I am doing a series of articles related to the upcoming comprehensive exam I will be taking at Franciscan University of Steubenville in order to complete my MACE degree. In order to make the process go smoothly, one of my classmates, Patti Christensen, has done an excellent job of organizing a collaborative effort on the part of all of us to make the process of studying for the exam to be a little more manageable. The way she organized this effort was to have each of us tackle one of the questions, and then create a study outline that we all could use. That is the skeleton for this series of articles.
The class I am addressing with this article is what is called Deposit of Faith, and I took this course myself last Fall (2016). As part of the collaborative effort organized by Patti, I want to give credit to Katie Torrey, one of my classmates who created the outline for this question from which I am building my article. Each of my classmates who contributed the outlines for these efforts will be acknowledged and given due credit, as they did amazing work as well.
When we speak of the "Deposit of Faith," (or in Latin, Fidei Depositum) in a catechetical context it refers to that body of teaching and tradition which has been historically preserved and handed down by the Church, and as catechists it is our duty to transmit and teach that Deposit as faithfully as we are able to do so - opinions and speculations concerning these teachings are irrelevant, and have no place in the catechetical work. This Deposit is summarized by what are known as "the Four Pillars of Catechesis" (the Creeds, the Decalogue and Summary of the Law, the Sacraments, and the Our Father), and at their center is the person of Jesus Christ - emphasizing the supremacy of Christ as the central core of the Deposit is known as Christocentricity. As late Monsignor Eugene Kevane points out in his seminal work, Jesus the Divine Teacher (Bloomington, IN: Authorhouse, 2003), the Name of Jesus Christ is one of the most important and illuminating among all the biblical foundations of catechetics, and as such the Prophets all taught the Chosen People to expect Jesus's coming as a teacher of mankind - all Christian Revelation centers upon the teaching of Christ, and this central facet is also an integral part of Hebrew Revelation (as embodied in what we know as the Old Testament) (Kevane, p. 99). That is why the "Four Pillars," which link Hebrew and Christian Revelation together as one and the same, summarize this faith, and also point us to Jesus Christ.
The first of these "Pillars" that merit some discussion are the historic Creeds of the Church themselves. This name "Creed" comes from the Latin word Credo, which simply means "I believe." In essence, then, the Creeds literally express what a Christian is supposed to believe and confess. At least two of the three historic Creeds - the Nicene and the Apostles' - are subdivided into three parts. The parts are distinct and related, and also clearly Trinitarian. The Apostles' Creed is perhaps the oldest, as it summarizes the faith of the first Apostles, and thus embodies the earliest convictions of the Church. In its use, the Apostles' Creed is reserved mostly for private devotions such as the Rosary or for non-sacramental liturgical worship, such as the Morning Prayer office in the Anglican tradition for example. At only one paragraph, it is short, concise, and summarizes every major doctrine of the faith in a paragraph. As Anglo-Catholic priest and scholar Dr. Paul S. Russell notes, the religious connection to God through Jesus is the primary concern of communicating the faith creedally to the next generation, and in doing so, all of the Creeds are to be seen as a tool and not an end in themselves (Paul S. Russell, The Apostles' Creed. Berkeley, CA: American Church Union, 2008. p. 10). In other words, the Creeds express the faith, but they are not the fulness of the faith, which is only in the person of Jesus Himself. Yet, the Creeds are also not to be seen as superseded or irrelevant either, as their purpose is to attain and deepen the faith of all times by their summation of it (CCC 193). The longer Nicene Creed, as we commonly call it today, was the summation of the faith from the authority of two Ecumenical Councils ( AD 325 and AD 381). This means then that the Creeds even precede the final decision on the canon of Scripture, which was made at the Council of Carthage in AD 397. A third Creed that came later was the much-longer Athanasian Creed (or the Quicumque) , which is often professed by the Church on Trinity Sunday, some 7-10 days after Pentecost. The Athanasian Creed is attributed to the first Council of Nicaea in AD 325, which condemned the heretic Arius who denied both the divinity of Christ and the doctrine of the Trinity. It is attributed to St. Athanasios, who was a participant in the Council. At any rate, all the Creeds provide a concise summary of the Fidei Depositum, and hence their place among the "Four Pillars."
As to how the Deposit is Christocentric, first off it is to be affirmed that Jesus not only transmits the Word of God, but He is the living Word of God Himself. This intimately ties the catechetical vocation directly to Him (General Directory on Catechesis, 98). That is why, as Monsignor Kevane notes, the content of Jesus's teaching doesn't have its source in human empirical sciences or human philosophies, but rather it transcends human reason, coming out of the prophetic light, and is the very Word of God spoken from the lips of God Incarnate (Kevane, p. 176). This means that at the heart of our faith is a Person, not an abstraction, and that Person is Jesus Christ. Jesus is also at the very center of salvation history - it all culminates in the Incarnation, and is in essence completed at the Ascension of Christ after His Resurrection to the right hand of the Father, as we also profess in the historic Creeds of the Church. Our faith, therefore, has as its locus the Word of God, not just written but living in the Person of Christ Himself.
The Deposit however is not only Christocentric, but is Trinitarian. The Word of God (Jesus) is spoken as the Word of the Father who is spoken to the world through His Spirit (the Holy Spirit). Jesus constantly refers back in His teachings to the Father, as well as to the Holy Spirit - by the Father He communicates He is only-begotten, and by the Spirit He knows He is annointed (Messiah). The Trinity is a mystery (something known but beyond expression) that is central to Christian faith and life (CCC 234). This is also reflected in the devotional practice of the Sign of the Cross as well - it calls upon the Savior's grace to dedicate the day to the glory of God, and that grace in turn facilitates the person to act in the Spirit as a child of the Father (CCC 2157). And, by tying this to another "Pillar" - the Decalogue and the Summary of the Law as found in Matthew 22:37 - by engaging our whole being in dedication to the Trinity. When we cross ourselves, we are saying we love God with our whole mind (by touching our brow), our whole strength (by touching the left and right shoulders), and with our whole heart (by touching our chest). We therefore hand on the Fidei Depositum by our lives as well as with our lips, which is where that entire "love your neighbor as yourself" thing comes in. In doing so, we hand on the Deposit through Christ in us, to the Father, and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit (GDC 98).
This now leads to how, in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, that the Christocentric and Trinitarian character of the Deposit of Faith is expressed. Its expression is first of all to ensure understanding, living, and handing on this Deposit in an organic way, and that is the challenge of the catechist to make sure this is done in the way it should be done. It is also done through each of the "Pillars," as the Catechism deals with each at length. Regarding the Creeds, for instance, we know that the Creeds are a profession of faith at Baptism in the name of the Trinity (CCC 189). We also know the Creeds are constructed along Trinitarian lines (CCC 190). Additionally, we understand the faith we have is foundated upon the Trinity (CCC 232). As such, the Trinity is also the central mystery of our faith (CCC 234). Our faith has at its heart a Person, Jesus Christ (CCC 426), and everything therefore must be taught with reference to Christ (CCC 427). That therefore summarizes how the Trinitarian character of our faith is expressed in the historic Creeds of the Church.
In regard to the Sacraments, first it is important to understand that in the liturgy the Father is acknowledged and adored (via Latria - exclusive worship to God alone), and this is done through the Word. When this happens, the Holy Spirit is dispensed to all who willfully, humbly, and joyfully participate in the reception of the mystery of Christ in the Eucharist (CCC 1082). It is also in the liturgical context - particularly the Mass - that the Paschal Mystery is made present to us. This was announced by Jesus in His earthly life and anticipated by His actions as part of the divine pedagogy (CCC 1085). The beauty of the Paschal Mystery is that it transcends time - we are carried back to the foot of the Cross every time we partake of it. This refutes the common Protestant charge that Catholics "crucify Jesus over and over" when we celebrate Mass. The Passion was one time, and was never repeated, nor does it need to be so. However, the grace of the Passion, as embodied in the Eucharist, is always available to those who are faithful, and when we partake of it we are participating in an event which cannot be defined by rationalism or linear time - by a "mystery of faith" it transcends all of that. We therefore meet Jesus at Calvary in the Eucharist at the moment it happens, and there is no "recrucifixion" of our Lord at all. Although the Eucharist does constitute a memorial of the mystery of salvation, it is a living memory that is prompted by the Holy Spirit, and it is a memory that takes us back to the spot it all happened in a mystical way (CCC 1099).
