Articles Under: Adult Faith Formation

Christian writings between the apostolic age and the third century are extremely rare. At the turn of the first century AD, both Pope Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch underscore the jurisdiction possessed by bishops over the forgiveness of sins. For most in those early years of Christianity, sin and repentance were simply accepted as a normal part of the average life of every Christian and needed no formulas or procedures to deal with it. However, in the third and fourth centuries, the rise of certain heresies provoked a greater development and precision on doctrinal matters and practice... Read more

Near the end of the 19 th century, scientist and co-founder of the New York University School of Medicine John William Draper penned an influential polemic entitled History of the Conflict Between Religion and Science . In the book, Draper argued that “the history of science is not a mere record of isolated discoveries; it is a narrative of the conflict of two contending powers, the expansive force of human intellect on one side, and the compression arising from traditionary faith and human interests on the other.” [1] Among the various “traditionary faiths” mentioned specifically in the book, it was... Read more

One of the hallmarks of a Jubilee Year is a pilgrimage to the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul in Rome. But what is a pilgrimage? It is harder to define than one might think. Throughout history, men, women, and children have traveled for a variety of reasons, often for motivations other than simple relocation or practical needs. We can see a type of intentional, spiritual travel in the history of the Greeks, the Egyptians, and the Romans. The term “ pilgrim” comes from the Latin peregrinus , meaning “traveler” or “one from abroad.” Americans might initially think of the... Read more

The Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) is a privileged and, in many ways, challengingly complex form of adult formation. Its complexity flows from the need for the process to be authentically truthful (implying catechesis that is far removed from the easy, sound-bite answers and errors of the culture), authentically personal (implying pastoral flexibility and sacrificial effort to call forth deep conversion), and authentically unitive (implying insertion into a profoundly countercultural liturgical way of life to realize union with a divine Spouse). In other words, to the degree that the OCIA process is complex, it is so because it... Read more