The Apostle Paul asks rhetorically in Romans 10:14, “How are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard?” Preaching has been central to the Christian faith since Christ himself, who preached the good news of the Kingdom of God. In an age of disaffiliation, St. Paul’s question remains relevant. But preaching is not merely relaying facts about the Christian religion. It is, rather, an appeal to the heart, an offer of love. Hence our title is “savoring” the mystery and not simply “knowing” it.

Savoring the Mystery understands the crisis of disaffiliation as a crisis of love and seeks to remedy this specifically in preaching by helping our participants and the people they serve grow in their love of Scripture and their love of the One to whom Scripture attests.

Joshua McManaway is a Professor at the University of Notre Dame. He is the program director for Savoring the Mystery: Renewing Catholic Preaching in an Age of Disaffiliation funded by Lilly Endowment Inc, and the Academic Director of the Take a Second Look initiative. He regularly teaches courses in the Theology department on Scripture, languages, and the history of the Church.

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