Pop-Up Catechesis: Bridging the Gap Between Science and Faith

Joe Paprocki Catechetical Issues & Topics

Pop-Up Catechesis with Joe Paprocki

Once, after teaching sixth graders about the Creation story in the Book of Genesis, I asked my students if this is what they learned in science class—knowing full well it wasn’t! They looked very uncomfortable. Several finally shared that they learned a very different story. I asked them, “Well, then, who’s telling you the truth? Your science teacher or me?” They looked even more uncomfortable. Before anyone could attempt to answer, I said, “OK, that was a trick question! You don’t have to choose. We both are teaching truth. Your science teacher is teaching scientific truth about how the world came to be, and I’m teaching you religious truth about God’s relationship to all of creation.” There was a sigh of relief, for sure. In this episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we explore bridging the gap between science and faith.

For more information about the relationship between science and faith, check out the following links:

Print Friendly, PDF & EmailPrint Friendly
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.

Related Articles

Pop-Up Catechesis with Joe Paprocki
Mary and the Saints

Pop-Up Catechesis: Our Hearts Are Restless

Joe Paprocki Mary and the Saints

One of the things that I get a kick out of when watching our grandchildren is seeing how restless they can get—and knowing that eventually we will return those restless children to their parents to deal with! On a spiritual level, we never really outgrow that restlessness. We continually seek rest or fulfillment in any number of things. In reality, as St. Augustine famously wrote, “our hearts are restless, Lord, until they find rest in you.” […]

Print Friendly, PDF & EmailPrint Friendly
Pop-Up Catechesis with Joe Paprocki
Liturgical Seasons & Feasts

Pop-Up Catechesis: The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Joe Paprocki Liturgical Seasons & Feasts

One of the hallmarks of Catholicism is sacramentality, which means that we rely on tangible, visible objects in our prayer and worship to raise our awareness of the intangible, invisible graces of God. One popular example of this sacramentality is our use of candles for prayer and worship. We know that we’ve entered into a Catholic church when we see the flickering of vigil candles and smell the scent of burning wax. These burning candles represent the […]

Print Friendly, PDF & EmailPrint Friendly
Pop-Up Catechesis with Joe Paprocki
Mary and the Saints

Pop-Up Catechesis: Celebrating the Feast of St. John Paul II

Joe Paprocki Mary and the Saints

While many of us folks of a certain age think of Pope St. John Paul II as a contemporary, many of our young people probably would consider him as “ancient history.” After all, he passed away in 2005, which means that none of our pre-K through grade 8 children have a living memory of him. Likewise, those college-age young adults who may have vague memories of him from their childhood probably only recall him as […]

Print Friendly, PDF & EmailPrint Friendly

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*