and its link with evangelization is Christian Tradition, Òthe living and lived faith of the Church.Ó[38] The process of handing on the faith is found in the Tradition (uppercase) of the Church practiced by its faithful, some of which includes Scripture, essential doctrines of the Church and the celebration of the Eucharist and other sacraments. Tradition transmits in its entirety the Word of God entrusted to the apostles and passed on to us.[39] ÒTradition is to be distinguished from the various theological, disciplinary, liturgical, or devotional traditions born in the local churches over time.Ó[40] These would include traditions (lowercase) such as changeable customs, teachings and practices that reflect the distinctive reality of Catholicism through expressions of belief that have received the official approval of the Church and have been accepted as normative statements of Christian faith.[41]
Catholicism defines itself not only by means of Scriptural Witness but also as a product of its history as expressed through life and experience. The Catholic Church teaches that Sacred Scripture and Tradition, as two sources of revelation, are held as normative and authoritative. The CCC states, ÒSacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, then, are bound closely together and communicate one with the other.Ó[42] The Church Òdoes not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from Holy Scripture alone. Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence.Ó[43]
The Church has a rich history that helps to understand the place Sacred Scripture and Tradition have played in the catechetical process of both children and adults. Before the use of written texts the faith was handed on through proclamation, catechesis, worship and example. Catechesis for the early Christian church involved sharing life experiences, encouraging and supporting each other which included communal prayer, acts of justice and studying scripture for deepening the faith and preparing members to be witnesses for Christ to the world.
During the Middle Ages, catechesis was influenced by St. Augustine (354-430), who introduced a four-step methodology similar to a process developed over time by other early Christians. It involved:
1. Telling the story.
2. Explaining the doctrine in the story.
3. Asking questions to check understanding.
4. Exhorting to right behavior.[44]
As with the early Christians, from the time of Augustine to the fifteenth century, catechesis was primarily oral. Though first introduced in AugustineÕs treatise The First Catechetical Instruction, this pattern of catechesis can already be seen in Acts when St. Paul witnesses to Agrippa. In Acts 26: 4-16, he first tells the story of how he persecuted Christians and, while traveling to Damascus to continue his persecution, he experiences his conversion when Christ speaks and appears to him. Paul then explains the doctrine as Christ reveals his plan for Paul to be sent to the Jews and the Gentiles so that Òthey may turn from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in meÓ (26: 17-18). In verses 25-27, Paul checks for understanding by questioning AgrippaÕs belief in the message of the prophets. Finally, in verse 29, Paul exhorts Agrippa and all those listening to right behavior that they Òmight become such as I am,Ó desiring the salvation offered by God.
This method of adult catechesis used by the early Christians and passed on into the Middle Ages by St. Augustine would experience a shift that would affect religious education for centuries to come. First, the Church changed its format of catechetical instruction from interaction within the community, adults being the primary recipients of catechesis, to catechesis which involved primarily children. During the 1500s, a prototype of future catechesis for children was developed. In 1529 Martin Luther published his Small Catechism with its series of questions and answers. In 1596 the Jesuit Peter Canisius published an abbreviated version of his compendium on Christian Doctrine called the Short Catechism, which included fifty-nine questions and answers for children to memorize. It became instruction with a book, rather than understanding the ChurchÕs stories. Those of us growing up under the book instruction methodology may well remember our own catechetical experience of memorization and recall.
The second effect of the shift is that religious education began to develop into other forms. In 1566, a catechism as a resource for clergy was produced as a results of talks stemming from the Council of Trent (1545-1563). Its authors intended the text for use by clergy to help them in their sermons and their instruction of children and youth.[45] As a means to memorization, it was written in running prose, not in question and answer form. It became the basis for many catechisms written by priests and bishops in the Post-Reformation period.[46]
By the nineteenth century, the question of a uniform catechism became a worrisome concern for bishops in the United States. Many favored the adoption of a single catechism. In April of 1885, The Baltimore Catechism was published.[47] The Baltimore Catechism was a book containing seventy-two pages with 421 questions in thirty-seven chapters. An anonymous critic at the time writing in Pastoral Blatt, a monthly periodical from St. Louis, found it to be educationally unstable and theologically inadequate. Though met with serious resistance from both instructors and bishops, it would not be for nearly fifty years that a revision would take place. Even when it was revised, bishops felt that the catechism was neither christocentric, trinitarian nor biblical. It did not incorporate the liturgical insights of the time or show priorities among the doctrines. It did, however, like the original edition, promote both unity and uniformity.[48]
A third effect of the shift was that, by the twentieth century, many ways of improving methodology for teaching were developed. Primary concerns focused on how children learned as well as on the content of what was being taught. Children were introduced to drama, dance, drawing, singing and liturgical celebrations. Even so, by the 1930s the prevailing attitude held that understanding doctrine was not enough, even if carried out through new and creative ways of teaching. Religious instruction should also focus on the formation of the child.[49]
The work of the famous liturgist and catechist Josef Jungmann (1889-1976), brought to the Church new insights into the nature, goal and process of catechesis.[50] His insights would later bring attention to the need for adult catechesis leading to current Church thinking that adult catechesis is the axis around which revolves all other forms of catechesis. His work would ultimately lead the Church to consider the important relationship between catechesis and evangelization.
