History and Theory of Catechetics II TRS 751C

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  • Class: TRS 751C: History and Theory of Catechetics II
  • Professor: Rev. Dr. Emanuel P. Magro
  • Taken: Fall 2015
  • Description: Discussion of the contributions of the Second Vatican Council and of post-conciliar documents to catechetics and religious education. Readings in selected works of contemporary writers in the fields of catechetics and religious education. Exploration of contemporary issues in catechesis and religious education.

Class materials on CUA Blackboard

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Syllabus

COURSE GOALS The main objectives of this course are to

  • identify the major figures and movements in catechetics since the Second Vatican Council; and
  • examine some key issues in contemporary catechesis and religious education.

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, the students will be able to:

  • define the main contributions of the Second Vatican Council and of post-conciliar documents to catechetics and religious education;
  • expound the theories of some current writers in catechetics and religious education;
  • explain the major trends in current catechesis; and
  • outline the impact of some cultural and ecclesial issues on contemporary catechetics and religious education.

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS Lecture, class discussion, and students’ presentation.

Required Text:

  • Groome, Thomas H. Christian Religious Education: Sharing Our Story and Vision. San Francisco, CA: Joseey Bass, 1980. ISBN 0787947857; $26.95
  • Huebsch, Bill. Whole Community Catechesis in Plain English. New London, CT: Twenty-Third Publication, 2002. ISBN 9781585951840; $10.95
  • Moran, Gabriel. Religious Education Development: Images for the Future. Minneapolis, MN: Winston Press, 1983. ISBN 0866836926; $27.14
  • Marthaler, Berard. The Nature, Tasks and Scope of the Catechetical Ministry: A Digest of Recent Church Documents. Washington, D.C.: National Catholic Education Association, 2008. ISBN 1558334319; $33.35.
  • Westerhoff, John H. Will Our Children Have Faith? 3rd Rev. Ed. New York: Morehouse, 2012. ISBN 9780819228000; ebook: ISBN 9780819228017; $17.20; $9.99

ADDITIONAL READING LIST (on reserve at Mullin Library or on Blackboard)

