Catechesis Lecture

Catechesis definition and introduction

Definition: Catechesis is the church’s ministry of grounding and growing God’s people in the Gospel and its implications for doctrine, devotion, duty, and delight.

J.I. Packer and Garry Parrett

I will provide and overview of the claims of catechesis from their book: Grounded in the Gospel

First they claim there are three stages of catechesis:

3 stages of Catechesis

Procatechesis (or protocatechesis)

Catechesis proper

ongoing catechesis

Catechesis is a thoroughly biblical idea and practice

The practice of rigorous catechesis has proven to be essential and effective

Many forces have conspired to distract most of today’s evangelicals from the biblical business of catechizing

There are a number of new movements to retrieve this work

Catechesis involves instruction that is both ancient and essential

Catechesis involves instruction that is holistic

Catechesis involves instruction that is highly relational and interactive

Catechesis involves instruction that is timely and culturally relevant

Catechesis involves instruction that is foundational for faith development throughout one’s life

Introducing the GMC Catechism

The Nicene Creed:

The Nicene Creed, also known as the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, is one of the most significant and widely accepted statements of Christian faith in the history of Christianity. It is named after the First Council of Nicaea (325 AD) and the First Council of Constantinople (381 AD), where it was formulated and officially adopted. The Nicene Creed is considered a fundamental doctrinal statement for many Christian denominations, including the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, and many Protestant traditions.

The Nicene Creed serves as a concise summary of key Christian beliefs and doctrines. It is recited or confessed during Christian worship services, especially in liturgical traditions, to affirm the core tenets of the Christian faith.

This creed addresses key theological topics, including the nature of God, the deity of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the incarnation of Christ, His crucifixion, resurrection, and His future return for judgment. It also affirms the unity of the Church and the hope of the resurrection.

The Nicene Creed played a pivotal role in resolving theological controversies and establishing a unified Christian doctrine in the early centuries of Christianity. It continues to be a foundational statement of faith for millions of Christians around the world today.

The Articles of Religion, Confessions of Faith, and the Wesleyan Way of Salvation

United Methodist Church

I will spare you the long historical drama of determining and identifying the doctrines of the UMC. As a matter of fact, much of the heartache of early UMC debate about what they believed as a church stems from the fact that very little thought was given to this idea in the 160 years between its inception as a movement and then the joining of the Evangelical United Brethren (EUB) and the Methodist Church.

I have shared with you the Articles of Religion and the Confession of Faith… too long to cover, but adopted as authoritative.

Restrictive Rules

¶ 17. Article I.—The General Conference shall not revoke, alter, or change our Articles of Religion or establish any new standards or rules of doctrine contrary to our present existing and established standards of doctrine.40

¶ 18. Article II.—The General Conference shall not revoke, alter, or change our Confession of Faith.

……..

Wesleyan Quadrilateral, General Conference 1972

Because of the restrictive rules, there is no way to alter or change this doctrinal stance. It is protected. To change these confessions of faith would be to leave the church body.

However, because of some influences at work very quickly in this new denomination. Influences that we will talk about briefly if we have time. In 1972, there is a monumental addition to the discipline that in many historians believe, put us in a difficult place. The addition of the Quadrilateral was born to help navigate differences in theology, interpretation, doctrinal differences. The Quadrilateral itself was a noble move from one of the greatest Methodist leaders in our modern time, Albert Outler:

Show Picture

Scripture, Tradition, Reason, experience

But here is the kicker:

Since “our present existing and established standards of doctrine” cited in the first two Restrictive Rules of the Constitution of The United Methodist Church are not to be construed literally and juridically, then by what methods can our doctrinal reflection and construction be most fruitful and fulfilling? The answer comes in terms of our free inquiry within the boundaries defined by four main sources and guidelines for Christian theology: Scripture, tradition, experience, reason. These four are interdependent; none can be defined unambiguously. They allow for, indeed they positively encourage, variety in United Methodist theologizing. Jointly, they have provided a broad and stable context for reflection and formulation. Interpreted with appropriate flexibility and self-discipline, they may instruct us as we carry forward our never-ending tasks of theologizing in The United Methodist Church (¶ 70, p. 75).

Problems with this: (ask the question)

• Abraham, Waking from Doctrinal Amnesia (1995): We make more of a method to determine what we believe than the actual content of our belief.

• It gives room for too much subjective interpretation.

• We cannot alleviate conflict

• It is unworkable

Questions about the catechism?