While doing his pastoral ministry in villages of his native Austria,
Jungmann recognized a spiritual deficiency of the village people that he
described as Òthe vast gulf between the joyful good news of the gospel and the
legalistic fearsome piety of the people of the parish.Ó[51]
He stated that Òthe main root of todayÕs religious malady is. . . an extensive
misunderstanding or nonunderstanding of the Christian message.Ó[52] Jungmann described church life as
Òimpoverished due to a static theology that did not speak to peopleÕs lives, a
liturgy divorced from the people. . . .Ó[53]
He believed that the inadequacies experienced by the people were because of a catechesis which was not Christ-centered. The Òradiant coreÓ of the salvation message, ÒChrist and Grace, became ever more and more separated.Ó [54] Catechesis, strong in doctrinal formation was lacking in its interaction with Scripture and liturgy. Jungmann believed that an examination of doctrine, Scripture and liturgy was intimately connected with the witness of daily life.
At the same time Jungmann was introducing his ideas, Joseph Colomb (1902-1979), a French Sulpician priest, was also bringing to the Church new insights about the nature, goal and process of catechesis. Colomb was responsible for two major contributions. First, he emphasized that understanding is dependent on experience. Secondly, he pointed out that the act of faith is a response to God, not a response to objective statements.[55] While believing that faith is a gift from God and that the content of that which is taught to children should stress understanding, each is free to choose this gift but that every free person should be educated to fight for his faith Òin the measure in which that has a meaning for the child.Ó[56] Both Jungmann and Colomb realized that the current methods of teaching were not producing the desired effects of understanding nor was teaching producing adults who wanted and would chose to Òfight forÓ their faith.
I stress the words Òa meaning for the childÓ because it indicates that during the early part of the twentieth century, religious education was still focused on the child. There is a vital connection here between adult catechesis and the prophetic statements both men were making in regard to the state of the adult faithful of the Church at the time. Both Jungmann and Colomb were intuitively aware of the fact that current catechesis was not a life-changing experience for adult members as it should be. Their understanding that the problem lay in the manner and content of what was being taught was correct but not complete. Others later in the twentieth century would, in addition to the manner and content of what was being taught, understand the necessity for adding the formation of adults in their quest to develop in the faithful a love for the Gospel message.
In 1962, catechetical leaders assembled in Bangkok, Thailand, would initiate a dramatic shift from the emphasis on the catechesis of children to the catechesis of adults.[57] Up to this point, Church history does not speak to its effort to catechize adults, other than in the early Church. Jungmann and Colomb were keenly aware that the faith formation of children stopped at some point, a crucial point, in which what was being desired for and learned by children was not being assimilated into their lives as adults. The Church today now understands, as Pope John Paul IIÕs encyclical Redemptoris Missio and the U.S. Catholic Bishops document OHWB express, that evangelization efforts require adult believers who are articulate in sharing a faith they understand, embrace and live.[58]
The Catholic Tradition has contributed greatly to the education of our youth and continues to do so but it is through our adult faithful that the evangelical mission of the Church will be made fruitful, because it is the adults who Òhave the greatest responsibilities and the capacity to live the Christian message in its fully developed form.Ó[59] The Church has been experiencing a renewal in catechesis that is taking place in many parishes today. A discussion on the contemporary efforts of the Church in the area of adult catechesis, its relationship to other forms of catechesis and its inseparable connection to evangelization will be discussed later in this paper.
Before going into such a discussion, one final aspect of the Christian
Tradition needs to be given important attention. Many parishes across the United States are embracing the call to involve our adult faithful in
a catechetical process that helps its members better understand and deepen
their faith. They are doing so by
embracing a fourfold presentation of the faith much like that followed by the
early Christian communities of Acts and developed in the methodology of St.
Augustine. This catechesis
embraces faith through liturgy, Bible, systematic teaching and testimony of
Christian living.[60]
Many other parishes, however, have not yet embraced this catechetical renewal. This does not diminish the fact that, without being involved in a formal program of catechesis, many parents and adults of the community are and have been sharing and passing on the faith in many ways, keeping it alive and meaningful in their lives as well as in the lives of future generations.
