I Have Discerned to Attempt to Write a Book

The last post here mentioned a “project I’m working on”. I have discerned to write a book, or at least attempt to write a book, encompassing the basic theme of this blog (faith & reason). I have a general outline completed and have drafted a few chapters; I’m also working with a proofreader who attends my parish.

There seems to be plenty of apologetics out there already, but I think I can offer a unique twist. When I was trained and certified to teach and use a specific process for problem solving and decision making for my job, I began to see commonalities in thinking between the rational processes I was learning and some of the thinking of the various Catholic philosophers, apologists and theologians I was reading.

If you think about problem solving, it's about finding "truth" objectively, regardless of feelings, strong opinions, past experience or even intuition. This kind of reasoning has helped me to see the clear thinking found in Catholicism and I think I can explain some of these ideas to those who appreciate rational process, but do not appreciate Catholicism or religion in general.

Topics include…

• How experience and intuitive thinking can sometimes lead us astray, whether dealing with a physical problem or a philosophical problem.
• How the most reasonable, and therefore, the most responsible conclusions can be determined even when empirical evidence is lacking or impossible to obtain.
• How the cause of “something” is never “nothing”.
• Discussion on how the need for objective industry standards demonstrates the need for an objective moral point of reference.
• How Aquinas regarding contingency relates to Toyota’s 5 whys.
• The way logic was used by NASA engineers during the Apollo 13 disaster in terms of going wherever the data leads no matter how unbelievable it may seem.
• ...and much more

I would be targeting someone like I was in my early twenties. Someone born and raised Catholic, received the sacraments, went to RE (or CCD), but had no real connection between faith and everyday life; someone who, if faced with a survey question about religious preference, might struggle between choosing "Catholic" and "None".

Also, targeting those who lead with their head, making decisions about how to live and what to believe more based on certain rationales then based on feelings. Perhaps someone like the man born blind in John chapter nine; someone neither gullible nor cynical; someone who does not jump to conclusions, but who advances cautiously from one step of reasoning to the next with the confidence to admit “…one thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see” (John 9:25).

As consequence of this, I won’t be posting here as often (for now), but wish me luck, or better still, say a prayer. If you have any advice on how to get a book published, I’d love to hear that too!

 

“Yet, my God, my life, my holy joy, what is this that I have said? What can any man say when he speaks of you? But woe to them that keep silence – since even those who say most are dumb.”

– St. Augustine

From Confessions

Feed the Children — Teach RE

I was asked to speak about Religious Education, or Children's Faith Formation, at our parish this morning. Thought I might as well share on the blog too...

I’ll be entering my fourth year teaching (what we call) Level 2 Confirmation this fall and I’d like to share a little about why I do it.

The book of Genesis tells us we are made in the image and likeness of God. We all have a will and an intellect.

• The action of our will is to love.
• The action of our intellect is to know. To know what? To know “Truth”. This where religious education comes in.

You can think of the truths of our faith as a kind of food for the intellect, healthy food, and kids naturally hunger for this food. If we’re hungry enough, for long enough, we’ll eventually eat something; we’ll eventually eat somewhere, but will it be good food or will it be garbage.

Hello...good food here.

In the 25th chapter of the Gospel of Mathew we hear, “For I was hungry and you gave me food”. This is not only about physical food, but also about the spiritual work of mercy to feed the intellect.

Obey your master!

We all like to think of ourselves as independent thinkers (both kids and adults), but everyone sits at the feet of a master. Will it be at the feet of Jesus through His Church or will it be some talk show host, some politician or political party, a famous actor, rock star or rapper, an agnostic or atheistic author or speaker or some random You-Tuber, or will it simply be the always "infallible" majority. Who will the master be?

If we don’t teach our children someone else surly will (like the guy on the left). Will it be good food or will it be garbage. It’s up to us; and this is why I chose to help feed our children. If you feel called to help, see if your parish is looking for more catechists for the upcoming school year.

Catholic Evangelization

I recently read Dr Scott Hahn's new book Evangelizing Catholics: A Mission Manual for the New Evangelization and was again swept away with his clear and accessible prose, and again by the scope of his vision.

