Parish Catechesis Done Right: Foundations of Faith Review
At the Second Vatican Council, the Council Fathers expressed great excitement about the evangelical potential of modern means of communication. Vatican II’s Inter Mirifica on modern communication said, “The Church recognizes that these media, if properly utilized, can be of great service to mankind, since they greatly contribute to men’s entertainment and instruction as well as to the spread and support of the Kingdom of God.” (IM, 2)
One of the assets of living in the digital age is the wide availability of online catechetical resources. These materials enable broad catechesis to a degree that was previously unknown, even just a few decades ago.
Today, I am reviewing an exciting new catechetical program from Ascension Press: Foundations of Faith: A Journey Through the Catechism. I will begin with an overview of the program’s overall structure and content. I’ll then proceed to discuss some particular elements I found noteworthy.
Foundations of Faith: The Basics
The Foundations of Faith program is a hybrid model that combines bookwork with video lectures to explain the Catholic faith. The content of the program is based upon the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), mirroring its fourfold division (creed, sacraments, morality, prayer). There are 20 lessons divided into four “pillars”: what we believe, how we worship, how we live, and how we pray.
The first thing anyone needs to know about this program is that there are many options for customization based on how you use it. Those wishing to do an individualized study can order the Study Set. It comes with a workbook and the Catechism at a Glance Chart (it’s a pretty impressive chart!) The workbook has assigned readings from the CCC, exposition of the readings, and prompts for prayer and reflection.
The real value of this program, however, lies in purchasing access to the Foundations of Faith video components, accessible through the Ascension Press website. The video component comprises twenty sessions, each approximately 30 minutes in length, hosted by Catholic speaker and theologian Edward Sri. The video lessons expand upon the content covered in the workbook. While Sri functions as the primary host, there are also segments featuring other Catholic notables, such as Jeff Cavins, Marcellino D’Ambrosio, and Fr. Mike Schmitz. (In my opinion, some of the best parts of the video lessons are the lively conversations between Edward Sri and Fr. Schmitz.)
The video lessons enable group usage of the program. This makes Foundations of Faith ideal for parish faith formation settings, such as OCIA or any faith enrichment group. The program has a two-fold group structure. One part focuses on a private home study workbook. The other follows the video lessons with a group discussion afterward. The video lessons are organized into an easy-to-follow module plan. This allows users to save progress and pick up where they left off. All workbook readings and reflections are also available to online users.
What Stands Out About Foundations of Faith
The centerpiece of this program is its beautifully produced video lessons. The videos are not mere “lectures.” They are generally shot on location at significant places in Christian history. Viewers are taken to diverse locations like Rome, the Holy Land, and European cathedrals. This results in a presentation that showcases the historical richness and cultural universality of the Catholic faith.
The content is also very accessible. It strikes a good balance between being systematic (following the Catechism) while retaining a very basic level of comprehensibility. Foundations of Faith would be uniquely suited for new Catholics, catechumens, those curious about Catholicism, or lifelong Catholics whose religious education was lacking. I would characterize it as very “beginner-friendly,” though without any compromise on the quality of the material. Edward Sri and the other hosts do a good job of explaining the faith concisely in a very accessible manner.
I also want to commend the Foundations of Faith program for its effective integration of various components, both in terms of pedagogy and content. For example, it does a very good job of integrating academic study with personal prayer and reflection, balancing personal time with communal learning, and drawing upon history, liturgy, and spirituality to flesh out the Church’s teachings. Couple this with the diverse cast of hosts and the on-location presentations from historic Christian sites, and you have a program that is extremely well-balanced in its structure and content.
In Closing
I definitely recommend Ascension Press’s Foundations of Faith: A Journey Through the Catechism. It is a solid, well-structured, and engaging exposition of the Catholic faith.
What would you like to add to this conversation? To share your tips, experiences, and questions, you can join me and other homeschoolers in the Homeschool Connections Facebook Group. I would love to hear from you!
