-“…despite a relatively high bar for entry, the young church grew rapidly…” (pg 30 of Making Disciples by Alex Fogleman

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Some churches offer what is sometimes called “spontaneous baptism” (an opportunity for someone to show up on a Sunday morning who had not planned to get baptized to get straight into the water that very morning), while some churches have a 2-3 year waiting period between when a person expresses a desire to be baptized and when they can actually go through the waters. How can we have such a wide range between these criteria? What makes a person “ready” for baptism? Traditionally, the church has called this gap (however wide or narrow) “catechesis”. If you grew up or around the kind of church tradition I did, though, it’s possible this is a term you have never heard.

Good news, though; Alex Fogleman has written a wonderfully accessible and helpful book on the topic! He’s not a stick in the mud, and he doesn’t bog down on terminology, but he’s a helpful conversation partner in the process of coming to grips with how we become (and make) disciples of Jesus Christ in the here & now.

If you find this conversation helpful, please consider checking out Alex’s book, Making Disciples, wherever books are sold… and consider sharing this pod with a friend that came to mind whilst listening!

Alex Fogleman → https://tas.edu/people/dr-alex-fogleman

Making Disciples → https://www.amazon.ca/Making-Disciples-Catechesis-Theology-Practice/dp/0802883850/

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

03:55 Background of Alex Fogleman

05:10 The Journey to Anglicanism and Catechesis

08:04 The Importance of Discipleship in the Church

11:22 Understanding the Catechumenate

14:18 The Role of Catechesis in Early Christianity

17:16 The Evolution of Catechesis Through the Centuries

20:10 Augustine’s Approach to Teaching and Catechesis

23:18 The Process of Becoming a Catechumen

26:12 The Church’s Role in Education and Inclusivity

29:05 Historical Overview of Catechesis from Early Church to Present

32:31 The Historical Context of Catechesis

38:45 Evangelicalism and the Challenge of Catechesis

43:29 Authentic Christianity: Belief, Behavior, and Experience

51:39 Moral Formation in Contemporary Christianity

59:00 The Role of Catechesis in Modern Faith Practices

Keywords:

catechesis, early church, Christian formation, discipleship, theology, church history, Wesleyan, Anglican, spiritual growth, religious education

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