Ritual practices have become traditions, forming a Tradition of faith
that is a binding force for families.
Catholics receive their identity as Christians through the practice of
the traditions that make up their faith.
These traditions come from the foundations of faith by which Catholic
Christians live their lives and pass on the Christian message of salvation.
These traditions reach out to each man, woman and child as they are drawn and
bound to each other through common Christian experience. Their ceremonies and rituals serve as
reminders of the faith and help instruct new and younger members. Catholic Christians develop traditions
in the family and within the church to highlight the significance of doctrine,
to serve as reminders for older persons and learning experiences for younger
ones.
Tradition, the living and lived faith of the Church, is expressed in many traditions (the various theological, disciplinary, liturgical or devotional traditions born in the local churches over time) by which adults pass on the faith. As Catholics, some may not have fully considered the weight adults play in the Catholic Tradition of the Church. In presenting rationale that supports the need for adult faith formation as the axis around which revolves the catechesis of all other age groups, especially that of our children, it is important to emphasize the ways in which parents and adults in the faith community have been and continue to pass on the faith to future generations.
Some areas through which our traditions of the faith arise and have been passed on to others are the oral or vocal tradition of prayer, the narrative or story-telling tradition and sacramental traditions. The CCC states that vocal (or oral) prayer is an essential element of Christian life and is the most readily accessible way to present statements of the faith to groups.[61] Prayers such as the Nicene and ApostleÕs Creed, the Our Father and the Hail Mary are examples of prayers in which basic essential doctrine of the Christian faith and the teachings of the Church are passed on. Catholics have learned these teachings through the tradition of prayer by repetition and contemplation during masses and by memorization and study during religious education classes, at home or at other religious functions within the community. These prayers, within the particular ceremony or ritual in which they have been learned, have become an important part of the life of the Church.
The Creeds, as
statements of our faith, can be used to illustrate the narrative or
story-telling tradition many Catholic faithful use to teach the truths they
express. Some most commonly
recognized and practiced traditions come from the two most important Christian
celebrations namely, Christmas and Easter. The following section of the Nicene Creed states the
doctrine from which narrative or story-telling traditions play themselves out
as they arise from the Christmas celebration: ÒFor us men and for our
salvation, he came down from heaven. By the power of the Holy Spirit he was
born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.Ó[62]
During the Advent season, a most common expression of the faith is the use of a nativity scene to teach about the Christmas Story. Religious education classrooms, churches, homes and other places in the community are filled with reminders of the birth of the Baby Jesus. We are reminded of the Christmas story through Gospel readings (Matthew 1:18-2:12; Luke 2:1-19) and homilies. By the very action of placing a nativity scene inside and outside our homes, we remind and teach to all generations our belief in salvation through the Lord. Another tradition, Las Posadas, is an enactment in song of Mary and JosephÕs journey to Bethlehem, their search for shelter and the birth of their son, Jesus, as celebrated in Spanish and Mexican cultures throughout the United States.
Through many Lenten traditions, the Catholic community shares its beliefs in the following section of the Nicene Creed:
For our sake, he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered, died and was buried. On the third day, he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.[63]
Catholic Christians gather together
on Ash Wednesday to begin the season in prayer as they receive the ashes that
represent the beginning of a time of repentance and preparation, while
considering the meaning of the death and resurrection of the Lord in Christian
lives. Persons participate in the
Stations of the Cross, and reflect through guided oral meditation, the story of
JesusÕ journey as he made his way to the cross and to his death on
Calvary. During the Lenten
experience, religious education classes, homes, families and parishes display
the suffering Christ upon the cross and contemplate the gift of salvation as
the Passion of our Lord is acted out or read. The tradition of Òpilgrims,Ó the Catholic faithful who walk
in prayer many miles and sometimes for days to holy sites as a way of enacting
ChristÕs walk to Calvary, is another way in which Catholics express their
belief in the saving death of the Lord.
The enactments of the Christmas Story and the Passion of Jesus Christ and pilgrimages to holy sites give a message that speaks louder that any words. There is no preaching or proselytizing. The medium is the message. This silent message rests on our tabletops and in our front yards and in every parish around the world at Christmas time. These traditions speak in subtle ways as reminders to the Christian community and to all people of the faith professed when the Creeds are recited.
