Divine Pedagogy and the Catechetical Process

Finding God: Our Response to God's Gifts program

Recently, someone asked me to share some thoughts about the theological underpinnings of the four-step catechetical process employed in the Finding God program. Here is how I replied. ( I think it summarizes succinctly the soundness of this process.)

The catechetical process used in the Finding God program—engage, explore, reflect, respond—imitates how God teaches us. We call that the “Divine Pedagogy”—the method God uses to reveal himself to us.

  • The process begins with God intervening in human history: he engages us in the midst of our lived experience. The Incarnation—the birth of Jesus—is the ultimate example of God engaging us, becoming flesh. Catechesis must enter into the lived experiences of people to begin the transformative process.
  • From within our human experience, God reveals a new way of being human. It is this revelation that we explore and seek to integrate into our lives.
  • This exploration, however, is not simply the accumulation of information. It is an encounter. The reflect step embodies the very personal encounter that is taking place in God’s revelation and fosters the growth of intimacy with God.
  • Finally, this encounter leads to transformation: changed lives. We are called to respond to God’s invitation through a life of mission.
About Joe Paprocki 2742 Articles
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic—a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at www.catechistsjourney.com.

1 Comment

  1. You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be
    actually something that I think I would never understand.
    It seems too complex and very broad for me. I’m looking forward
    for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!

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