  • Bennett, Jana Marguerite. “What Faith Formation Means in the Age of ‘Nones.’” Liturgy 30, no. 3 (2015): 48-56.
  • Coleridge, Mark. “To Awaken the Spirit: Proposing a Vatican II Faith to a Secular Faith.” In The Great Grace: Receiving Vatican II Today, edited by Nigel Zimmermann, 109-120. New York: Bloomsbury, 2015.
  • Colleen M. Griffith, Colleen M. “Practice as Embodied Knowing: Epistemological and Theological Considerations.” In Invitation to Practical Theology: Catholic Voices and Visions, edited by Claire E. Wolfteich, 52-69. New York: Paulist, 2014.
  • Delfra, Louis A. “Narrative Theology in the High School Classroom: Teaching Theology through Literature.” Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice 8, no. 3 (March 2005): 346-374.
  • Erdozain, Luis. “The Evolution of Catechetics.” In Sourcebook for Modern Catechetics, edited by Michael Warren, 86-109. Winona, MN: Saint Mary’s Press, 1983.
  • Espinoza, Benjamin D. and Beverly Johnson-Miller. “Catechesis, Developmental Theory, and a Fresh Vision for Christian Education.” Christian Education Journal Series 3 11 (2014): 8-23
  • Francis. Evangelii gaudium. http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa- francesco_esortazioneap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html
  • Francis. Laudato si. http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa- francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html
  • Groome, Thomas. “The ‘Mind of the Church’ in the General Directory for Catechesis: Where We Are Now; Reaching Beyond.” Theoforum 41, no. 1 (2010): 11-29.
  • Heft, James L. Catholic High Schools: Facing the New Realities. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.
  • Hunt, Thomas C. “Catholic Schools: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.” Journal of Research on Christian Education 14, no. 2 (Fall 2005): 161-175.
  • Kaster, Jeffrey and Craig Gould. “Lost and Found: Catechesis on the Care of Creation.” New Theology Review (Online) 26, no. 2 (Mar 2014): 88-95.
  • Kenneson, Philip D. “What’s in a Name? A Brief Introduction to the ‘Spiritual but Not Religious.’” Liturgy 30, no. 3 (2015): 3-13.
  • Kock, A. (Jos) de. “Promising Approaches to Catechesis in Church Communities: Towards a Research Framework.” International Journal of Practical Theology 16, no. 2 (2012): 176-196.
  • Kohut, Pavel Vojtěch. “The Offer of Catholic Spirituality,” European Journal of Theology 21:2 (2012): 156-165.
  • Magro, Emanuel. “The Role of Imagination in Religious and Spiritual Education.” in New Perspectives on Religious and Spiritual Education, edited by Theo van der Zee and Terence J. Lovat, 165-177. Műnster: Waxmann, 2012.
  • Malone, Peter. “Dei Verbum, Communication and Media.” In God’s Word and the Church’s Council: Vatican II and Divine Revelation, edited by Mark O’Brien and Christopher Monaghan, 163-178. Adelaide, Australia: ATF Theology, 2014.
  • Marthaler, Berard. Catechetics in Context: Notes and Commentary on The General Catechetical Directory Issued by The Sacred Congregation For the Clergy. Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor, 1973.
  • -------. “Socialization as a Model for Catechetics.” In Foundations of Religious Education, edited by P. O’Hare, 64-92. New York: Paulist Press, 1978.
  • -------. “Handing on the Symbols of Faith.” Chicago Studies 19 (Spring 1980): 21- 33.
  • Moran, Gabriel. “Revelation, Dialogue and the Christian Community.” Theoforum 41, no. 1 (2010): 31-51.
  • Mul, Jos de. Cyberspacyberspacce Odyssey: Towards a Virtual Ontology and Anthropology. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2010. E-book.
  • “National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools.” Momentum 43 (February-March 2012): 14-23. http://www.catholicschoolstandards.org/files/Catholic_School_Standards_03-12.pdf
  • Nolan, Lucinda A. “Scaling the Heights of Heaven: Sister M. Rosalia Walsh and the Use of Story in the Adaptive Way.” Religious Education 102, no. 3 (Summer 2007): 314-327.
  • Ouellet, Marc. “Communio: The Key to Vatican II’s Ecclesiology.” In The Great Grace: Receiving Vatican II Today, edited by Nigel Zimmermann, 19-35. New York: Bloomsbury, 2015.
  • Owens, John F. “Dei Verbum and the Philosophy of Hans-Georg Gadamer.” In God’s Word and the Church’s Council: Vatican II and Divine Revelation, edited by Mark O’Brien and Christopher Monaghan, 179-191. Adelaide, Australia: ATF Theology, 2014.
  • Ozar, Lorraine A. “A Shared Vision to Act on.” Momentum 43 (February-March 2012): 10-13. http://www.catholicschoolstandards.org/files/Catholic_School_Standards_03-12.pdf
  • Second Vatican Council. Documents of the Second Vatican Council. http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/index.htm
  • White, Joseph D. “Involving Families in Catechesis.” The Priest 69, no. 3 (March 2013): 49- 51.
  • Jared Wicks. “Tridentine Motivations of Pope John XXIII Before and During Vatican II.” Theological Studies 75, no. 4 (2014): 847-862.

Course Requirements:

Determination of Grade The following criteria will determine the grade for this course:

  • Class participation – 10%
  • Bi-weekly reflection papers – 25%
  • One research paper – 35%
  • One presentation – 5%
  • Oral exam – 25%
  • Grading System

Grade Numeric Range Meaning Equivalent A - 94 – 100 - Excellent - 4.00 A- 90 – 93.9 - 3.70 B+ - 87 – 89.9 3.30 B 84 – 86.9 Satisfactory 3.00 B- 80 – 83.9 2.70 C 77 – 79-9 Passing but Marginal 2.00 - F76.9 and below Failure

University Grades The University grading system is available at http://policies.cua.edu/academicgrad/gradesfull.cfm#iii for graduate students.

Description of Course Requirements

Class Participation

Students are to participate in class discussions and share their attentive reading of the assigned texts, their reflections and insights on them. They are to engage one another in discussion while respecting the perspectives of others. In their contributions, students are to base their input on solid theological and/or catechetical grounds. Such participation in class demands that the students will read and engage with the assigned texts prior to their attendance.

Students are to be punctual expressing thus respect to both their instructor and their classmates. In cases of tardiness and habitual occurrence 1 to 5 percentage points may be deducted from the student’s final grade. It is the responsibility of the student to monitor his/her own behavior.

Class participation demands the physical presence of the students. Missing classes will diminish the class as a whole and set the students back in preparing their assignments. To be excused from class students are to discuss the issue with the instructor prior to the date in question. Each unexcused absence, besides the first one, will incur a loss of 2 percentage points from the student’s final grade.