Regarding the "Third Pillar," which in the Deposit represents the moral life, primarily this points back to the Decalogue and the Summary of the Law in Matthew 22, but it also is intertwined with prayer as constant communion with God gives us the strength and determination to live out the moral mandate of our faith. The Spirit's prompting to pray to the Father fosters action to bear the "fruits of the Spirit" described in many places of the New Testament, which in turn have moral dimension to them. Spiritual transformation by the Holy Spirit within us is what prompts us to live the moral life we are intended to live (CCC 1695). That is why a vibrant prayer discipline - incorporating things like the sign of the Cross, praying the Our Father, the Rosary, other devotional practices, etc. - prompts a call on Christ's supernatural grace to act in the Spirit as a child of the Father. So, disciplined by prayer and nourished by the Sacraments, we can also live out the moral aspects of our faith.
The "Fourth Pillar" of course is prayer, and when in reference to the Deposit it is embodied perfectly in the prayer Jesus teaches us in the Gospels, the Our Father. The act of Christian prayer is a covenant act - it entails both an action of God and of man, and springs forth from both the Holy Spirit and ourselves, and is directed to the Father (CCC 2564). This means too that the whole Trinity is involved in the process with us when we pray. Communication with God, furthermore, brings communion with God as a Trinitarian Godhead. Prayer also internalizes and assimilates the liturgy to us after its celebration is over, which then empowers a "living-out" of our faith in a dynamic way (CCC 2655).
There is an organic unity among all "Four Pillars," as you may have noticed they overlap a lot. The reason is that Christocentric and Trinitarian faith is the foundation upon which all of them rest, and therefore there is no separating or favoring one of them over another. On another level too, it means that it is also reflexive as to how we read and understand the written Word of God (Scripture) too, as defined in the "Fourfold Hermeneutic:"
1. Historical - what it actually is (Scripture as written, the Trinitarian God as He is)
2. Allegorical - what we believe and how (the Creeds)
3. Moral - what we do with it and how we live (Decalogue and Summation)
4. Anagogical - where we are going and how we get there (the Sacraments and Prayer both)
The way we affirm the "Four Pillars" will also determine how we view Scripture too - is it just a moral book, or is it truly God's living Word? The Bible likewise is to be read Christocentrically too, in that there are types, symbols, and other aspects of the Old Testament that point us to Christ, even in the "boring begats" sections of genealogies, etc. Christ is therefore both the heart of our faith, and the heart of salvation history as well - He is to be understood as relating to all we see in Scripture (GDC 98). If we keep a Christocentric faith and reflect that in our catechesis, it leads to a Trinitarian faith (GDC 99). The mystery of the Trinity is that it is a communion of Persons, and that Communion of Persons loves and desires communion with us too. Hence, that is why all of our life in Christ - receiving and participating in the Sacraments, confessing the Creeds, living a life of prayer, and honoring God's moral law - must have the Trinity at its central focus, and all of our actions in these disciplines point us to the Trinitarian God we should love and serve.
Thank you again for allowing me to share, and will be back with the next part next week.
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Friday, September 22, 2017
My Journey to a Comp Exam - What I Have Learned Part II
This is the second of my upcoming comprehensive exam material, and this one is completely my composition in lieu of the cooperative effort by my classmates. This one has to do with Theological Foundations of the faith, and more specifically with a question concerning Cardinal Schonborn's statement, "Finis ominum ecclesia" (the Church is the goal of all things). So, it is my hope that maybe as you read and experience a little bit of my own studies here, you can learn a little something as well.
"The Church is the goal of all things" - a profound statement made by Cardinal Christoph Schonborn and also elaborated more in his book Loving the Church, in which he devotes a whole chapter to that phrase. By it he means that the Church, as a means, is a sacrament or sign and instrument of intimate union with God. But, it is also an end, in that the sacramental grace dispensed through the Church aids in the final goal of the plan of Creation, which is the perfection of a fallen creation and restoration of it to what God intended it to be. That includes us as human beings, being we are the pinnacle of God's creation ourselves. That being said, this subject needs to be looked at by the three areas of theology that are affected by it, and I will explain what those are in the next paragraph.
The first area of theology to explore this question will be what is called Fundamental Theology. Fundamental theology has nothing whatsoever to do with Fundamentalists, but rather is a discipline within the greater spectrum of theology that seeks to establish the fact that God has made supernatural revelation and has established His Church as the custodial interpreter of that revelation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_theology - accessed 9/22/2017). To put this in layman's terminology, God revealed Himself, as well as His plan, and it is up to the Church to be the reservoir of knowledge concerning that revelation. Outside of the Church's custodial realm, God's revelation of Himself becomes subjective and open to the whims and fancies of rationalism and other mindsets that deny the supernatural aspect of faith. This means then, in lieu of that fact, that creation itself is the "first language" God speaks. If we go back to Aquinas, you will recall that he taught that God authored two "books," one being Nature and the other being Revelation. In the language of metaphysics, there is also the idea of the Principle of Causality that relates to this as well - everything has sufficient reason to exist, and thus any being that does not contain the sufficient reason for its own existence within itself requires a cause (W. Norris Clarke, The One and the Many. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2001. p. 21). There is only one being in the whole universe who has self-sufficient cause for existence, and thus is perfect and free to create or discontinue anything else, and of course that is God. God speaks this truth through both Nature and Revelation, and neither "book" can contradict the other (Law of Non-Contradiction) - created things speak to us directly in Nature (through, for example, the Fibbonaci sequence and the Golden Ratio being played out in the design of creation), and God Himself speaks through His own Revelation, which we understand to be Holy Scripture and Tradition. Now, via supernatural grace, Revelation perfects Nature, and thus we are back to Fundamental Theology. Creation as the "first language " God spoke is in fact His language, as He Himself "wrote the book." And, as Scott Hahn notes, God made Nature (at least initially) good, and the more we realize that Nature has goodness attributed by God to it, we then can have grace to build upon that - natural law exists, as Dr. Hahn notes, to prepare human beings for supernatural grace (Scott Hahn, Reasons to Believe. New York: Doubleday, 2007. pp. 54-55). What that means in terms of Fundamental Theology is that the importance of the role of faith in creation is fundamental to having a correct understanding of the Church. Creation relates to the Church in several ways - it foreshadows it, serves it, and is perfected by it. Why? Because the Church, as the "goal of all things," is where the ultimate deposit of supernatural grace is dispensed to those seeking it. Therefore, understanding that God is the Creator of heaven and earth (as affirmed in the opening sentences of the Creeds) is the first step to conversion. The Church, as the guardian of the Fidei Depositum, makes this possible by its evangelical mission. Therefore, if belief in God is lacking, Christ is unable to be proclaimed and the Church cannot be established - at the heart of the proclamation is what is known as the Kerygma, the story of the economy of salvation in history, and Christ is the focal point of that. If one doubts God as Creator, then it begins to make faith crumble and the Kerygma cannot be received and accepted. The Kerygma is a complete legacy of salvation in itself, and therefore what God says must be believed and accepted by faith as true. It is therefore up to the Church, as the authenticating custodian and interpreter of divine Revelation, to herald these truths without compromise and in their entirety. That essentially is Fundamental Theology in a nutshell.
We now move onto Biblical Theology, which is defined as a discipline within the broader spectrum of theology that bases the existence of the Church upon what God revealed in Scripture, and in turn the Church is be the conduit of the salvation heralded in the Kerygma to the world. It is related to Fundamental Theology and Christian metaphysics in that it presupposes that God is the author of the written Revelation, and thus it can be authenticated by the witness of the Church as true. This of course entails several things as it relates to the narrative of the Kerygma as revealed in Scripture. First, the Bible presupposes the Church. Although the Church precedes the complete canon of Scripture in tangibility, nonetheless Scripture in many cases (Old Testament) predates the Church but presupposes its existence by types and the divine order of history leading up to the coming of Christ. The language of covenant is the key here in understanding the mechanics of this, and as we look at Scripture we see that the framework of the Scriptural narrative is one of a series of covenant relationships - six to be exact - which are a prefigurement of the Church. As Christ is the culmination of this narrative, there is no further supernatural Revelation after His sojourn on earth (CCC 73). God begins this work, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church notes, at the Fall in Genesis 3, and the Church is seen as God's reaction to the chaos provoked by sin (CCC 761). Lumen Gentium also affirms this in noting that the Revelation of the Kingdom is often conveyed by means of metaphors, as well as by typologies of figures and nations found there (LG 6). As Lumen Gentium 9 notes, "Step by step He taught and prepared this people, making it holy unto itself," referring of course to the people (the Jews) that Christ was to come from. This preparation, of course, came in the form of covenant. As the Catechism notes again, this means that the "remote preparation" for this gathering together of the people of God begins when God calls Abraham and promises that he will become the father of a great people (CCC 762). In reality, God made it possible for Abraham to father two great peoples - the first, of course, were his physical descendants, but one of those of that line, Jesus Christ, would birth the other, the "spiritual people of Abraham" known as the Church. Therefore, every Biblical covenant must be seen as a prefigurement of the Church in the greater plan of God for the salvation of mankind. This also means that the Church has to be one (note Ephesians 4:5 and I Corinthians 12:13), and therefore division tends to hinder the Church's mission. As one Church, it becomes the setting where God unfolds His plan, step-by-step, and therefore the work of salvation is complete and finished (note Ephesians 3:10 and Acts 2:42). This gives the Church then a mediatory role in salvation in that Christ (who is the source and only Mediator of salvation - I Timothy 2:5) bestows upon the Church His authority to share in that mediation because her people share in the life of Christ via the Eucharist and the proclamation of the Gospel. It also intersects here with the study of Mariology, as Mary too is a picture of the Church in that regard. This means the Church, unlike the claims of some Evangelicals, is not merely the aggregation of Christians, but is a mystical body that transcends mere human components but also has a supernatural origin and mission.
