Organised by Themes

People of God
Repentance, Church, Reconciliation, Covenant

Incarnation
Christology, Councils, Titles of Christ, Theosis

Kingdom of God
Deliverance, Healing, Teaching, Prophecy

Salvation
Pascha, Baptism and Chrismation, Eucharist, Confession

Sanctification
Asceticism, Holy Spirit, Synergy, Discipleship and Vocation

Trinity
Knowing God, the Triad, Energies and Essence, Worship and Love

Creation
Genesis, Mission, Unity, Diversity

Prayer
Liturgical Prayer, Domestic Prayer, Jesus Prayer, Icons (Veneration)

Consecration
Marriage, Family Life, Ordination, Monasticism

Tradition
Scripture, Patristics, Conciliarity and Primacy, Church History

Saints
Icons (People), Communion of Saints, Pilgrimages and Relics, Holiness

Heaven and Hell
Love and Judgement, Angels and Demons, Universalism?, New Creation

 

Organised by Cycles

Pascha Cycle (January to March)

Repentance

Christology

Deliverance

Pascha

Asceticism

Knowing God

Genesis

Liturgical Prayer

Marriage

Scripture

Icons (People)

Love and Judgement

 

Pentecost Cycle (April to June)

Church

Councils

Healing

Baptism and Chrismation

Holy Spirit

The Triad

Mission

Liturgical Prayer

Family Life

Patristics

Communion of Saints

Angels and Demons

 

Holy Cross Cycle (July to September)

Reconciliation

Titles of Christ

Teaching

Eucharist

Synergy

Energies and Essence

Unity

Jesus Prayer

Ordination

Conciliarity and Primacy

Pilgrimages and Relics

Universalism?

Nativity Cycle (October to December)

Covenant

Theosis

Prophecy

Confession

Discipleship and Vocation

Worship and Love

Diversity

Icons (Veneration)

Monasticism

Church History

Holiness

New Creation

 

Design Introduction

So much material considered catechumenal in the Orthodox Church falls into two simple genres:-

1. Lectures with sometimes a prayer at the end of each section.

2. Traditional Question and Answers … the latter to be memorised.
   

To my mind (2) is better than (1) since the catechumen is at least expected to make some sort of response that can be monitored. However, there is no attempt in either method to present material in an engaging manner using multiple sources and varied modes of encounter and learning. Theoretically a catechumen alone could handle such material with resort to the catechist only as and when necessary.

This was not the pedagogy of the catechumenate in the early centuries when a much more rounded experience was required and offered, the catechist and catechumen being much more actively and personally involved. The catechumenate presented here will attempt to provide for that diversity of learning style and active personal involvement.

Content

It has been considered normative for a long time to start the catechumenate with God and proceed via the Trinity to Christ, the Spirit and from thence to the Christian life. However, that is a bit like presenting the conclusion (eg., God as Trinity) before assembling the preliminaries, the actual starting points of the candidate, the human condition, the Church, Christ and so forth.

This more inductive approach attempts to draw the catechumen along the same journey as the People of God recorded in the Scriptures where it is never suggested that God can be considered apart from the covenant community itself and God’s dealings with His People in both creation and salvation.

For this reason, the Trinity and Creation are placed in the middle of each cycle, not at the beginning, providing as it were the centre around which the cycle moves from who we are now to what God calls us to be in the Kingdom.

The second half of each cycle is marked by the transition from Creation to Prayer in a quite deliberate manner. Humans are the priests of creation in the purpose of God and to fulfil that calling they must pray, worship and work toward the End which is the re-creation of humanity (the saints) and the Cosmos in the Resurrection.

Fr. Gregory Hallam

15^th December 2006

Hieromartyr Eleutherius and his mother, Martyr Anthia

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