This blog is an attempt at creating a stable space–we’ll employ the metaphor dry land–which has been separated from the chaotic waters, emblematic of the vicissitudes of time, as a remedy for the insanity of the contemporary age.
As our Father among the Saints, Anthony the Great is credited for saying, “A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him, saying, ‘You are mad; you are not like us.”
The Church is the Ark afloat these chaotic times, a refuge for those seeking stability. Those in search of dry land.
Something has changed in the world where a question posed by philosopher Charles Taylor is increasingly pertinent: “Why was it virtually impossible not to believe in God in, say 1500 in our Western society, while in 2000 many of us find this not only easy, but even inescapable?”
In order to understand how we got to this point in the history of ideas, one must first discard the notion that humankind has always thought the same. Yes, instinctually–man’s fallen nature–human beings have changed very little. However, in the history of ideas and beliefs, contemporary man (notice that I did not say “modern man”, because we’ve entered a period in history that is perhaps better labeled with the nomenclature “postmodern”) does not perceive the world in the same way as our progenitors–the Medievals and, certainly not, the Ancients. In order for the Church to better bear witness to the Kingdom, we need to have a basic understanding how ideas evolved over the ages. We do not live in a vacuum. We as human persons are products of our culture, whether we like it or not, whether we are aware of it or not. The more we are aware of this the better we can communicate the Gospel to this generation.
The purpose of this blog is to address the need for education at the parish level with the end goal being mission. Education and evangelism are flip-sides to the same coin. If Christians are not educated in at least the basics of their faith, how can they speak to a culture that can easily Google the answer to their question, bypassing the person altogether. I’ve met people who know more about Christianity than some Christians. Hopefully, this will get you thinking about the interconnectedness of doctrine and mission, Scripture and instruction, Tradition and dialog.
This will enable us to better dialog about our faith.
And to cultivate land viable for growth
