The Anglican\/Episcopal Church “incubator” is ideal for the birthing of new adult Christians.\u00a0 What makes it ideal is that the meeting place for Episcopalians is not doctrinal agreement but prayer.\u00a0 The Book of COMMON Prayer is core.\u00a0 Is there a catechism?\u00a0 Yes; 20 pages near the back of the BCP.\u00a0 The Lutheran Small Catechism (Book of Concord) is approximately 16 pages while the Large Catechism is approximately 114 pages.\u00a0 The Catechism of the [Roman] Catholic Church has 756 pages with the number of Scripture references matched, if not exceeded by references to church documents and texts by “teachers of the church.”\u00a0 The Book of Concord is explicitly written for the catechesis of children while the Large Catechism is meant to be an elaboration of the compact teaching of the Small Catechism.\u00a0 The Catechism of the [Roman] Catholic Church is meant for catechist and preachers but is often used as a text in RCIA “classes.”<\/p>\n
The Episcopalian Outline of Faith (the Catechism) is meant primarily as an OUTLINE\u00a0 for instruction.\u00a0 The preface also says “it may also be used to form a simple service.”\u00a0 Imagine that, using a catechism as a part of a worship service.\u00a0 Granted, we use the creeds this way.\u00a0 We also use the Scripture texts this way.\u00a0 Many of us realize that the Gospels are the earliest catechisms of the church and remain the most effective.\u00a0 But the suggestion within the BCP to use the Outline of Faith in this way once again emphasizes the fact that prayer, not doctrine, is the common identifier for Anglican\/Episcopal Christians.<\/p>\n
Many catechumenate coordinators and directors as well as ordained and lay ministers are concerned about what is being “taught” within the catechumenate process.\u00a0 Hopefully what is being learned<\/em> is the Way of Christ.\u00a0 For example, my bias is that the Christian practice of forgiveness and reconciliation is better learned from reflection on Mt 18: 21-35 than from a lecture based on Part Two, Article 4 (“The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation”) of the Catechism of the [Roman] Catholic Church.<\/p>\n This is not a radical perspective.\u00a0 I have seen it advocated by many leaders in catechumenate ministry.\u00a0 They base their position on how Jesus formed Christian disciples according to the earliest catechisms (the Gospels).\u00a0 They base their position on the catechetical practices of early church catechists.\u00a0 They base their position on the insight that the catechumenate is about forming Christian disciples rather than Episcopalians or Lutherans or Roman Catholics or …..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Anglican\/Episcopal Church “incubator” is ideal for the birthing of new adult Christians.\u00a0 What makes it ideal is that the meeting place for Episcopalians is not doctrinal agreement but prayer.\u00a0 The Book of COMMON Prayer is core.\u00a0 Is there a … Continue reading