This now overlaps and leads into the third discipline of theology called Dogmatic Theology. This area of theology has to do with the Church in lieu of established beliefs and convictions held by the Church, essentials of doctrine in particular. Looking at Lumen Gentium again, we see that the Church has been given a maternal attribute (note also Galatians 4:26 and Revelation 12:17) in regard to its members (LG 6). The life of the Church, therefore, is hidden with Christ until the Second Coming, at which time she will be the perfected Bride united with her Spouse. As such, the Church in her maternal role nourishes her people with the sacraments, which also dispense the life of Christ and supernatural grace to those who receive them. This means then that the truth and grace of Christ are communicated by Him through His Church, and thus dogma enunciates that truth. Dogma is given so that man can have the fruits of salvation communicated to him by the Church, who also nourishes him with the Eucharist and other sacraments. This therefore gives the Church an evangelistic mandate to "be fruitful and multiply" and to "make disciples" of all nations. All of humanity is called to be disciples, as God's will for humanity is to be saved and freed from the concupiscent nature of sin and death. Therefore, rather than salvation being merely an individual choice, the Church becomes a necessary factor in the process and therefore it necessitates those who respond to the call to accept Christ to be in union with His Church. That makes the Church herself a sacrament, as the Catechism reminds us "the Church in the world is the sacrament of salvation, the sign and the instrument of the communion of God and man. (CCC 780)" That being established, there is one other factor that completes this - the role of faith. Only faith can accept the mystery of the Church as the mystical Body of Christ, and like her Spouse the Church too has both human and divine components (CCC 779). This ties back into Fundamental Theology then in reiterating that the Church is both the means and goal of God's plan. She is the mystery of salvation evidenced by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (CCC 778). Although the Church is the kingdom of God begun by Christ on earth, she is not a completed kingdom yet. And, that is why the goal of her members is to be brought into perfection by Christ at the end of time (CCC 782).
However, as we see everyday, that perfection is not achieved easily - the Catechism states that glory in perfection is brought by trial (and testing) (CCC 769). It means that often the Church then will take stands that will place it in a precarious position, as the enemy and fallen human nature often do not respond to the faith of the Church, and thus persecution ensues against her members. But, in tested faithfulness, perfection happens - growth means strength, and the resiliency of the Church in the face of intense persecution has been testified to over many centuries. That is because the Church exemplifies the unity of mankind as it was originally intended to be by the sacramental mission she has been given by Jesus Himself. It is therefore the presupposed goal of humankind to work toward that consummation, which is fully realized in the reality of the Church (CCC 1045). There is, however, one stipulation - God gave man the free will to choose to do this, and man also has the volition to reject it. Tragically, many do for many reasons, and those who do reject the message of salvation in Christ through the Church risk a nasty eternity in hell. God doesn't therefore "send" people to hell - people send themselves. Christ, through His visible Church on earth, tells people there is a better way, and the mission of the Church is to share that "better way" with all those who would listen.
In essence then, man's innate goal of union with the Church is integral to union with her Head, Jesus Christ. Man may not realize his need for that goal to be fulfilled, but the need is hot-wired into us. Man often misinterprets that need and projects it elsewhere, leading in false belief systems that may even have demonic inspiration. But, the phrase "Finis omnium ecclesia" still holds true - it is the way God chose to do this great work of the redemption of mankind, and only through that narrow door to the Church's nurturing bosom are we to find our fulfillment and restoration in Christ. It should be the prime quest of every person, but often isn't due to lack of faith or the siren's call of relativism and rationalism. Man's reason tries to make every way valid as paths to God, but Jesus said in John 14:6 that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man can approach the Father without believing in Him first. And, this is not just an individualistic quest - the best way to find Jesus is in His Church, to which He calls us all. Therefore, the Church leads us to salvation, and our goal is to be part of her to receive Him.
"The Church is the goal of all things" - a profound statement made by Cardinal Christoph Schonborn and also elaborated more in his book Loving the Church, in which he devotes a whole chapter to that phrase. By it he means that the Church, as a means, is a sacrament or sign and instrument of intimate union with God. But, it is also an end, in that the sacramental grace dispensed through the Church aids in the final goal of the plan of Creation, which is the perfection of a fallen creation and restoration of it to what God intended it to be. That includes us as human beings, being we are the pinnacle of God's creation ourselves. That being said, this subject needs to be looked at by the three areas of theology that are affected by it, and I will explain what those are in the next paragraph.
The first area of theology to explore this question will be what is called Fundamental Theology. Fundamental theology has nothing whatsoever to do with Fundamentalists, but rather is a discipline within the greater spectrum of theology that seeks to establish the fact that God has made supernatural revelation and has established His Church as the custodial interpreter of that revelation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_theology - accessed 9/22/2017). To put this in layman's terminology, God revealed Himself, as well as His plan, and it is up to the Church to be the reservoir of knowledge concerning that revelation. Outside of the Church's custodial realm, God's revelation of Himself becomes subjective and open to the whims and fancies of rationalism and other mindsets that deny the supernatural aspect of faith. This means then, in lieu of that fact, that creation itself is the "first language" God speaks. If we go back to Aquinas, you will recall that he taught that God authored two "books," one being Nature and the other being Revelation. In the language of metaphysics, there is also the idea of the Principle of Causality that relates to this as well - everything has sufficient reason to exist, and thus any being that does not contain the sufficient reason for its own existence within itself requires a cause (W. Norris Clarke, The One and the Many. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2001. p. 21). There is only one being in the whole universe who has self-sufficient cause for existence, and thus is perfect and free to create or discontinue anything else, and of course that is God. God speaks this truth through both Nature and Revelation, and neither "book" can contradict the other (Law of Non-Contradiction) - created things speak to us directly in Nature (through, for example, the Fibbonaci sequence and the Golden Ratio being played out in the design of creation), and God Himself speaks through His own Revelation, which we understand to be Holy Scripture and Tradition. Now, via supernatural grace, Revelation perfects Nature, and thus we are back to Fundamental Theology. Creation as the "first language " God spoke is in fact His language, as He Himself "wrote the book." And, as Scott Hahn notes, God made Nature (at least initially) good, and the more we realize that Nature has goodness attributed by God to it, we then can have grace to build upon that - natural law exists, as Dr. Hahn notes, to prepare human beings for supernatural grace (Scott Hahn, Reasons to Believe. New York: Doubleday, 2007. pp. 54-55). What that means in terms of Fundamental Theology is that the importance of the role of faith in creation is fundamental to having a correct understanding of the Church. Creation relates to the Church in several ways - it foreshadows it, serves it, and is perfected by it. Why? Because the Church, as the "goal of all things," is where the ultimate deposit of supernatural grace is dispensed to those seeking it. Therefore, understanding that God is the Creator of heaven and earth (as affirmed in the opening sentences of the Creeds) is the first step to conversion. The Church, as the guardian of the Fidei Depositum, makes this possible by its evangelical mission. Therefore, if belief in God is lacking, Christ is unable to be proclaimed and the Church cannot be established - at the heart of the proclamation is what is known as the Kerygma, the story of the economy of salvation in history, and Christ is the focal point of that. If one doubts God as Creator, then it begins to make faith crumble and the Kerygma cannot be received and accepted. The Kerygma is a complete legacy of salvation in itself, and therefore what God says must be believed and accepted by faith as true. It is therefore up to the Church, as the authenticating custodian and interpreter of divine Revelation, to herald these truths without compromise and in their entirety. That essentially is Fundamental Theology in a nutshell.