Bi-Weekly Reflection Papers Through the set of reflection papers students are to engage critically with the weekly assigned readings establishing relationships, identifying implications and/or issues, and highlighting what they have learnt.

It is imperative that the students express themselves clearly in good English grammar following standard punctuation and spelling. They are to organize their reflection papers in a logical and well-organized manner referring appropriately and correctly to the sources that they use in their argumentations.

The length of each paper is between 750 and 800 words and is to be neatly typed using a 12-point regular font style, double-spaced with one-inch margins. When referring to and/or quoting any works that are not their own, students are to follow the latest edition of the Chicago Manual of Style (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html). Students are to print the number of words at the end of the reflection paper. A rubric for the reflection papers is at the end of the syllabus.

For the dates when the bi-weekly reflection papers are due, see the tentative syllabus. Students are to hand in each reflection paper in a hard copy format at the end of class. For every day that the students hand in the assignment late, they lose a letter grade from the mark of that paper. The first reflection paper is due on Wednesday, September 16, 2015.

One Research Paper

For the paper students are to choose a contemporary issue in catechetics and explore its role in and effects on catechesis and/or religious education. Such a topic could be language, culture, socialization, virtual reality, social media, imagination, ecumenism, religious dialogue, community building, developmental psychology, the role of parents, family catechesis, hermeneutics, storytelling, spirituality, and the environment.

Students are to ask for the approval of their choice by the instructor not later than October 14, 2015. Besides giving the topic they want to research, students are to hand in a short bibliography containing at least 6 sources besides the material assigned and covered in class. At least one of these sources is a book.

The format of the paper includes:

  • I. the reason(s) for choosing this particular issue;
  • II. a description of its particular characteristics and aspects;
  • III. its role in and its effects on catechesis/religious education; and
  • IV. the students’ assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the issue in catechetics.

The length of the paper is between 4,500 and 5,000 words. It is to be neatly typed using a 12-point regular font style, double-spaced with one-inch margins. When referring to and/or quoting any works that are not their own, students are to follow the latest edition of the Chicago Manual of Style (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html). A rubric for the research paper is at the end of the syllabus.

The paper is due on Wednesday, December 2, 2015.

Presentation

On the last day of classes, Wednesday, December 9, 2015, students are to make a 10-minute presentation of their research paper highlighting how their topic is relevant to the material covered in the course.

Oral Exam

The oral exam takes the form of a conversation between the instructor and the student. It focuses on what the student has learned, the level of integration that the student has achieved in sythesizing the various materials on different topics and aspects of catechetics, and how the student sees all this affecting his/her future role as a leader and minister of catechesis.

EXPECTATIONS AND POLICIES

Electronics Policy Cell phone use in class is not allowed. Students may use a laptop/notebook for taking notes. Other uses of these and other electronic devices are not permitted in class. If these devices become a distraction, students may be asked not to use them and be prohibited from bringing them to class.

Course Schedule

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE Wednesday, September 2 – Introduction Luis Erdozain, “The Evolution of Catechetics,” Sourcebook for Modern Catechetics, vol. 1, pp. 86-109. Wednesday, September 9 – Vatican II and its Contributions to Catechetics Jared Wicks, “Tridentine Motivations of Pope John XXIII Before and During Vatican II,” Theological Studies 75, no. 4 (2014): 847-862. Mathaler, Berard, “Introduction,” Catechetics in Context, pp. xvi-xxx. Documents of Vatican II: SC 35 and 64, CD 14, 17, 30, 35 and 44, GE 4, AG 13-15, and AA 28-32. Wednesday, September 16 – Post-Conciliar Times: A Productive Period for Catechetics Berard Marthaler, The Nature, Task and Scope of the Catechetical Ministry, pp. 19-33, 41-79, 83-84, 86-90, 94-95, 99-103, 105-114, 123-210. Pope Francis, Evangelii gaudium, par. 160-175. 1st Reflection Paper Wednesday, September 23 – Mass with Pope Francis Wednesday, September 30 – Gabriel Moran and Thomas Groome Gabriel Moran, Religious Education Development, pp. 183-207. Gabriel Moran, “Revelation, Dialogue and the Christian Community,” Theoforum 41, no. 1 (2010): 31-51. Thomas H. Groome, Christian Religious Education, pp. 184-232. Wednesday, October 7 – Socialization: Westerhoff and Marthaler John H. Westerhoff III, Will Our Children Have Faith? 3rd Rev. ed. New York: Morehouse, 2012. Berard Marthaler, “Socialization as a Model for Catechetics,” in P. O’Hare, ed., Foundations of Religious Education, New York: Paulist Press, 1978, pp. 64-92.

