Educating Faith (The Psycho-Pedagogical Problems of Religious Education)
Educating Faith (The Psycho-Pedagogical Problems of Religious Education)
Educating Faith (The Psycho-Pedagogical Problems of Religious Education)
EDUCATION)
The anthropological foundations of faith education.
Theology and Psychology are united by a single passion: man. Both can be considered
anthropological sciences and can dialogue in the common project of a Christian
anthropology.
Since the instances of educational action are valid for every educational service, including
faith education, it will first be necessary to consider and clarify what is meant by education,
and then apply these considerations to the concept of faith education as well.
Faith and education: educating has always been a task present in humanity. Every human
being, does not begin to grow by himself by pure instinct, but only to the extent that another,
at length and in various ways, takes care of him. Initially they are father and of mother, and
later a whole series of allies in his growth, both global and particular. Such instances are
valid for the growth and development of faith, which, in order to express itself, requires
predispositional action that makes subjects open and available to the overriding divine
initiative. Educating for faith involves indispensable predispositional initial and accompanying
help so that the gift of God can take shape and grow in the concrete person or group. This
does not superimpose itself on the person, but takes it on from within, heals and orients it.
The educational task of catechesis: For some time now, the nature of "service of the faith"
has been claimed for catechesis and, little by little, the designation "education of the faith"
has become customary. It is stated in the Synodal Document of '77: "Catechesis consists in
the orderly and progressive education of the faith united to a continuous progress of
maturation of the faith itself."
The qualification of catechesis as education of the faith therefore constitutes a privileged way
of access to the understanding of its identity and meaning in ecclesial practice. At the same
time, however, this designation and the resulting practical activity appear steeped in
difficulties that call for an effort at clarification. On the one hand, the theological concept of
faith seems, in fact, to render vain any claim to intervene pedagogically and thus to influence
even from the outside the inner reality of faith. On the other, the designation "faith education,"
does not seem to correspond to the actual characteristics of catechetical practice, which
often takes the form of doctrinal teaching. In fact, catechetical reflection has predominantly
settled on the transmission of the message of faith. what, then, should be understood when it
is stated that catechesis, by its very nature, is education?
The philosophy of education and pedagogical methodology insist that the educational act is
an intentional act that addresses precise recipients allowing the maturation and acquisition of
a personal life project; catechesis is faced with the task of supporting the formation of a
person oriented according to the experience of Jesus of Nazareth.
In the light of what has already been said, it is evident that one can speak of "education" of
the faith only in a secondary and instrumental sense, that is, in the sphere of those human
mediations that can facilitate, in the process of growth of the attitude of faith, but always
outside of any possible direct intervention of the faith itself, which always remains linked to
the action of God and the free response of man.
For any form of catechesis to be realized in its entirety, it is necessary that they be
inextricably united: the knowledge of the Word of God, the celebration of faith in the
sacraments, and the confession of faith in daily life.
Beginning after the council, the innovative ferment that invests all theology provokes a new
interest in catechesis. Catechists discovered the educational dimension of catechesis at the
service of the maturation of faith and Christian life, both of the individual and the community.
In the following years this aspect became more and more relevant, and attempts at dialogue
with the educational sciences grew in the function of interdisciplinary theories of the
processes of faith maturation: the purpose of ecclesial practice now becomes the formation
of adult, mature Christians. Today in an attempt to overcome the one-sidedness of past
catechesis, the goals of catechetical action are formulated not already in terms of knowledge,
but in terms of internalized attitudes of faith.