Catechesis 2: Recovering the Old Ways
As I studied the ways of the ancient Church, I discovered two things. First, they had a very high standard for catechetical discipleship and subsequent Church membership, and second, that high standard only aided in their progress in evangelism. As we enter the age of Post-Christendom, it seems to me that if we seek to engage pagans on the front porch of the Church, we have much to learn from them.
What is the normal experience today for people joining a church in North America?
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Modern Ways vs the Old Ways
The usual responses among pastors are far from satisfactory. You write a check and fill out a card. You join a small group. Worst of all, you merely “attend.” Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger, in their wonderful book Simple Church, recall a friend who prescribed contact lenses, thinking he could pick them up that same day. An optician told him that he would have to come to a Saturday morning class, which would cover all the basics before he could take possession of them. They realized, in hearing this story, that the requirement for getting contact lenses is higher than the requirement for joining most churches!
To faithfully address this inadequacy, we must go back to the past before proceeding forward. In this article, I outline the basic stages of this catechetical formation as the ancient church practiced it. I give particular emphasis on how they welcomed adult pagans, instructed, trained, formed, and deployed. As I have implemented these practices in my ministry, I have seen tremendous fruit.
Stage One: Evangelization and Inquiry
We know intuitively that the ancient Church excelled in evangelism. How else could a fledgling group in Jerusalem become the dominant religious force in the empire in three centuries, especially under the constraints of persecution?
The Church in those years lived on reputation, just as the Lord had told his disciples,
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
John 13:35
That reputation was of those who adopted babies from the Roman exposure walls, rescued those dying of disease from the streets, and had lively and flourishing family lives. The church writer Tertullian noted what Romans of his day would say,
“Look,” they say, “how they love one another” (for they themselves hate one another); “and how they are ready to die for each other” (for they themselves are readier to kill each other).
As Roman life began to wither, Christian life became increasingly compelling. By the dawn of the fourth century and the Edict of Milan, the churches and basilicas of the bishops became full of inquirers who came to hear what the Church taught. Much of this we take for granted. The teaching of creation ex nihilo, for example, was a radical departure from the pagan understanding of preexistent matter. Christian monotheism itself was a strange doctrine. The Churches were full of those seeking to understand.
How Persecution Shaped Catechesis
In the days of persecution, inquirers were typically allowed to receive teaching through mentorship at the hands of Christian families and the hearing of sermons. They were not allowed to witness the celebration of the Eucharist or, in many cases, even to pray. During this period, their lives were inquired about. It was essential to know if they showed charity to the poor, cared for their parents, or whether or not they were drunkards or adulterers. The inquiry left wanting, in many cases, saw the catechumen’s baptism delayed, being commanded to repent.
St Augustine, a great catechist, notably turned this inquiry into a method of learning the character and passions of his hearers, that he might better teach them. He was won over by the great Bishop of Milan’s rhetoric, Saint Ambrose. He determined that all of his catechetical instructions upon the scriptures ought to match the hearer. These teachings in basic evangelization consisted essentially of teaching the whole narrative of Scripture quickly and in good order, drawing out examples which could reach the hearer with the message of fallen humanity and redemption in Christ. These were essentially “stump speeches” given to those who heard the Church’s message for the first time.
Stage Two: Catechesis and the Catechumenate
The Catechumen, as inquiring pagans were called, entered into and remained in the next stage, catechesis, for at least one year, and perhaps as many as several decades. Augustine himself enrolled in the Catechumenate when he was an infant. By way of contrast, today, we baptize nominal Christians as church members; some traditions require no baptism. In the Ancient Church, nominal Christians were Catechumens, those who did not commit to Christ. They received instruction, prayer, and exorcism as they prepared to enter new life in Christ through the sacrament of Holy Baptism.
During this time, they instructed the Catechumen in scripture, the Commandments, the doctrine of God, the person of Christ, and the person of the Holy Spirit. They marked the Catechumens with the sign of the cross, received prayers of exorcism, and charged them to live lives of holiness.
Typically, before the beginning of Lent, the bishops would issue the call to enroll for baptism. This was a radical call, as it meant leaving behind one’s former life and embracing a new one. Once enrolled for baptism, the next stage commenced.
Stage Three: Election and Enlightenment
Those preparing for baptism underwent intense pre-baptism training and catechesis. It was not unusual to see catechumens (now called competentes) spending as many as five nights a week in the church, receiving instruction from the bishop or other catechists, separated from the hearing of all the rest. What would later distill into the Apostles’ Creed from the baptismal formulae the catechumens recited. Catechumens memorized the formula, which they “handed back” on the occasion of their baptism. They learned the Lord’s Prayer and the Decalogue. Aside from the intense teaching, however, this was a time of intense fasting. The competent must, in many cases, fast from all meat and rich foods, refrain from bathing, and give alms generously. By the way, this is the origin of the liturgical season of Lent.