, “Handing on the Symbols of Faith,” Chicago Studies 19 (Spring 1980): 21-33.

2nd Reflection Paper

Wednesday, October 14 – Catechesis and Religious Education in Catholic Schools The Second Vatican Council. Declaration on Education (Gravissimum educationis) Ozar, Lorraine A., “A Shared Vision to Act on” Momentum 43 (February-March 2012): 10-13. “National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools” Momentum 43 (February-March 2012): 14-23. James L. Heft, “Historical Developments,” Catholic High Schools: Facing the New Realities (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011), pp. 15-36. Thomas C. Hunt, “Catholic Schools: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow,” Journal of Research on Christian Education 14, no. 2 (Fall 2005): 161-175. Topic and bibliographic due Wednesday, October 21 – Catechesis for the Whole Community and Family Catechesis Bill Huebsch, Whole Community Catechesis in Plain English. A. (Jos) de Kock, “Promising Approaches to Catechesis in Church Communities: Towards a Research Framework,” International Journal of Practical Theology 16, no. 2 (2012): 176-196. Marc Ouellet, “Communio: The Key to Vatican II’s Ecclesiology,” The Great Grace, pp. 19-35. Joseph D. White, “Involving Families in Catechesis,” The Priest 69, no. 3 (March 2013): 49-51. 3rd Reflection Paper Wednesday, October 28 – Homo catecheticus – Christian Anthropology and Catechetics Benjamin D. Espinoza and Beverly Johnson-Miller. “Catechesis, Developmental Theory, and a Fresh Vision for Christian Education” Christian Education Journal Series 3 11 (2014): 8-23. Colleen M. Griffith, “Practice as Embodied Knowing: Epistemological and Theological Considerations” in Invitation to Practical Theology, pp. 52-69. Mark Coleridge, “To Awaken the Spirit: Proposing a Vatican II Faith to a Secular Faith,” in The Great Grace, pp. 109-120. Emanuel Magro, “The Role of Imagination in Religious and Spiritual Education,” in New Perspectives on Religious and Spiritual Education, pp. 165-177. Wednesday, November 4 – Language, Hermeneutics, and Narrative in Catechesis John F Owens, “Dei Verbum and the Philosophy of Hans-Georg Gadamer,” in God’s Word and the Church’s Council, pp. 179-191. Lucinda A. Nolan, “Scaling the Heights of Heaven: Sister M. Rosalia Walsh and the Use of Story in the Adaptive Way,” Religious Education 102, no. 3 (Summer 2007): 314-327. Louis A. Delfra, “Narrative Theology in the High School Classroom: Teaching Theology through Literature,” Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice 8, no. 3 (March 2005): 346-374. 4th Reflection Paper

Wednesday, November 11 – Globalization, Social Media and Mass Communication Peter Malone, “Dei Verbum, Communication and Media,” in God’s Word and the Church’s Council, pp. 163-178. Jos de Mul, “Virtual Polytheism: Religion in the Age of Digital Re-Enchantment” and “From Homo Erectus to Homo Zapiens” (pp. 207-241) in Cyberspace Odyssey, pp. 207-241. E-book. Wednesday, November 18 – Ecumenism, Inter-Faith Dialogue, and the Environment in Catechetics Berard Marthaler, Nature, Tasks and Scope, pp. 227-240. Jeffrey Kaster and Craig Gould, “Lost and Found: Catechesis on the Care of Creation,” New Theology Review (Online) 26, no. 2 (Mar 2014): 88-95; and Pope Francis, Laudato si, “Ecological Education and Spirituality” (Chpt 6), par. 202-245. 5th Reflection Paper Wednesday, November 25 – Thanksgiving Recess Wednesday, December 2 – Forming the faith of the “Nones” Philip D. Kenneson, “What’s in a Name? A Brief Introduction to the ‘Spiritual but Not Religious’” Liturgy 30, no. 3 (2015): 3-13. Jana Marguerite Bennett, “What Faith Formation Means in the Age of ‘Nones,’” Liturgy 30, no. 3 (2015): 48-56. Pavel Vojtěch Kohut, “The Offer of Catholic Spirituality,” EJT 21:2 (2012): 156-165. Paper due Wednesday, December 9 – The Future of Catechetics Thomas Groome, “The ‘Mind of the Church’ in the General Directory for Catechesis: Where We Are Now; Reaching Beyond,” Theoforum 41, no. 1 (2010): 11-29. Presentation of papers Wednesday, December 16 – Oral Exam