Like the
traditions developed over time and celebrated during the Advent-Christmas and
Lent-Easter seasons, a third area in which the traditions of our faith arise
and are passed on by parents and adults comes from the liturgical
celebration. As a sacramental
Church, the faithful experience the Paschal Mystery, the saving grace of Christ
through his life, death, resurrection and ascension in the reception of
Baptism, the Eucharist, the Rite of Confirmation and other sacraments. A sacrament is a sign of GodÕs
invisible presence and grace through which the Church manifests and celebrates
its faith.[64] Sacraments are important moments of
Christian life that give Òbirth and increase, healing and mission to the ChristianÕs
life of faith.Ó[65] In the celebration of the Sacraments,
the Church community is drawn more deeply into the liturgical celebration. As a
faith community that celebrates together, the faithful share in the mystery of
God incarnate and his saving grace through the actions of his son Jesus Christ.
The traditions that have come from the customs, teachings and practices of our faith explain the distinctive reality of Catholicism. These traditions have been celebrated by the Church community and passed on from generation to generation. They are an important process of the faith formation as experienced through Catholic Christian heritage. Christian Tradition and Scriptural witness provide models for catechesis which can be followed and adapted to the changing needs of our times as was done by the inspired faithful of past centuries. We have seen how the first Christians grew in their faith, contributing to the growth of the Church as mandated by Christ. We too can be inspired by their example of community interaction, oral instruction, prayer, support, encouragement and exhortation to right behavior to each other and to those who hear the message of salvation. We can also be inspired and committed to a renewal in catechesis that exemplifies and gives importance to the struggles and gains made by the Church since the time of the apostles in its effort to make the Christian experience more meaningful.
The Church must continue its effort to orient and make comfortable the catechesis of adults to the Catholic community as was first addressed by catechetical leaders assembled in Bangkok. In doing so, the Church increases the possibility that, unlike JungmannÕs observations of the vast gulf between the lived and living faith of the people, by closing the gap, Catholic faithful will discover and continue to experience the Òjoyful and good news of the Gospel.Ó[66]
Rationale for
Adult Catechesis From Ecclesial Documents
Scriptural witness and Christian Tradition do not offer a complete picture of the importance of adult catechesis without the partnership of contemporary experience. This section explores current thought in this area as expressed in Church documents since Vatican II and as discussed in written works by important leaders in the field of adult faith formation. This section refers to and expands on four key statements taken from ecclesial documents to show important rationale for adult catechesis. The second part of this section expands upon these statements, using central themes in adult catechesis as discussed by current theorists and practitioners of religious education and adult psychology.
The development of rationale for adult catechesis from ecclesial documents is divided into the following four sections, each exploring an important statement made from within the different ecclesial documents. The statements to be developed are:
1. In its effort to carry out ChristÕs command to proclaim the Gospel, the Church believes that. . .
most adults are
capable of a free and informed response of faith
to GodÕs
initiative of love. They Òhave a
right and a duty to bring
to maturity
the seed of faith sown in them by God.Ó[67]
2. In the ongoing process of becoming articulate in
their faith, parents. . .
live out their faith and
hand it on to their children.[68]
3. Because adults have the greatest capacity to live out their faith and hand it on to younger generations, adult faith formation must be. . .
the central
task in [this] catechetical enterprise, becoming
the axis
around which revolves the catechesis of childhood,
and
adolescence as well as old age.[69]
4. Because the fundamental task of catechesis is Òthe formation of disciples of Christ,Ó. . . [70]
Evangelization is so central to
the life of the Church that, should she neglect her sacred responsibility of bringing
the Good News of Jesus Christ to all of humanity, she would be faithful neither
to the mission entrusted to her by her Lord nor to her identity as mother and
teacher.[71]
1. The NDC states that adults Òhave a right and duty to bring to maturity the seed of faith sown in them by God.Ó[72] Many adult Catholics have a desire to deepen their faith. They want a welcoming place in which they can share their life experiences with others. As adults share and grow in their faith, each is encouraged to mirror the image of Christ. Because adults have the capacity to respond to GodÕs loving plan, they are by GodÕs design, capable of responding to the life experiences of others. The evangelical task cannot be carried out without responding to the needs of others. When, as adults, we respond to the needs of others, we experience the joys and sorrows felt by the whole.[73] When united in this capacity, we respond to GodÕs initiative of love as an entire community becoming ever more like the compassionate Christ.
Within this sharing community, members are constantly united and nourished as the initial Gospel message that awakens faith grows and deepens. The faith community examines its reasons for belief, shares in the celebration of the sacraments, responds to its needs and by living the Christian life, becomes a witness to the faith.
Before the Church can carry on the mission beyond its own walls, evangelization must first take place among its members. By interaction with the Christian community, adults can learn to evangelize to each other so that as adults and especially as parents, they become more proficient and articulate when passing on the faith.