We now move onto Biblical Theology, which is defined as a discipline within the broader spectrum of theology that bases the existence of the Church upon what God revealed in Scripture, and in turn the Church is be the conduit of the salvation heralded in the Kerygma to the world. It is related to Fundamental Theology and Christian metaphysics in that it presupposes that God is the author of the written Revelation, and thus it can be authenticated by the witness of the Church as true. This of course entails several things as it relates to the narrative of the Kerygma as revealed in Scripture. First, the Bible presupposes the Church. Although the Church precedes the complete canon of Scripture in tangibility, nonetheless Scripture in many cases (Old Testament) predates the Church but presupposes its existence by types and the divine order of history leading up to the coming of Christ. The language of covenant is the key here in understanding the mechanics of this, and as we look at Scripture we see that the framework of the Scriptural narrative is one of a series of covenant relationships - six to be exact - which are a prefigurement of the Church. As Christ is the culmination of this narrative, there is no further supernatural Revelation after His sojourn on earth (CCC 73). God begins this work, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church notes, at the Fall in Genesis 3, and the Church is seen as God's reaction to the chaos provoked by sin (CCC 761). Lumen Gentium also affirms this in noting that the Revelation of the Kingdom is often conveyed by means of metaphors, as well as by typologies of figures and nations found there (LG 6). As Lumen Gentium 9 notes, "Step by step He taught and prepared this people, making it holy unto itself," referring of course to the people (the Jews) that Christ was to come from. This preparation, of course, came in the form of covenant. As the Catechism notes again, this means that the "remote preparation" for this gathering together of the people of God begins when God calls Abraham and promises that he will become the father of a great people (CCC 762). In reality, God made it possible for Abraham to father two great peoples - the first, of course, were his physical descendants, but one of those of that line, Jesus Christ, would birth the other, the "spiritual people of Abraham" known as the Church. Therefore, every Biblical covenant must be seen as a prefigurement of the Church in the greater plan of God for the salvation of mankind. This also means that the Church has to be one (note Ephesians 4:5 and I Corinthians 12:13), and therefore division tends to hinder the Church's mission. As one Church, it becomes the setting where God unfolds His plan, step-by-step, and therefore the work of salvation is complete and finished (note Ephesians 3:10 and Acts 2:42). This gives the Church then a mediatory role in salvation in that Christ (who is the source and only Mediator of salvation - I Timothy 2:5) bestows upon the Church His authority to share in that mediation because her people share in the life of Christ via the Eucharist and the proclamation of the Gospel. It also intersects here with the study of Mariology, as Mary too is a picture of the Church in that regard. This means the Church, unlike the claims of some Evangelicals, is not merely the aggregation of Christians, but is a mystical body that transcends mere human components but also has a supernatural origin and mission.
This now overlaps and leads into the third discipline of theology called Dogmatic Theology. This area of theology has to do with the Church in lieu of established beliefs and convictions held by the Church, essentials of doctrine in particular. Looking at Lumen Gentium again, we see that the Church has been given a maternal attribute (note also Galatians 4:26 and Revelation 12:17) in regard to its members (LG 6). The life of the Church, therefore, is hidden with Christ until the Second Coming, at which time she will be the perfected Bride united with her Spouse. As such, the Church in her maternal role nourishes her people with the sacraments, which also dispense the life of Christ and supernatural grace to those who receive them. This means then that the truth and grace of Christ are communicated by Him through His Church, and thus dogma enunciates that truth. Dogma is given so that man can have the fruits of salvation communicated to him by the Church, who also nourishes him with the Eucharist and other sacraments. This therefore gives the Church an evangelistic mandate to "be fruitful and multiply" and to "make disciples" of all nations. All of humanity is called to be disciples, as God's will for humanity is to be saved and freed from the concupiscent nature of sin and death. Therefore, rather than salvation being merely an individual choice, the Church becomes a necessary factor in the process and therefore it necessitates those who respond to the call to accept Christ to be in union with His Church. That makes the Church herself a sacrament, as the Catechism reminds us "the Church in the world is the sacrament of salvation, the sign and the instrument of the communion of God and man. (CCC 780)" That being established, there is one other factor that completes this - the role of faith. Only faith can accept the mystery of the Church as the mystical Body of Christ, and like her Spouse the Church too has both human and divine components (CCC 779). This ties back into Fundamental Theology then in reiterating that the Church is both the means and goal of God's plan. She is the mystery of salvation evidenced by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (CCC 778). Although the Church is the kingdom of God begun by Christ on earth, she is not a completed kingdom yet. And, that is why the goal of her members is to be brought into perfection by Christ at the end of time (CCC 782).
However, as we see everyday, that perfection is not achieved easily - the Catechism states that glory in perfection is brought by trial (and testing) (CCC 769). It means that often the Church then will take stands that will place it in a precarious position, as the enemy and fallen human nature often do not respond to the faith of the Church, and thus persecution ensues against her members. But, in tested faithfulness, perfection happens - growth means strength, and the resiliency of the Church in the face of intense persecution has been testified to over many centuries. That is because the Church exemplifies the unity of mankind as it was originally intended to be by the sacramental mission she has been given by Jesus Himself. It is therefore the presupposed goal of humankind to work toward that consummation, which is fully realized in the reality of the Church (CCC 1045). There is, however, one stipulation - God gave man the free will to choose to do this, and man also has the volition to reject it. Tragically, many do for many reasons, and those who do reject the message of salvation in Christ through the Church risk a nasty eternity in hell. God doesn't therefore "send" people to hell - people send themselves. Christ, through His visible Church on earth, tells people there is a better way, and the mission of the Church is to share that "better way" with all those who would listen.
In essence then, man's innate goal of union with the Church is integral to union with her Head, Jesus Christ. Man may not realize his need for that goal to be fulfilled, but the need is hot-wired into us. Man often misinterprets that need and projects it elsewhere, leading in false belief systems that may even have demonic inspiration. But, the phrase "Finis omnium ecclesia" still holds true - it is the way God chose to do this great work of the redemption of mankind, and only through that narrow door to the Church's nurturing bosom are we to find our fulfillment and restoration in Christ. It should be the prime quest of every person, but often isn't due to lack of faith or the siren's call of relativism and rationalism. Man's reason tries to make every way valid as paths to God, but Jesus said in John 14:6 that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man can approach the Father without believing in Him first. And, this is not just an individualistic quest - the best way to find Jesus is in His Church, to which He calls us all. Therefore, the Church leads us to salvation, and our goal is to be part of her to receive Him.
Sunday, September 17, 2017
My Journey to A Comp Exam - What I Have Learned Part I
This will be a series of nine articles I am doing based on study for a comprehensive test I will be taking to fulfill my Master's degree requirements. Unlike a traditional test, these are very detailed questions that require a lot to answer them, as they pretty much sum up what we learned in various courses throughout the program. In each one of these articles, I am going to be publishing my own study efforts as a sort of self-edification thing, as writing these blogs will be as much a part of my test preparation as it is for benefiting others. Some of the material may be a little technical, so bear with me!
My classmates and I also have compiled a study outline for each question, with each of us focusing on a particular test question and then producing an outline for it. For this first article, the course the question entails was a course I took in Fall 2015 called The Pedagogy of God I, and the outline for the question provided is the work of one of my classmates, Carole King. Thanks Carole for doing what you did. I am going to basically expand my own thoughts on the question based on the outline Carole has provided, and try to make it into a readable format.
As I begin this project which also helps me prepare for the exam I have coming up, the issue the question is dealing with that I will expand upon here is in three initial parts. Part I of the question is broken down even further into three parts. So, to begin, I want to talk about the significance of what is called the Pedagogy of God, as well as the interconnected significance of the spiritual life of a catechist and how methodology in catechesis prompts a call to conversion on the part of those who are the recipients of the catechesis.