Rubric for Reflection Papers Exceeds Standards 5 points Meets Standards 3 points Below Standards 1 points Format 750-800 words in length, neatly typed, double-spaced, one-inch margins, 12-point regular font. 750-800 words in length, neatly typed, double-spaced, one-inch margins, 12-point regular font. Shorter than 750 words or exceeds 800 words; formatting rules ignored. Grammar and Spelling No errors. Some minor errors. Major errors. Submission On time. On time. Late. Reflection Shows strong reasoned reflection and insight. Shows reasoned reflection and insight. Lacks reflection and insight. Synthesis Very well integration of the author’s own reflection with the material, incorporating and referring to the material. Good integration of the author’s own reflection with the material, referring appropriately to the material. Poor integration of the author’s own reflection with the material, relying mostly on referring to and/or quoting the material. Structure Very well organized presentation of arguments; excellent logical flow. Organized presentation of arguments; good logical flow. Disorganized presentation of arguments; lack of logical coherence. References References and/or quotations are accurate, to the point, and appropriate. No errors in citing and/or referring to the material. References and/or quotations are accurate, to the point and appropriate. Some errors in citing and/or referring to the material. References and quotations are inaccurate and mostly too long and out of point. Many errors in citing and/or referring to the material. Completeness Addresses all these elements. Addresses all these elements. Addresses some of these elements.

Rubric for the Research Paper Exceeds Standards 35 points Meets Standards 28 points Below Standards 20 points Format 4,500-5,000 words in length, neatly typed, double-spaced, one-inch margins, 12-point regular font. 4,500-5,000 words in length, neatly typed, double-spaced, one-inch margins, 12-point regular font. Shorter than 4,500 or exceeds 5,000 words; formatting rules ignored. Grammar and Spelling No errors. Some minor errors. Major errors. Submission On time. On time. Late. Reason(s) for choosing the topic Distinct articulation of and strong reason(s) for choosing the selected issue. Clear articulation of and strong reason(s) for choosing the selected issue. Lacks clarity in describing and in stating the reason (s) for choosing the selected issue. Description Excellent description of the topic highlighting its particular characteristics and aspects. Good description of the topic and its particular characteristics and aspects. Poor description of the topic and its particular characteristics and aspects. Role and Effects Well defined identification and excellent explanation of the issue’s role in and effects on catechetics. Good identification and good explanation of the issue’s role in and effects on catechetics. Poor identification and poor explanation of the issue’s role in and effects on catechetics. Student’s own opinion Well-articulated assessment. Good articulated assessment. Poor assessment or no assessment. Structure Very well organized presentation of arguments; excellent logical flow. Organized presentation of arguments; good logical flow. Disorganized presentation of arguments; lack of logical coherence. References References and/or quotations are accurate, to the point, and appropriate. No errors in citing and/or referring to the material. Use of more than 6 reference works. References and/or quotations are accurate, to the point and appropriate. Some errors in citing and/or referring to the material. Use of 6 reference works. References and/or quotations are inaccurate and mostly too long and out of point. Many errors in citing and/or referring to the material. Use of less than 6 reference works. Completeness Addresses all these elements Addresses all these elements Addresses some of these elements

Notes

Erdozain, Luis. “The Evolution of Catechetics.”

Questions:

  • 1) Outline each of the three phases that Erdozain discusses. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each phase?
    • The Kerygmatic Phase
    • The Anthropological Phase
    • The Political phase
  • 2) In light of this article, what are the current trends in catechetics?
  • 3) Which topics/issues do you think one needs to tackle in current and future catechetics?
    • a blending of previous approaches to find the proper balance to address content, method, and

Notes

  • 1959 - 68 concern was "the same concern - the presentation of the Christian message in Today's world".
  • The current preoccupation at the time was active participation in the liturgy
  • "The work of this meeting has been gathered into one volume, Renouvellement de la Catechese (Renewal in Catechetics),"
  • Kerygmatic renewal is what has most influenced catechetics in our century.
  • Origins of Kerygmatic movement renew - The ancient School of Ttibingen, b) the Munich method,

and c) the failure brought about by the excess of methodology.

  • The School of TUbingen held sway for a century due to its pragmatic pastorate befitting this enlightened century, these men made the case for one which is centered on Revelation, in the service of "the

one and only Word of God, uttered through the Person of Christ ....

