Prisms of Faith: Perspectives on Religious Education and the Cultivation of Catholic Identity

In Prisms of Faith a diverse and distinguished group of scholars approach the theme of religious education and Catholic identity from their respective disciplinary perspectives offering compelling insights of interest to scholars catechists and the general reader alike. The first three chapters are more historical in nature offering targeted studies that focus on the Apostolic Fathers as a resource in the formation of faithful Catholics the preaching of St. Augustine and religious education in modern Poland. The last four chapters have a more contemporary focus approaching current initiatives and challenges in the formation of faithful Catholics. Issues under consideration include the rights and obligations enshrined in the 1983 Code of Canon Law the catechetical dimension of liturgy current obstacles and opportunities in the moral formation of Catholics and a comparative analysis of three dominant approaches to Catholic religious education. Taken together these seven chapters form a coherent whole illustrating well the perennial importance of Catholic religious education the various resources and methods employed in this work and the stubborn challenges that effective formation entails. Prisms of Faith reflects the best scholarship of contemporary Catholic religious education and catechesis. It holds great potential to renew our efforts at sharing the faith in our postmodern world. It is also a fitting tribute to someone who has done this so well for so long--Professor Tom Walters. --Thomas Groome Author Professor of Theology and Religious Education Boston College The task of handing on the Catholic faith faces enormous challenges today. In Prisms of Faith seven talented scholars offer wise insights to address these challenges exploring important sources from the past as well as contemporary approaches. Those who care about fostering vibrant Catholic identity through religious education will benefit from this rich collection of essays. --Maureen R. OBrien Chair and Associate Professor of Theology Department of Theology Duquesne University An impressive compendium of salient chapters that refract the essence of religious education and the formation of Catholic identity through historical theoretical and practical lenses. --Eilish Ryan Professor Religious Studies University of the Incarnate Word Prisms of Faith is a wonderful tribute to Tom Walters. It is an engaging discussion about fundamental and difficult-to-answer questions about educating in faith. It challenges readers and calls us to think deeply about how to cultivate Catholic identity. --Harold D. Horell Fordham University GSRRE This collection of essays is a fitting recognition of the work of Tom Walters. The essays are clear interdisciplinary well researched and invite the reader to ask some of the important questions connected to the way we educate in faith. --Jane E. Regan Associate Professor of Religious Education Director of Continuing Education School of Theology and Ministry Boston College Robert E. Alvis is associate professor of church history and academic dean at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology. His publications include Religion and the Rise of Nationalism: A Profile of an East-Central European City (2005). Ryan LaMothe is professor of pastoral care and counseling at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology. He has authored four books and more than 120 journal articles concerning psychoanalysis pastoral theology and pastoral counseling.