I guess the best place to begin is to explain what the terminology pedagogy of God is, and the literal Greek translation of the word "pedagogy" is leading the child to. In catechesis, it appropriates the classic Greek understanding of the root term, paideia, in that it incorporates both the aim as well as the process of education (Petroc Willey, "An Original Pedagogy for Catechesis," in Farey, Linnig, and Paruch, eds. The Pedagogy of God. Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Road, 2011. p. 17). It is meant to be an education of the whole person, and a full immersion in the "school of faith." The process aspect of this is by the gradual divine revelation of the Kerygma throughout salvation history, and as Gianna Gobbi and Rebecca Rojcewicz note in their book Listening to God with Children (Loveland, OH: Treehaus Communications, 2000) on page 70, the process is described metaphorically as a building being constructed floor-by-floor - each preceding floor forms the foundation of the next. This naturally would warrant a solid foundation to build upon. Additionally, we are reminded in the National Directory on Catechesis that this work of Revelation is a common work of all three persons of the Trinity (NDC 28) - the Father gives revelation of Himself in creation, the Holy Spirit unfolds the divine plan of salvation (the Kerygma) within the environs of the Church, and Jesus the Son continues this divine pedagogy through words, deeds, signs and wonders, and in relationship with His disciples. It is then back to the Holy Spirit, who animates the Church and directs her mission. As that happens, the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit continues God's own methodology in a living catechesis. This is made evident in particular via a quote of St. Jerome in this week's catechism class I taught to my sixth-graders, in that "We must translate the words of the Scriptures into deeds, and instead of speaking saintly words, we must act them." That is why studying the lives of holy people, both in Scripture and in the Church, aids in this pedagogical process as well. God reveals in proper times as people are ready to receive, and a catechesis engages the whole person in the process as well. That is one reason why as well certain truths in Scripture that may have baffled original hearers make perfect sense to us today. Pedagogy is not just proclamation though, in that it must be modeled. Ultimately, the modeling of this pedagogy should point its recipients back to to the Cross and the Paschal Mystery, as all doctrine leads to Christ at its center.
This modeling aspect of catechesis means that the catechist must have an active and vibrant spiritual life. It doesn't mean the catechist is perfect by any means, but that they embody a deep spirituality and live out what they claim to believe - in other words, a catechist "practices what they preach." This naturally entails a life of spiritual discipline - a structured prayer regimen is important for the catechist, as well as active participation on the part of the catechist in the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church. The responsibility of the catechetical vocation includes a call to sanctity and an active rather than a passive spirituality. This makes the catechetical mission and our communion with God as catechists inseparable. The life and teaching of the catechist is directed toward two things. First is the concept of metanoia, meaning an inner transformation of the heart and mind. Second, it involves kenosis, meaning the submission of one's will to the will of God. This latter aspect is embodied in the Our Father as well, which Guardini identified the petition "Thy will be done" as being the gateway petition to the entire prayer. Both of these together - submission of one's own will and inner transformation - are part of an ongoing conversion process. They are to be nurtured in both the catechist as well as those receiving catechesis. If a catechist is doing this, it means they should then teach in a way that the accessible and unfathomable love of God is made visible to those receiving it. In modeling this, the catechist then becomes a de facto mentor in Christian life for those they teach,
This leads to the whole topic of conversion - what is it?? Is conversion lifelong, or is it a one-time process. Having grown up as I did in an Evangelical Protestant background, there was often talk about how one "gets saved." In order to do this, one must initially "receive Jesus into their heart," and to be honest the language in both situations made no sense. It also seems that in some quarters of the Evangelical Protestant community, it is considered a cop-out for hating someone if you just make salvation an arbitrary thing that can be bestowed or revoked by any other professing Christian who either likes or hates you. There is a problem with this, because the person who engages in this sets themselves up as a sort of "arbiter of salvation," and in essence claims authority that can only be given to bishops in the Church by the Holy Spirit, who is the real determinant in whether one has salvation or not. The Catholic understanding of this, however, is quite different. Conversion is seen as having two "moments" - the first is the moment of initial conversion, where one consciously commits to follow Christ and His teachings, while the other is an ongoing lifelong conversion, which our Eastern Orthodox brethren call as process Theosis, and some Pentecostal folks would call sanctification. It is this very thing that some writers like John Wesley addressed when they taught extensively on the subject of "Christian perfection," and it means that there is also a spiritual battle taking place - our new life in Christ contends with the aspect of our nature called concupiscence, which means that because of the Fall, we have a propensity toward sinful behavior. It is a daily battle that many Church Fathers instructed us on concerning, and to some degree we all face it. That is why as part of this ongoing lifelong conversion the aforementioned concepts of metanoia and kenosis are important, and why the petition "Thy will be done" is also the pivotal component in the Our Father Jesus taught us to pray. In reality, this ongoing formation that nurtures an attitude of ongoing conversion should begin in the family structure and the home, but at times the family may not be as equipped as they should be to handle the full responsibility. That is then where the role of the catechist comes in - the catechist takes up the slack where a family might be deficient, and in essence "fills in the gaps" that the recipient needs. That in essence would describe the process of catechesis.
The second part of this is the methodology of catechesis, which is as important as the process. There is no set formula for methodology, as the General Directory of Catechesis reminds us that the Church has "no particular method nor any singular method," because "she discerns contemporary methods in light of the pedagogy of God and uses with liberty 'everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honor, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise (Phillipians 4:8)" (GDC 148). If it isn't contrary to the Gospel and these methods are placed at the Church's service, then it can be utilized. It affirms that the "variety of methods is a sign of life and richness." What this means is that the personhood of the catechist as well as those being catechized are both valuable, and that God has created each unique individual with their own gifts and callings which contribute to the whole Church (Romans 12:4-5). This therefore relates content to methodology in this way - the content is solid and unchanging, but the methods of communicating it are adaptable to the particular situation. As the General Directory for Catechesis notes, the role of grace cannot be undervalued, in that grace aids in the communication of the faith, as well as leading the catechized to an encounter with the Gospel, and it does so by relating to the experience of the person receiving it (GDC 150). The two methods of note that the GDC elaborates are the inductive method, which entails a transmission of facts and what they mean in relation to divine Revelation. This methodology is also described as kerygmatic (relating to the story of salvation) and descending (meaning that the general proclamation of faith is applied to individual life). Another method is deductive, which explains and describes facts by beginning with their causes - the deductive method is also described as existential, which enlightens human problems with the Word of God, and ascending, meaning that the human condition and individual experience leads on to Revelation. The deductive synthesis, as the GDC points out, has full value only when the inductive process is completed (GDC 150).
Methodology also has a number of elements of its own too, among which are human experience, the memorization of key concepts, discipleship, the role of the catechist (in every phase of the catechetical process - GDC 156), the community (meaning here the greater Church, primarily as a source of catechesis - GDC 158), various groups (I would say here apostolates and organizations such as the Knights of Columbus or the Legion of Mary, among others - the Eucharistic community though is the extended expression of these groups and their fullest manifestation - GDC 159), the family (NDC 29d), as well as the active participation of the catechized (in complete harmony of course with the economy of Revelation and salvation - GDC 157), and social communication (technology can be an important asset if it is used properly and in service of the Church's mission - GDC 160-162). This naturally means methodology is all-inclusive, and it both respects the dignity of personhood while at the same time embracing the available contemporary means to aid in thorough catechesis while at the same time not giving into contemporary values necessarily - it is one thing to use available tools, but not irresponsibly or in a way that counters the Church's mission and teaching.
The next area to look at is understanding why it is important to orient catechesis toward a liturgical encounter with God, and how good and sound catechesis benefits for and from the celebration of liturgy. First of all, liturgy is understood as the place of dialogue between God and humanity. The word "liturgy" is a synthesis of two Greek words, laos meaning "people" and ergon meaning "work." While a traditional translation of these terms make liturgy "a work of or from the people," a recent piece I read recently said we may have gotten that translation wrong by using the wrong Greek article. Instead, the translation should be "a work for the people," which would explain why the priest has a pivotal role. The priest acts on behalf of the people in order to make that connection between God and man which culminates in the Eucharistic meal, and although there is an "of the people" element to it in that the elements are offered as well as tithes, etc., the primary liturgical function is that it is offered on behalf of the faithful. As such, liturgy is the official worship of the Church, and it calls us as the people of God to participate in the work of God. At its center, and indeed the center of all Christian life, is the Eucharist. The liturgy represents a model for catechesis then in that every form of catechesis therefore should have as its primary source the Word of God as mediated through Scripture and Tradition and interpreted by the Magisterium. This means that Christ, rather than our own whims and fancies, becomes the center of all teaching, and all teaching both radiates from and leads back to Christ. And, that is true pedagogy - leading the child (catechized) to Christ through His Word and the sacramental/liturgical life of the Church.
