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“Do you have a humpty dumpty faith?” That’s the question that Dr. Edward Sri asks in the new, interactive study from Ascension Press called ”Foundations of Faith: A Journey Through the Catechism of the Catholic Church.”
According to Dr. Sri, a “humpty dumpty faith” means understanding bits and pieces of Catholicism, but not how it all fits together. And just like the children’s poem reminds us, if we don’t know how the individual bits and pieces – like the Creed, prayer, and the sacraments, for example – fit together into one whole vision of God’s own gradual revealing of Himself, and His constant and faithful love for each of us, we might just miss the whole picture. To help everyone see “the whole egg,” Ascension Press has developed Foundations of Faith.
Building on Ascension Press’ popular podcast “The Catechism in a Year,” this new study guides participants through a deep, prayerful and interactive experience of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC). Instead of presenting the Catechism as a difficult sort of reference book, as though it’s only a type of “Rules and Regulations for Catholics 101,” this new study takes a different approach. It presents the Catechism as what it is – the distillation of thousands of years of reflection and prayer on how to live in relationship with God. In other words, the Foundations of Faith program presents the CCC as the guide to WHO we believe in, not just WHAT we believe.
Since the principal sources of the Catechism are Scripture, the teachings of the Church Fathers, the liturgy and the Magisterium, Foundations of Faith also explores those same elements. Another way of saying this is that Foundations of Faith presents the four pillars of the CCC: What We Believe, How We Worship, How We Live and How We Pray.
Each of the sessions in the study follows the same format. First, there is a short introduction to the topic. Next, there is a workbook. The workbook is designed to be done partially at home on your own but finished with others in a small group setting. In completing the workbook, you’ll be invited to read directly from the paragraphs in the CCC, answer a few guided questions to help you unpack the meaning of those paragraphs, and end in prayer.
Then, in your small group, you’ll watch a video and reflect on the questions you answered at home. One of the aspects I particularly liked about this workbook is that it provides an outline of the video for you. Instead of listening and trying to remember everything, it’s easy to follow along with the outline and add your own comments and thoughts in the space provided. Again, it’s very well planned out so that every student gets the most from each session.
The videos that accompany each session are simply beautiful. Made with the high-quality production values we have come to expect from Ascension Press, the videos are shot on location all over the world. From Jerusalem to Rome, from Spain to Istanbul, and Mexico City to Philadelphia, the videos are not just educational but also inspiring. Even better, they are hosted and led by Catholic leaders like Dr. Edward Sri, Fr. Mike Schmitz, Jeff Cavins, Jackie Angel and many more.
After the video, the workbook ends by once again revisiting the study questions from the beginning of the session, but this time, answers are provided. The questions, such as “What is the purpose of Divine Revelation?, “Do people in the world today think Christian morality is about happiness?” and “What do we mean by ‘a preferential love for the poor?” each delve into important aspects of our faith that deserve attention. These are often the very questions that we asked, and Foundations of Faith equips us to answer them.
As noted above, one of the creators of Foundations of Faith is Jeff Cavins, who gave us the color-coded Great Adventure Bible, and his influence is seen in this program as well. One of the best aspects of Foundations of Faith is the color-coded “Catechism at a Glance” chart. This chart breaks down the CCC into a handy way of locating the sections, chapters and topics in each of the four parts of the Catechism. Additionally, there’s a timeline that runs from the first century to today, showing when each of the ecumenical councils occurred and when key doctrines were fully developed and promulgated. For example, a quick look at the Catechism timeline shows that the Council of Ephesus in AD 431 was responsible for CCC 466, 468, and 495A , as it affirmed Mary as the Mother of God. It also reveals that Pope Nicholas I, who reigned from 858-867, promulgated CCC 1256, which discusses Baptism. It gives a proper view of what St. John Henry Newman called “the development of doctrine,” over time and the people who were involved.
The At-Home time recommended to prepare for each session is about 90 minutes a week. That can be done all at once, if you like to study in a block of time, or broken up into smaller, daily segments. The Small Group meeting can last anywhere from an hour to two hours, depending on how chatty the group is. Generally, an hour and a half is a good time to reserve for a small group. There are 20 sessions, so Foundations of Faith is the perfect program for a Fall or Spring semester study.
Foundations of Faith: A Journey through the Catechism of the Catholic Church is available through Ascension Press. Not sure if you want to commit? Then sign up for a free preview of Session One. Just enter your email and parish and you’ll be able to take a look inside. Ascension is also offering a Review Pack for any parish leaders who would like to take a close-up view of the program before deciding to purchase it. You have 45 days to make a decision, before being billed. (The price for the Starter Pack is $204.95)
Individuals can also get started on the Foundations of Faith journey by choosing to order a physical workbook ($39.95), online access ($6.95) or both. Prayerfully consider starting this program either at your parish or with a group of friends at home. You can do either.
One more thing to consider - Not only is this an inspiring and enjoyable way to grow in faith and meet people in your community, but you’ll also earn the Plenary Indulgence of the Jubilee Year. Pope Francis decreed that studying the Catechism earns the indulgence, when it is done in community. Additionally, we celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea this year.
But, of course, Paragraph 426 of the CCC itself gives us the best reason to become familiar with its teachings: “At the heart of catechesis we find, in essence, a Person, the Person of Jesus of Nazareth.” Do we really need any other motivation?
A life-long Catholic, Sarah has worked for the Catholic church for close to 20 years, helping parents, grandparents, godparents and children of all ages learn about and live their Catholic faith. A big believer in integrating reason with imagination, she especially loves using stories, particularly the stories of C.S.Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and the Inklings, as well as symbols and physical "stuff" to catechize and ponder over.
She earned her undergraduate degree in English from the University of Dallas, then went on to complete a Master's in Language and Literature at St. Mary's University and years later, while living on a farm in rural Indiana with kids, dogs, chickens and ducks, she earned a Master's degree in Theology from Franciscan University of Stuebenville. She is getting close to finishing a doctoral degree in Romantic Theology, and would love for you to follow her writing on Substack, as well as here at Catholic365.
