An Evangelizing Catechesis: Teaching from your Encounter with Christ by Dr. James C. Pauley

"'The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch but in communion in intimacy with Jesus Christ'...young people today will open themselves to union with God and seek to make this union the hinge-point of their life once they have encountered Christ and perceived his invitation to intimate communion and mission." -Dr. James Pauley, An Evangelizing Catechesis

This past spring, I had the opportunity to attend a local conference for all those in religious education, both in the school and parish setting. Admittedly, I wasn't sure what to expect, as I think many of us have been to conferences where the speakers clearly have a great gift for oration, a passion for their work, and a resume chocked full with experience but whose presentations can feel largely abstract. To my excitement, this was not one of those presentations. Dr. Pauley had me hooked on his every word as he posed the problem and posited the solution to the crucial question that puzzles those in my role: "why are people, young and old, leaving the Catholic Church, and what can we do to fix it?" Now, of course, some of these factors we already know: difficulty with countercultural teachings, moral relativism, or perhaps a negative experience with a fellow member of the faithful. However, Dr. Pauley was able to clue in on a crucial common denominator for countless others: their catechesis was critically emaciated. He highlighted the struggle of faith formation in the last hundred years to hold in balance a focus on the kerygma (initial and essential proclamation of the Gospel) and subsequent catechesis (more formalized instruction in the doctrines of the faith), and he referred to points in our history where one is prioritized at the expense of the other. The consequence has been either one of repetitious reminders of God's love for us that become mere niceties without any meat, or rote memorization that grows cold and fruitless without grounding us in our ontological end of resting in the intimate, personal union with the Triune God. People are leaving the Church, because either a) they truly don't know the ways in which God calls them to love Him and keep His commandments or b)they simply don't know Him. I would hypothesize that many times it is the latter.

In this book, Dr. James Pauley addresses the challenge that lies before all catechists today, whether they be serving in the schools, the parish, or in the domestic church of the home. Each chapter proposes age-old ideas that feel revolutionary for meeting, fostering, and equipping the next generation of blossoming disciples. The common banner behind which each of these stratagems follow is the idea of an evangelizing catechesis, that is one that is focused on contextualizing all teachings within the desire of God to redeem and come into relationship with his children. It is a model that emphasizes personal witness and testimony, allowing the personal relationships between the catechist and the student to create an environment for the Holy Spirit to work, and it is an approach that galvanizes those in both roles to always be conforming themselves closer to Christ. 

This book is being read this year by all of our school teachers and parish catechists, and we encourage you to purchase a copy for yourself. Whether you are serving in a formalized capacity for the parish, are your child's primary catechist as a parent, or simply want to explore a new lens through which the Church can minister to her people, this book can be a pivotal next step in your journey.