Content of Catechesis

How can we think about our message?

We will explore possible frameworks which might help

JP11: our teaching/sharing should be ‘a systematic teaching of doctrine’ and have ‘integrity of content’

Spend a few minutes thinking about your own life of faith. 5 mins ?

Good times? Bad times? Affirming experiences? Shattering experiences?

Doldrums? Ecstasies? Friendship? Euphoria?

Routine? Dull?.............................

What is MY vision?

My ‘ecclesial’ role – who / what am I speaking for?

What difference (if any) will that make to what I say?

Creed, code, celebration, community

Eichstatt 1963/4 ish

Groome: 1990s

Dunning: 1990s

4 major elements:

Bible

Church Teaching / Tradition

Witness / Experience

Celebration / Liturgy

OT and NT

Commentaries – informing yourself

Breaking the Word

Translations - which one ?

What form? Tatty bits of paper?

Written word or visual?

Helpful alternatives e.g. imaginative prayer

Older people not used to scripture reading

Bible stories

Keeping it fresh

Church windows

Teaching(s) / TraditionAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!

Doctrine: a treasure house of riches An An ‘and / and’ ‘and / and’ churchchurch

How to access this?How to access this?

Can be found in:

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

EncyclicalsCouncils of the Church Writings of the Church FathersWork of theologians

The original documents are easily accessed online

Simplified versions exist e.g. the Grail publications

Books such as Bill Huebsch (1997)

Look at the index.Find an interesting topicLook it upRead what is saidPay attention to the references

underneathTo translate the sources look at the

table in the beginning When were these sources written?

My StoriesOur stories – the Christian

communityWhat we do (Michael Warren)How we are Church

What we did: our communitiesWhat they did: our saints

Stories are the basic building blocks of religious belief

Experience per se is limited for all of us

Revelation in personal experience may be helpful but it’s dangerous to allow it to be the only source of faith

Celebration the work of God in our lives

Social - coffee after Mass etc

ReligiousEucharisticNon-eucharistic

Bible

Church Teaching / Tradition

Witness / Experience

Celebration / Liturgy

storytelling questioninga living community of faith traditionconversioncelebrationmission

‘Praxis’ What is your present story-experience-

praxis? What are your present vision-assumptions

behind your praxis? What is the Christian story-tradition vision? Dialogue (reflect/share/discuss) between

your own experience and the Christian tradition

What will your future story-experience-praxis be?

Balance and emphasis

Choose elements thinking about the aims of the activity

Your aims will depend on your perception of the formational needs

Why?

How would you feel about putting it into practice?

Any additions you would make?

Instruction – by an expertFacilitated discussionReflection / sharingBuzz pairsStory tellingOne to oneGroup workSilence

JP11: our teaching/sharing should be ‘a systematic teaching of doctrine’

Not selective but addresses ‘integrity of content’

‘Hierarchy of Truths’ – some things are more important than others!

Is selecting certain areas of Christian truth permissible?

How can we be ‘systematic’ in our catechesis?

What are the really fundamental truths?

Which truths are most important to YOU?

Do you feel that you speak for the Church?

Do other people see you like that?

Is it intimidating to feel that you are a representative of the Church?

Does the Church acknowledge lay people as credible witnesses to the Christian life?

Who should provide this?

To whom?

When and how?

What challenges might there be?

Take one of the topics you thought about at the beginning and consider how you would devise a session for this.

Which framework would you use?

Make plan!