Like any other healthy body, the Body of Christ - all Christians - are nourished properly. The proper nourishment of the Christian is with Christ's Body and Blood (the Eucharist) in worship, the Word as "food" in personal study and devotion, and then the "sending forth" of each Christian to proclaim His message of salvation to the world. This then connects catechesis (nourishing with the written Logos, the Word of God) to liturgy (nourishment of the living Logos, the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist). Catechesis precedes liturgical participation, but at the same time proceeds from it. The primary objective of catechesis is to prepare the catechized for the liturgy, as the liturgy transforms the soul through authentic worship, and thus begins the "ongoing conversion" of conformng the person to Christ. The foundation of liturgical/sacramental life is liturgical celebration, as it is the lifeblood of the Christian. Therefore, good catechesis should be formational in the sense that it prepares the person for a total transformation through a living encounter with Jesus Christ, which at its pinnacle is the reception of the Eucharist, His Body and Blood. This means the liturgy is therefore the summit toward which all activity of the Church - catechesis included! - is directed. It is also the font from which the power of God flows. The primary role of the catechist in this is to help the student understand the liturgy as a supernatural encounter with the divine - Dr. Scott Hahn, in his 2001 text The Lamb's Supper, ties the Book of Revelation into the Mass in that regard, noting that the Mass is a sort of "Second Coming" in itself. It indeed is, because what happens in the Mass transcends time and space as we understand it. The objective of the catechist is communicate that to their students. And, like Scripture, the Person of Christ, etc., the sacraments and sacramental celebrations are both human and divine, natural and supernatural - the Mass mirrors Jesus in that regard. It is also important for the catechist to communicate the catechetical dimension to liturgy itself - much of the Mass is taken right from the pages of Scripture, and helping the catechized understand that aids in their formation. So, in conclusion here, liturgy is the work of God for the people of God, and the participation of the people of God in the work of God. Sacramental awareness is therefore of utmost importance, and understanding the supernatural dimension of the liturgical celebration helps one actually and fully participate in it. The natural senses, therefore, are called to a supernatural plane, and that puts those of us participating in this in full participation also in the Person and work of Christ. Our response, therefore, is that we offer ourselves back to God in the liturgy, giving whole self in exchange of life and love. A sound catechesis then prepares one for this full participation, availing then the saving work of God through Christ and by the Holy Spirit to the participant. Ultimately then, it conforms our lives to that of Christ.
A third area of discussion involves the effective catechetical methodology that is kerygmatic, intellectually engaging, employs the memory, and interprets faith and life. To begin, there is kerygmatic teaching, which promotes the full objective of catechesis, which is Christocentricity. In 1936, a liturgist and catechetical scholar by the name of Josef Jungmann (1889-1975) wrote a memorable volume called Good News and Our Proclamation of the Faith. At the time Jungmann authored this seminal work, it happened within the context of a movement aimed at renewing insufficient catechetical methodologies. Jungman rightly believed that the radical secularization of his time of society and families alike necessitated a more dynamic proposal of the Christian message, and to drive his point home, he had two issues with the catechesis of the time:
1. Its content did not closely resemble the joyful announcement of the Good News that resounded throughout the Gospels and in Apostolic times. Often it was taught in a monotone, systematic way that didn't communicate the real significance of the message, in other words.
2. The content of catechesis was not presented in an organic unity as a single message, as well as a call to a life of divine grace (it lacked an evangelistic emphasis and call to conversion, in other words).
Jungmann therefore proposed a restoration of the Kerygma to its full power and clarity, and within a single message - this was the prime task of a kerygmatic renewal in other words. My own spiritual mentor, Fr. Eusebius Stephanou, proposed some years ago a similar thing - the proclamation from the pulpit and the celebration on the altar should be the same message. I would add to Fr. Eusebius's observation that this also extends to catechesis as well - what is taught in the classroom should be made alive in the liturgy. Therefore, Jungmann proposed an image of how this could work. He utilized the imagery of a wheel, with Jesus as the hub and the various doctrines of the faith radiating out like spokes from the hub. A model like this would restore the importance of the Kerygma to all catechesis, making it the constant reference point of all Christian doctrine as well as making certain that doctrine and proclamation were never in conflict with each other. An essential balance was then proposed by Jungmann's model. And, as it relates to catechesis today, Jungmann's proposal creates some very important and fundamental things for the execution of sound catechesis.
One of the first fundamental methods that falls under this is memorization. Without clear memory, faith and piety are not possible. The "language of faith," and its secure grasp by the catechized, is the key to living the same faith (GDC 154). When the memory is engaged with the Fidei Depositum, a path to holiness is blazed in the faith of the individual recipient. Along with memory though is repetition, which is integral to encourage memorization. The more something is repeated, the more likely one will remember it. Via the Magisterial documents (Vatican II Council encyclicals, etc.) the Church calls for a restoration of memorization into catechetical methodology. However, this methodology must be balanced to affirm and speak to the dignity of the personhood of the recipient, which means that some people may have different ways of learning, and it is important to tap into what those are so that these important aspects of faith can be committed to memory better. This therefore means that the memorization process should be introduced early into catechesis, continued gradually as the person is able to comprehend, and it also should be flexible and not slavish - not everyone learns things the same way, and part of what a catechist does is to tailor learning in such a way that everyone can benefit from it. Therefore, what should be memorized? For one thing, the words of Jesus - it is important to know such things as the parables, the Beatitudes, and basic teachings of Jesus in the Gospels. That is one benefit to "red-letter" Bible translations, in that they readily highlight those areas so the reader can easily identify them. Important Bible passages are also important to remember, and one thing I do in my own catechetical practice is to make sure my students learn such passages as Psalm 199:11, as well as II Timothy 2:15, John 3:16, and other pivotal passages. As they grow and progress, they can learn more. While not many people will be able to memorize Scripture quite like Dr. Jack van Impe, a Protestant (Baptist) evangelist known for his sharp recall of over 10,000 key Scripture passages (which earned him the name "The Walking Bible"), many should know enough basic and pivotal Scripture passages. Another area of memorization centers around one of the "Four Pillars of Catechesis," the Creeds. In particular, it is integral to faith to at least be able to know the Nicene and Apostle's Creeds, as those are most frequently utilized in liturgical celebrations - the longer and more complex Athanasian Creed is not necessarily a requirement for memorization, although there is benefit in doing so if one takes up the challenge. Along with that is another "Pillar," the Ten Commandments - these embody the moral law of the Christian life, and are relevant in mainstream society as well as the Church. The Ten Commandments are divided actually into two parts - approximately half of the Commandments deal with how we relate to God, while the other half deal with how we relate to each other. Those come in handy when reading other Biblical books too, such as Ephesians, which has an underlying theme relative to the Decalogue. Another area of memorization is liturgical texts - by this, we are talking about missals, prayerbooks, etc. Knowing the Liturgy can also be an aid in learning Scripture, as the two go hand-in-hand. Basic devotional practices, in particular essential prayers, are also an item of essential memorization. Knowing basic prayers such as the Our Father, the Rosary devotions, and other such prayers that are frequently used in the Church are integral to liturgical participation. For many of us, they will come naturally the longer and more faithful we attend Mass, as we also hear them over by repetition. Finally, it is important to know and memorize key doctrinal ideas - for instance, what does the Church believe about Christ, the Trinity, heaven, hell, etc.? You will notice that all of these things kind of overlap - for instance, if you know the Creeds, you will know the doctrines, and if you know Scripture, you will know the Our Father, Ten Commandments, etc. The overlap of all these things also provides the necessary repetition for effective memorization, and should be encouraged as well.
Essentially, that is in a nutshell what I was expected to learn from this particular course, and it is valuable information, especially now that I am a catechist myself. As we go through the rest of these questions one by one each week, I am also hoping to see the way they all tie together too, because at the root of learning all of this is the impetus for my own vocation - doctrine, philosophy, catechetical content and methods, sacraments, and other things all come together to complete the well-rounded education one should have when mentoring and discipling others. And, at the root of it all is divine calling - it is a sacrifice to learn all of this, but in the end its rewards are great. So, I will see you next time then.
My classmates and I also have compiled a study outline for each question, with each of us focusing on a particular test question and then producing an outline for it. For this first article, the course the question entails was a course I took in Fall 2015 called The Pedagogy of God I, and the outline for the question provided is the work of one of my classmates, Carole King. Thanks Carole for doing what you did. I am going to basically expand my own thoughts on the question based on the outline Carole has provided, and try to make it into a readable format.
As I begin this project which also helps me prepare for the exam I have coming up, the issue the question is dealing with that I will expand upon here is in three initial parts. Part I of the question is broken down even further into three parts. So, to begin, I want to talk about the significance of what is called the Pedagogy of God, as well as the interconnected significance of the spiritual life of a catechist and how methodology in catechesis prompts a call to conversion on the part of those who are the recipients of the catechesis.