This book describes how the Kerygmatic movement of the 1950's began a change in the Church that gained momentum in Vatican II and began to sprout through Pope St John Paul II.  The heart of this movement (as indicated by the word kerygma) is evangelization, or the proclamation of the Gospel.

Dr Hahn goes on to describe just how evangelization is carried out, both in word and in deed, emphasizing that, while a silent witness can be effective, this in no way frees Catholics from the obligation of using speech.


We are reminded that evangelization is often associated with the work of Protestant Christians, but that all Christians are expected to take part in bringing others to Christ.


This is where he brings out how Catholic evangelization differs from Protestant evangelization.  Catholic evangelization is Eucharistic.  He unpacks statements by Pope St John Paul II and Francis Cardinal George that Catholic evangelizers proclaim a "Eucharistic Christ."  In short, the simplest street corner or coffee table evangelism to bring a person to Christ is in four parts:

1. God loves us
2. We have sinned
3. Christ has died and risen to save us
4. We have to respond with faith

That may be where evangelism in practice ends.  In Protestant thought, that person is "saved" and cannot be un-saved.

Catholic evangelism, in order to be Eucharistic, must go further.  How?  This kind of evangelism is more of an ongoing and deepening relationship with Jesus.  Dr Hahn likens this process to the three-part movement towards marriage.

1. Courtship.  In this movement, a person is introduced to the other and begins to get to know the other.  Interests are piqued and time is spent together enjoying each other's company. This is analogous to the initial evangelization where a person learns about Jesus and how Jesus wants to be part of his or her life.  The person is evangelized.
2. Engagement.  In this movement, the person takes a step forward and declares a certain conditional exclusivity to the other.  He or she is thinking about making a commitment and really focuses on whether the other is the person with whom he or she will spend the rest of their life.  This is analogous to an RCIA program where tough questions are asked and a full understanding of the obligations and perhaps quirks of the relationship are revealed.  The person is catechized.
3. Marriage.  In this movement, the person makes a commitment to non-conditional exclusivity with the other.  For better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death us do part.  This commitment until death is one where each person lives self-sacrificially for the other.  Every day an effort must be made to deepen the understanding, trust, and mutual availability for the other.  A natural consequence of this mutual love and intimacy is the production of new life though children.  This is analogous to being sacramentally brought into the Church and sustained via the sacraments.  A natural consequence of this deepening relationship of trust of and intimacy with Jesus is evangelization.  The person is sacramentalized.

Note that the final movement is not a once-and-done event.  It is ongoing. This is how evangelization is Eucharistic, it is sacramental in that it culminates (but does not end) with the creation of a new family and new life.  This is what sacraments DO!

In a related way, the concept of this book that grabbed me by the lapels and got in my face was something that I am sure I knew, but heard so differently here. It is what it means to be "saved." The question "have you been saved?" is one many of us have been asked and is an entrée to street evangelization. This phrase is where it hit: "Salvation is more than about being forgiven."

If we are fallen people, guilty of sin and going to hell because of it, we need forgiveness. Forgiveness is the washing away of our guilt, giving us entrance into heaven, right?  Not quite. How would being forgiven give us entrance to heaven?

Dr Hahn uses an analogy. Suppose my car breaks down and my mechanic finds two problems and agrees to fix them.  Now when I go to pick up the car, I find that only one problem had been fixed. If I then go back and complain, the mechanic will apologize for the mistake and I will forgive him. However, I will NOT take him home and write him into my will and make him a part of my family!!

Salvation is nothing less than sacramental adoption into God's family.  This means that not ONLY am I forgiven, I am made an heir. (Rom 8:17)  All that God has is mine and I am unconditionally loved.  Heaven is a state where I am living as a child of God.  Where can this happen?  After I am dead?  Nope! God has ordained that this happens here on earth in his Church.  At Mass, in the Eucharist, we are taken to heaven, joined in worship and at a meal with the rest of our family, the saints living and dead. The marriage supper of the Lamb is OUR wedding feast, because it is sacramental, it is Eucharistic! 

Let the feast begin!  And bring your friends!