By Alex Fogleman One of the most fascinating accounts of catechesis in the early church comes from the journal—or itinerarium—of a Spanish ascetic, Egeria, who described the Lenten catechesis she observed during her pilgrimage to the Holy City of Jerusalem in the mid-380s. She’s writing for fellow ascetics back home, which is why she addresses them as “lady sisters.” It is possible that the bishop she describes was St. Cyril of Jerusalem, who left behind a series of catechetical addresses on Scripture, the Creed, and the Sacraments. Her journal contains a vivid description of the various sta ..read more

By Alex Fogleman It’s been a remarkable year for the Catechesis Institute. We participated in several gatherings that fostered rich conversations and relationships around catechesis. I say often that, while a catechism is a text, catechesis is about people—about what happens when the gospel takes shape amid actual lives in actual places. At year’s end, I’m more hopeful than ever about what God is doing in and among the catechists I’ve gotten to know this year. I especially enjoyed: A seminar in Dallas featuring D.H. Williams on apologetics, with two other CI fellows—Jonathan Bailes and Dust ..read more

By Alex Fogleman Knowledge, Faith, and Early Christian Initiation is my first book, which came from revising the dissertation I wrote at Baylor, completed in 2021. The book—in its final form—is about how early Christians taught new believers to know God. There are no cookie-cutter approaches here. What we have, instead, are a variety of “ways of knowing” in early Christian catechesis. Knowing God, in other words, occurs only through particular “ways” of knowing. This is, as all language about God, a metaphor. A way is, after all, a path, a journey, a road. It is a guide towards a certain dest ..read more

In a sermon on Judges 5:20, preached in 1622, the great Anglican poet-preacher John Donne provides the following excellent discussion of catechesis. (My thanks to Sam Bray for pointing me to this sermon.) The sermon more broadly is on the importance of the instruction of preachers, and Donne explains that this practice is rooted in the church’s catechisms, the 39 Articles, and the Book of Homilies. The catechism, he says at one point, provides the “foundation,” while the 39 Articles offer an “extension” and the Homilies provide an “application.” In the section on catechesis, he gives a thoroug ..read more

By Matthew Lee Anderson Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from Matthew Lee Anderson’s new book, Called Into Questions: Cultivating the Love of Learning within the Life of Faith (Moody, 2023). It’s a profound reflection on the role of questions in the spiritual life—and as such an insightful meditation for anyone involved in catechesis. Matt is an Assistant Professor at Baylor University’s Honors College, Associate Director of Baylor in Washington, and the host of the Mere Fidelity podcast. You can learn more about his speaking and writing on his personal website here. ** From now unt ..read more

I was recently reminded of the energetic and warmly pastoral writings on catechesis from one of Pope Francis’ earlier writings, his 2013 apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (“The Joy of the Gospel”). In sections 163–168, as part of a larger segment on “evangelization and the deeper understanding of the kergyma,” Pope Francis has this to say about catechesis: 163. Education and catechesis are at the service of this growth. We already possess a number of magisterial documents and aids on catechesis issued by the Holy See and by various episcopates. I think in particular of the Apostolic E ..read more

By Alex Fogleman Trevor Hart, Confessing and Believing: The Apostles’ Creed as Script for the Christian Life (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2022) I was immediately interested in seeing a new book on the Apostles’ Creed by Trevor Hart. Hart is one of the leading theologians in the conversation on the role of arts and theology. Having taught theology for 30 years, mainly at the University of St. Andrews, where co-founded the Institute for Theology, Imagination and the Arts with Jeremy Begbie, he’s now a Rector of Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church in St Andrews, Scotland. Many of Hart’s previous w ..read more

By Alex Fogleman Hans Boersma, Pierced by Love: Divine Reading with the Christian Tradition (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2023). NB: For the month of May (2023), you can get a copy for 40% off through Lexham’s partnership with Mere Fidelity with the code MEREFIDELITYMAY23. It is difficult to find books that help ordinary Christians read Holy Scripture in a way that is both theologically rich and yet spiritually edifying. Most efforts fall somewhere in either the realm of undigestible historical-critical exegesis or light and fluffy “devotional” reading. The former weighs you down; the la ..read more

By Alex Fogleman We use all sorts of metaphors for teaching: growing, building, producing, journeying, forming, guiding, shaping. Each embodies a certain moral and metaphysical universe, and not all are equally useful. In Christian circles, one of the ways we often talk about Christian education is with the language of formation. The term “spiritual formation” has become almost a distinct discipline in book publishing, spawning a host of organizations and conferences. We probably forget it’s even a metaphor. But what does it mean? The building metaphor has good biblical pedigree. Paul is a “w ..read more

By Alex Fogleman In a previous post, inspired by Matthew Lee Anderson and Greg Peters, I asked about questions and the goal of contemplation in catechesis. Do our understandings of catechesis aim towards rest? To help us in these musings, we can do little better than consulting the priest-poet George Herbert. Most known for his extraordinary poetry, Herbert was also a working priest (a “Country Parson” as he called it). In his recommendations on the “the parson catechizing,” he provides a remarkable account of the role of questions and the nature of language. Among many interesting points, Her ..read more