I guess the best place to begin is to explain what the terminology pedagogy of God is, and the literal Greek translation of the word "pedagogy" is leading the child to. In catechesis, it appropriates the classic Greek understanding of the root term, paideia, in that it incorporates both the aim as well as the process of education (Petroc Willey, "An Original Pedagogy for Catechesis," in Farey, Linnig, and Paruch, eds. The Pedagogy of God. Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Road, 2011. p. 17). It is meant to be an education of the whole person, and a full immersion in the "school of faith." The process aspect of this is by the gradual divine revelation of the Kerygma throughout salvation history, and as Gianna Gobbi and Rebecca Rojcewicz note in their book Listening to God with Children (Loveland, OH: Treehaus Communications, 2000) on page 70, the process is described metaphorically as a building being constructed floor-by-floor - each preceding floor forms the foundation of the next. This naturally would warrant a solid foundation to build upon. Additionally, we are reminded in the National Directory on Catechesis that this work of Revelation is a common work of all three persons of the Trinity (NDC 28) - the Father gives revelation of Himself in creation, the Holy Spirit unfolds the divine plan of salvation (the Kerygma) within the environs of the Church, and Jesus the Son continues this divine pedagogy through words, deeds, signs and wonders, and in relationship with His disciples. It is then back to the Holy Spirit, who animates the Church and directs her mission. As that happens, the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit continues God's own methodology in a living catechesis. This is made evident in particular via a quote of St. Jerome in this week's catechism class I taught to my sixth-graders, in that "We must translate the words of the Scriptures into deeds, and instead of speaking saintly words, we must act them." That is why studying the lives of holy people, both in Scripture and in the Church, aids in this pedagogical process as well. God reveals in proper times as people are ready to receive, and a catechesis engages the whole person in the process as well. That is one reason why as well certain truths in Scripture that may have baffled original hearers make perfect sense to us today. Pedagogy is not just proclamation though, in that it must be modeled. Ultimately, the modeling of this pedagogy should point its recipients back to to the Cross and the Paschal Mystery, as all doctrine leads to Christ at its center.
This modeling aspect of catechesis means that the catechist must have an active and vibrant spiritual life. It doesn't mean the catechist is perfect by any means, but that they embody a deep spirituality and live out what they claim to believe - in other words, a catechist "practices what they preach." This naturally entails a life of spiritual discipline - a structured prayer regimen is important for the catechist, as well as active participation on the part of the catechist in the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church. The responsibility of the catechetical vocation includes a call to sanctity and an active rather than a passive spirituality. This makes the catechetical mission and our communion with God as catechists inseparable. The life and teaching of the catechist is directed toward two things. First is the concept of metanoia, meaning an inner transformation of the heart and mind. Second, it involves kenosis, meaning the submission of one's will to the will of God. This latter aspect is embodied in the Our Father as well, which Guardini identified the petition "Thy will be done" as being the gateway petition to the entire prayer. Both of these together - submission of one's own will and inner transformation - are part of an ongoing conversion process. They are to be nurtured in both the catechist as well as those receiving catechesis. If a catechist is doing this, it means they should then teach in a way that the accessible and unfathomable love of God is made visible to those receiving it. In modeling this, the catechist then becomes a de facto mentor in Christian life for those they teach,
This leads to the whole topic of conversion - what is it?? Is conversion lifelong, or is it a one-time process. Having grown up as I did in an Evangelical Protestant background, there was often talk about how one "gets saved." In order to do this, one must initially "receive Jesus into their heart," and to be honest the language in both situations made no sense. It also seems that in some quarters of the Evangelical Protestant community, it is considered a cop-out for hating someone if you just make salvation an arbitrary thing that can be bestowed or revoked by any other professing Christian who either likes or hates you. There is a problem with this, because the person who engages in this sets themselves up as a sort of "arbiter of salvation," and in essence claims authority that can only be given to bishops in the Church by the Holy Spirit, who is the real determinant in whether one has salvation or not. The Catholic understanding of this, however, is quite different. Conversion is seen as having two "moments" - the first is the moment of initial conversion, where one consciously commits to follow Christ and His teachings, while the other is an ongoing lifelong conversion, which our Eastern Orthodox brethren call as process Theosis, and some Pentecostal folks would call sanctification. It is this very thing that some writers like John Wesley addressed when they taught extensively on the subject of "Christian perfection," and it means that there is also a spiritual battle taking place - our new life in Christ contends with the aspect of our nature called concupiscence, which means that because of the Fall, we have a propensity toward sinful behavior. It is a daily battle that many Church Fathers instructed us on concerning, and to some degree we all face it. That is why as part of this ongoing lifelong conversion the aforementioned concepts of metanoia and kenosis are important, and why the petition "Thy will be done" is also the pivotal component in the Our Father Jesus taught us to pray. In reality, this ongoing formation that nurtures an attitude of ongoing conversion should begin in the family structure and the home, but at times the family may not be as equipped as they should be to handle the full responsibility. That is then where the role of the catechist comes in - the catechist takes up the slack where a family might be deficient, and in essence "fills in the gaps" that the recipient needs. That in essence would describe the process of catechesis.
The second part of this is the methodology of catechesis, which is as important as the process. There is no set formula for methodology, as the General Directory of Catechesis reminds us that the Church has "no particular method nor any singular method," because "she discerns contemporary methods in light of the pedagogy of God and uses with liberty 'everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honor, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise (Phillipians 4:8)" (GDC 148). If it isn't contrary to the Gospel and these methods are placed at the Church's service, then it can be utilized. It affirms that the "variety of methods is a sign of life and richness." What this means is that the personhood of the catechist as well as those being catechized are both valuable, and that God has created each unique individual with their own gifts and callings which contribute to the whole Church (Romans 12:4-5). This therefore relates content to methodology in this way - the content is solid and unchanging, but the methods of communicating it are adaptable to the particular situation. As the General Directory for Catechesis notes, the role of grace cannot be undervalued, in that grace aids in the communication of the faith, as well as leading the catechized to an encounter with the Gospel, and it does so by relating to the experience of the person receiving it (GDC 150). The two methods of note that the GDC elaborates are the inductive method, which entails a transmission of facts and what they mean in relation to divine Revelation. This methodology is also described as kerygmatic (relating to the story of salvation) and descending (meaning that the general proclamation of faith is applied to individual life). Another method is deductive, which explains and describes facts by beginning with their causes - the deductive method is also described as existential, which enlightens human problems with the Word of God, and ascending, meaning that the human condition and individual experience leads on to Revelation. The deductive synthesis, as the GDC points out, has full value only when the inductive process is completed (GDC 150).
Methodology also has a number of elements of its own too, among which are human experience, the memorization of key concepts, discipleship, the role of the catechist (in every phase of the catechetical process - GDC 156), the community (meaning here the greater Church, primarily as a source of catechesis - GDC 158), various groups (I would say here apostolates and organizations such as the Knights of Columbus or the Legion of Mary, among others - the Eucharistic community though is the extended expression of these groups and their fullest manifestation - GDC 159), the family (NDC 29d), as well as the active participation of the catechized (in complete harmony of course with the economy of Revelation and salvation - GDC 157), and social communication (technology can be an important asset if it is used properly and in service of the Church's mission - GDC 160-162). This naturally means methodology is all-inclusive, and it both respects the dignity of personhood while at the same time embracing the available contemporary means to aid in thorough catechesis while at the same time not giving into contemporary values necessarily - it is one thing to use available tools, but not irresponsibly or in a way that counters the Church's mission and teaching.
The next area to look at is understanding why it is important to orient catechesis toward a liturgical encounter with God, and how good and sound catechesis benefits for and from the celebration of liturgy. First of all, liturgy is understood as the place of dialogue between God and humanity. The word "liturgy" is a synthesis of two Greek words, laos meaning "people" and ergon meaning "work." While a traditional translation of these terms make liturgy "a work of or from the people," a recent piece I read recently said we may have gotten that translation wrong by using the wrong Greek article. Instead, the translation should be "a work for the people," which would explain why the priest has a pivotal role. The priest acts on behalf of the people in order to make that connection between God and man which culminates in the Eucharistic meal, and although there is an "of the people" element to it in that the elements are offered as well as tithes, etc., the primary liturgical function is that it is offered on behalf of the faithful. As such, liturgy is the official worship of the Church, and it calls us as the people of God to participate in the work of God. At its center, and indeed the center of all Christian life, is the Eucharist. The liturgy represents a model for catechesis then in that every form of catechesis therefore should have as its primary source the Word of God as mediated through Scripture and Tradition and interpreted by the Magisterium. This means that Christ, rather than our own whims and fancies, becomes the center of all teaching, and all teaching both radiates from and leads back to Christ. And, that is true pedagogy - leading the child (catechized) to Christ through His Word and the sacramental/liturgical life of the Church.