2. The CCC tells us that ÒThe role of parents in education is of such importance that it is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute.Ó[74] The CCC considers the responsibility of parents to first, create a home where there is tenderness, forgiveness, respect and fidelity. Parents can enrich their family responsibility by their participation in the life of the parish, especially in the Sunday Eucharist, their willingness to evangelize and serve other, their dedication to daily prayer and demonstration of their faith as Christians.[75] Within this context, parents provide for the physical and spiritual needs of their children.
The home is the most natural environment for evangelizing children because of its social structure. The CCC gives the ideal circumstances by which children can live and grow. However, at one time or another, most families live a life that is less than the ideal. Regardless of the degree to which families live the ideal life, all families struggle with situations that influence how they live. Following the call to try to provide responsible care for themselves and their families, parents need tools that can help them during times of struggle.
One of these tools involves a relationship with other families in which their experiences can be shared with others. While some family situations may require help from trained personnel, parents can find support and encouragement from other parents within the community where they live, especially within the Church community. Parents often think they are alone in the difficulties they face. As adults we have all experienced times in our lives when someone has offered a helping hand in the way of service, word or prayer. How much more is received when parents can meet with a group on a regular basis who want to share similar experiences and lift others up so that each member can be sustained in the task of raising family members who lead a Christian life. In various places, small communities have emerged that support each other through praying and reflecting on the Word of God.[76] By striving to relate the relevance of the Word to their everyday lives, parents as well as all adults of the Christian community, can better equip themselves for the task of evangelization, in and out of the home.
One of the primary tools most parishes have in supporting parents in their efforts to hand on the faith is the religious education program for children and adolescents. By making a concerted effort to enroll students in these programs and be actively involved in the learning process, parents can receive some of the support they need in becoming more articulate in the faith. With consistent and quality interaction between parents and the religious education program, the catechetical task becomes a cooperative endeavor that helps sustain parents who have the greatest responsibility to hand on their faith to their children.
The NDC lists other ways in which family and home are being
supported across the nation and within the Catholic Church in the United
States. Men and women are sharing the responsibilities of parenting, creating
more flexibility in both the fatherÕs and motherÕs roles.[77] Many service institutions are showing a
renewed interest in providing services that help support familiesÕ
responsibilities.[78] Family concerns and issues are being
taken more seriously by some political leaders in the public policy-making
process. Some political leaders
are moving toward a consensus belief that families should be of primary concern
in the public policy-making process.[79] Likewise, the Church desires that
families understand their responsibility for the faith formation of their
children and encourages parents to have an ongoing and lifelong practice of
deepening their own faith.
3. Becoming effective witnesses to the faith requires a faith that is ongoing and lifelong. ACCC speaks to the fact that a grave imbalance has been created in the formation of adults insofar as catechesis has devoted its attention to children while the same has not happened for young people and adults.[80] The need for adult catechesis as the axis around which revolves all other forms of catechesis is bound up in the role adults have, not only in the Christian community and within the family structure, but also within the society that they live and work and find meaning.
Acquiring an adult faith involves the collaboration of all those who make
up the Church--from children and adolescent, young people and adults to the
aged. Every form of catechesis is
enriched by its adults. In fact,
the document On Catechesis in Our Time
(hereafter, CT) issued by the International Synod of Bishops in October 1977
states that, the Christian community cannot carry out a permanent catechesis
without the direct participation of adults.[81] Gaps in the religious education process
experienced by many Catholics can be bridged when adults are actively involved
in developing a mature faith.
Adult faith formation benefits all age groups, each in different
ways.
During the process of their faith formation, adults involved in ongoing and lifelong catechesis are developing a well-informed faith. This faith is essential for their transition into and as the Òwisdom keepersÓ[82] of the faith community. The adult phase of catechesis is a crucial one because most adults spend the majority of their lives learning, processing, making meaning and most important and necessary for mature faith, reforming their lives to reflect the life of Christ. In their shared faith experiences with others, adults grow in their relationship with God through focused attention on Jesus. During this phase of catechesis, adults acquire Òecclesial consciousnessÓ[83] which is ever aware of what it means to live as a disciple of Christ.
While the Church stresses its missionary objective of evangelization,[84] it is also sensitive to the many stresses its members live under every day. Adults experience the pressures of job, home and family responsibilities that can lessen or hinder their efforts to be effective evangelizers. As mature wisdom keepers of the faith, older adult Christians, freed from the many responsibilities that tied them down as younger adults, have the opportunity to continue their faith journey by undertaking some form of service t