  • The Munich method. In 1912, the Congress of Vienna adopted the new, and now famous, process termed "Methode de Munich."In its three component parts, Presentation, Exposition, and Application
  • These innovations in method were approved by the Catechetical Congress of Munich (1928), which may be regarded as the climax of a constant endeavor in the field of pedagogy
  • The failure of methodology - recognizes that it is not teaching which is at fault: But what is lacking among the faithful is a sense of unity, seeing it all as a whole, an understanding
  • new turning point. There was a climax reached at this point, a shift of perspective-emphasis was now to be transferred from method to content
  • Trends in kerygmatic catechetics. a) The basic concept, the message
  • what constitutes the true kernel of the Christian message, the kerygrna. This is why the movement is termed kerygmatic
  • One begins by placing catechetics within the mission of the Church.
  • The principle is then established by which the catechetical renewal is not to be brought about by a methodological adaptation but by an examination of the essence of the Faith
  • There is the realization that Christianity . is not a system of truths, or a code of rules, but above all a message, the Good
  • Christ's death and resurrection
  • This, then, in general, is the basic standpoint and the message that the kerygmatic movement promoted at the Eichstatt congress. The method The catechetical renewal remains not only faithful to content but also mindful of the manner by which God chose to be revealed. It perceives the four languages or ways in which catechetics can bring its influence to bear, as follows:
    • Since the history of salvation is recounted in the Bible, catechetics must use a biblical language.
    • Since the salvation portrayed in the Bible finds its active outlet in the liturgy, catechetics must use liturgical language.
    • Since this redeeming work of God is seen day after day in the life of the Church and of each of its members, the "testimony" must shine through catechetics as an existential language.
    • Since this history of salvation, narrated in the Bible, celebrated in the liturgy, and experienced in everyday life, takes progressively a concrete form in the shape of the Church, catechetics must use as well the doctrinal language.
  • It comes into contact with other movements which had been developing over a long period: the liturgical movement, the biblical movement, the apostolic movements. It is clear that the kerygmatic renewal owes much to all these movements. Kerygmatic renewal has been helpful in reorganizing them, completing them, and harmonizing them around the figure of Christ.
  • The Anthropological Phase - The word anthropology is very much in fashion these days. Originating in the scientific world, it carries overtones far beyond the limits of catechetic.
  • There is not talk of providing for stages of preparing "the ground" of using language with which the people are familiar.
  • One word was in ascendancy pre-evangelization ... a new stage had begun one of distinctly anthropological tendencies.
  • France had begun a Christianization.
  • The foundations of pre-evangelization - It is an admonition to remain faithful: (a) to the very manner in which the Master and the first apostles presented the message (b) to the Church's tradition as evidenced in the history of catechetics, and (c) the very nature of the Christian message.
  • Incarnation
  • Two completely different attitudes of mind. The kerygmatic attitude refers back constantly to the Bible and the liturgy. Very much tied to a rich theological inheritance, it is there that it finds its coherence and is most at home. The anthropological attitude, in contrast, opts for the psychological approach; renouncing the already acquired treasures, it seeks its ends choosing insecurity and hardship.
  • There is no opposition at all, rather a progression
  • One of the richest acquisitions of present day catechetics is precisely the discovery of this vital, organic unity between subject and object:
  • Word of God, word of humanity. God and Humankind. Theology and anthropology merge into catechetical actio.. this unity is the very process of catechesis.
  • Anthropocentric catechesis is difficult to put into practice
  • The Political Phase
  • Individualistic anthropology leaning too much on the present... individualistic subjectivity cheapens subjectivity which cheapens objective reality
  • danger of losing the whole meaning of the Revelation by suppressing the transcendental and the gratuitous.
  • The kerygmatic renewal profited by this injection of personalism
  • Since then, a whole wave of events has broken over the Church: an approach to the world, a recognition of religious pluralism, a reparisal of its social structure, an attack on superstition, secular undercurrents requiring as a result a secularized catechesis
  • 1968 conference ideas three points a) a description f the realities of the situation, humanity in its setting b) a theological option, the unity of God's plan c) application to catechetics, a change of perspective in content and method.
  • the primacy of action based upon the will to act and become involved.
    • a) Humanity in its setting. the first job is to identify oneself completely with the human state and to take on humanities's anguish and hopes
    • b) The history of salvation and the history of humanity seen as one. It was necessary to build a bridge to join the so called "sacred" world to the "profane" world.
  • Conclusion -

Terms

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