Like any other healthy body, the Body of Christ - all Christians - are nourished properly. The proper nourishment of the Christian is with Christ's Body and Blood (the Eucharist) in worship, the Word as "food" in personal study and devotion, and then the "sending forth" of each Christian to proclaim His message of salvation to the world. This then connects catechesis (nourishing with the written Logos, the Word of God) to liturgy (nourishment of the living Logos, the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist). Catechesis precedes liturgical participation, but at the same time proceeds from it. The primary objective of catechesis is to prepare the catechized for the liturgy, as the liturgy transforms the soul through authentic worship, and thus begins the "ongoing conversion" of conformng the person to Christ. The foundation of liturgical/sacramental life is liturgical celebration, as it is the lifeblood of the Christian. Therefore, good catechesis should be formational in the sense that it prepares the person for a total transformation through a living encounter with Jesus Christ, which at its pinnacle is the reception of the Eucharist, His Body and Blood. This means the liturgy is therefore the summit toward which all activity of the Church - catechesis included! - is directed. It is also the font from which the power of God flows. The primary role of the catechist in this is to help the student understand the liturgy as a supernatural encounter with the divine - Dr. Scott Hahn, in his 2001 text The Lamb's Supper, ties the Book of Revelation into the Mass in that regard, noting that the Mass is a sort of "Second Coming" in itself. It indeed is, because what happens in the Mass transcends time and space as we understand it. The objective of the catechist is communicate that to their students. And, like Scripture, the Person of Christ, etc., the sacraments and sacramental celebrations are both human and divine, natural and supernatural - the Mass mirrors Jesus in that regard. It is also important for the catechist to communicate the catechetical dimension to liturgy itself - much of the Mass is taken right from the pages of Scripture, and helping the catechized understand that aids in their formation. So, in conclusion here, liturgy is the work of God for the people of God, and the participation of the people of God in the work of God. Sacramental awareness is therefore of utmost importance, and understanding the supernatural dimension of the liturgical celebration helps one actually and fully participate in it. The natural senses, therefore, are called to a supernatural plane, and that puts those of us participating in this in full participation also in the Person and work of Christ. Our response, therefore, is that we offer ourselves back to God in the liturgy, giving whole self in exchange of life and love. A sound catechesis then prepares one for this full participation, availing then the saving work of God through Christ and by the Holy Spirit to the participant. Ultimately then, it conforms our lives to that of Christ.
A third area of discussion involves the effective catechetical methodology that is kerygmatic, intellectually engaging, employs the memory, and interprets faith and life. To begin, there is kerygmatic teaching, which promotes the full objective of catechesis, which is Christocentricity. In 1936, a liturgist and catechetical scholar by the name of Josef Jungmann (1889-1975) wrote a memorable volume called Good News and Our Proclamation of the Faith. At the time Jungmann authored this seminal work, it happened within the context of a movement aimed at renewing insufficient catechetical methodologies. Jungman rightly believed that the radical secularization of his time of society and families alike necessitated a more dynamic proposal of the Christian message, and to drive his point home, he had two issues with the catechesis of the time:
1. Its content did not closely resemble the joyful announcement of the Good News that resounded throughout the Gospels and in Apostolic times. Often it was taught in a monotone, systematic way that didn't communicate the real significance of the message, in other words.
2. The content of catechesis was not presented in an organic unity as a single message, as well as a call to a life of divine grace (it lacked an evangelistic emphasis and call to conversion, in other words).
Jungmann therefore proposed a restoration of the Kerygma to its full power and clarity, and within a single message - this was the prime task of a kerygmatic renewal in other words. My own spiritual mentor, Fr. Eusebius Stephanou, proposed some years ago a similar thing - the proclamation from the pulpit and the celebration on the altar should be the same message. I would add to Fr. Eusebius's observation that this also extends to catechesis as well - what is taught in the classroom should be made alive in the liturgy. Therefore, Jungmann proposed an image of how this could work. He utilized the imagery of a wheel, with Jesus as the hub and the various doctrines of the faith radiating out like spokes from the hub. A model like this would restore the importance of the Kerygma to all catechesis, making it the constant reference point of all Christian doctrine as well as making certain that doctrine and proclamation were never in conflict with each other. An essential balance was then proposed by Jungmann's model. And, as it relates to catechesis today, Jungmann's proposal creates some very important and fundamental things for the execution of sound catechesis.
One of the first fundamental methods that falls under this is memorization. Without clear memory, faith and piety are not possible. The "language of faith," and its secure grasp by the catechized, is the key to living the same faith (GDC 154). When the memory is engaged with the Fidei Depositum, a path to holiness is blazed in the faith of the individual recipient. Along with memory though is repetition, which is integral to encourage memorization. The more something is repeated, the more likely one will remember it. Via the Magisterial documents (Vatican II Council encyclicals, etc.) the Church calls for a restoration of memorization into catechetical methodology. However, this methodology must be balanced to affirm and speak to the dignity of the personhood of the recipient, which means that some people may have different ways of learning, and it is important to tap into what those are so that these important aspects of faith can be committed to memory better. This therefore means that the memorization process should be introduced early into catechesis, continued gradually as the person is able to comprehend, and it also should be flexible and not slavish - not everyone learns things the same way, and part of what a catechist does is to tailor learning in such a way that everyone can benefit from it. Therefore, what should be memorized? For one thing, the words of Jesus - it is important to know such things as the parables, the Beatitudes, and basic teachings of Jesus in the Gospels. That is one benefit to "red-letter" Bible translations, in that they readily highlight those areas so the reader can easily identify them. Important Bible passages are also important to remember, and one thing I do in my own catechetical practice is to make sure my students learn such passages as Psalm 199:11, as well as II Timothy 2:15, John 3:16, and other pivotal passages. As they grow and progress, they can learn more. While not many people will be able to memorize Scripture quite like Dr. Jack van Impe, a Protestant (Baptist) evangelist known for his sharp recall of over 10,000 key Scripture passages (which earned him the name "The Walking Bible"), many should know enough basic and pivotal Scripture passages. Another area of memorization centers around one of the "Four Pillars of Catechesis," the Creeds. In particular, it is integral to faith to at least be able to know the Nicene and Apostle's Creeds, as those are most frequently utilized in liturgical celebrations - the longer and more complex Athanasian Creed is not necessarily a requirement for memorization, although there is benefit in doing so if one takes up the challenge. Along with that is another "Pillar," the Ten Commandments - these embody the moral law of the Christian life, and are relevant in mainstream society as well as the Church. The Ten Commandments are divided actually into two parts - approximately half of the Commandments deal with how we relate to God, while the other half deal with how we relate to each other. Those come in handy when reading other Biblical books too, such as Ephesians, which has an underlying theme relative to the Decalogue. Another area of memorization is liturgical texts - by this, we are talking about missals, prayerbooks, etc. Knowing the Liturgy can also be an aid in learning Scripture, as the two go hand-in-hand. Basic devotional practices, in particular essential prayers, are also an item of essential memorization. Knowing basic prayers such as the Our Father, the Rosary devotions, and other such prayers that are frequently used in the Church are integral to liturgical participation. For many of us, they will come naturally the longer and more faithful we attend Mass, as we also hear them over by repetition. Finally, it is important to know and memorize key doctrinal ideas - for instance, what does the Church believe about Christ, the Trinity, heaven, hell, etc.? You will notice that all of these things kind of overlap - for instance, if you know the Creeds, you will know the doctrines, and if you know Scripture, you will know the Our Father, Ten Commandments, etc. The overlap of all these things also provides the necessary repetition for effective memorization, and should be encouraged as well.
Essentially, that is in a nutshell what I was expected to learn from this particular course, and it is valuable information, especially now that I am a catechist myself. As we go through the rest of these questions one by one each week, I am also hoping to see the way they all tie together too, because at the root of learning all of this is the impetus for my own vocation - doctrine, philosophy, catechetical content and methods, sacraments, and other things all come together to complete the well-rounded education one should have when mentoring and discipling others. And, at the root of it all is divine calling - it is a sacrifice to learn all of this, but in the end its rewards are great. So, I will see you next time then.
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