At this point, the bishops made additional inquiries into the candidates’ lives and moral standing. What, if any, effect did the teaching make in their lives? As you can imagine, the effect was immense. The Church inquired into candidates before baptism to ensure no one would cause a scandal. Up to this point, the Church intends this whole process to form and train mature Christians. From the moment of their baptism live the fullness of the Christian life wherever they go. Case in point, Augustine understood his baptism to be the end of his academic and rhetorical life. This marked the beginning of a life of semi-monasticism, as he and his fellow neophytes established a Christian community, first in Italy, and later in North Africa. When he would baptize as a bishop, he understood that many of those he baptized would go back to their remote country homes and lives, but he trusted that they had been sufficiently formed as to live in maturity to the end of their lives.
The end of this stage was initiation: Baptism, Chrismation (a precursor to Confirmation), and the Eucharist. In many cases, the candidates were clueless about what they were about to experience. However, they trusted the Church to lead them into the divine life, and the next stage encompassed all that came after.
Stage Four: Mystagogy
After baptism, the neophyte lived in the church, brought meals, and was continually instructed, not as an outsider, but as a member of God’s household, attending to the sacred mysteries and enveloped in the Church’s liturgy. The purpose of the mystagogical lectures was particularly eucharistic. The ancients encouraged the neophyte to live a life of thanksgiving to God for the gift of redemption and adoption, living out a life full of the presence of God, and partaking in his mysteries in the Eucharist. This was a time of beauty and wonder converging into a new Christian’s life, the new life of grace prevailing upon them as they were radically converted. The reception of the Eucharist, ongoing throughout the Christian’s life, grounded them in the eschatological and nuptial reality of the Christian life, as they awaited final redemption.
Several months ago, a pastor I know told me how church members had gone to the pastor to preach for a whole hour. They complained that his preaching had become seeker-oriented and shorter, so they were not being “fed.” “The mature members of your congregation need longer, meatier sermons,” they said. It’s a catch-22. Mature Christians would never say anything like that. Mature Christians are, by definition, self-feeders. Only children rely on their parents to provide their meals. And yet, pastors today become “feeders” (which, by the way, is right). I would suggest to you that our definition of maturity must change, and that maturity should necessarily include a selfless determination to evangelize, teach, disciple, and grow others.
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
John 17:17
Some Basic Thoughts on a Way Forward
You might have noticed how the Ancient Catechumenate is process-driven. It has a clear beginning, middle, and end in mind. No skipping steps because it is expedient. The whole process focused on growing pagans into mature Christians. That may seem like a no-brainer, but as pastors, how much of our work do we devote to maintaining and growing programs—growing the organization, rather than growing people? Look at any major organization, from McDonald’s to the Boy Scouts. They all have a simple process aimed at growing people within their organizations. Our answers are best found in becoming architects and master builders of a process that leads to maturity. As Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger note,
Churches with a simple process for reaching and maturing people are expanding the kingdom. Church leaders who have designed a simple biblical process to make disciples are effectively advancing the movement of the gospel.
In short, the same processes that made disciples in antiquity are still doing it today.
Remedying Today’s Focus in Catechesis
Next, the ancient catechumenate was content-driven. The mere word catechism became so suspicious that in many places, it is disused in many circles. Teaching doctrine is now divisive in the contemporary Church. Yet, in the ancient Church, we see the unifying solidarity it brought to the invisible body. Many will also deride catechesis for being a practice of the mind. I hope you’ll see how catechesis properly practiced engages both the heart and the mind. This, of course, is a practice which will, by necessity, include content instruction. This content is at once biblical and creedal, informing not only a way of prayer, but a way of living as well. As J.I. Packer notes,
ignorance of God—ignorance both of his ways and of the practice of communion with him—lies at the root of much of the church’s weakness today.
If I told you a local school hired me to teach eighth graders geometry, but that I wanted to eschew teaching boring doctrines like the Pythagorean theorem or that π = the circumference of a circle divided by the diameter, you would give me an odd look. I would tell you that I wanted geometry to be fun and practical, you’d tell me I’m an idiot. Content matters, and in the battle we face, much of it is a matter of equipping the people of God with foundational and creedal doctrine. So we must teach the Hypostatic Union, the Doctrine of the Trinity, the Doctrines of Sin and Grace and Justification, boldly and without tiring, for these are the things of God, and without them, His people flounder.
Joy in Catechesis
Lastly, we can see in the ancient catechumenate the expectation that God’s prevenient grace moves sinners to growth in holiness and ultimately maturity, and that the Church is responsible for feeding and equipping. There is also no presumption that we can baptize the uninstructed and let God take care of the rest. No! The ancient Church believed that they had a sacred task, and that even though the instruction was basic and elementary, they had a duty to convey it with passion and joy. Saint Augustine remarked that the most important thing for a catechist is that he “enjoy catechizing.” May we find that joy in this remarkable vocation yet again!
Photo by: Fra Angelico’s Sermon on the Mount, 1440-43 from Wikipedia
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