[Magdalen] Who is "teaching the faith" lately?

[Scott Knitter]

I've been thinking lately about how we help newcomers learn what our faith
is all about.

My parish is historically super-high (newspapers used to term us
"ultra-ritualistic"), but we now have female celebrants (although no female
clergy staff yet), and we're starting to see more visitors checking us out
whether for the superb music or what they've heard about liturgy or how
friendly we are (better than before; could still get better of course) and
they're no longer told, "But they don't allow women clergy." So that
barrier is gone.

We also had many hundreds of folks from the general public take advantage
of our participation in Open House Chicago a couple of weeks ago, and we
were a favorite among open buildings in the area...a committee prepared
museum-style cards to explain various items in the church; there were four
organ demonstrations in the choir loft by our wonderful organist. Not to
mention cookies! :) I think a few have visited us again on Sunday mornings
since then.

But like many parishes, we tend to assume newcomers will pick up the
teaching behind all the symbolism automatically.

We point to the BCP as the guide to what the liturgy teaches and as the
guide to systematic reading and use of the Scriptures. And we should. (I've
heard in a sermon long ago that someone asked the preacher, "Give me
something that teaches the Catholic faith...and he gave the person a BCP
and Bible. But some need something more specifically written to teach.

When it comes to what other books we should take up in adult ed courses, I
think a lot of parishes jump to Christianity 301 rather than 101. Favorites
of well-read parishioners are suggested first: Borg, Spong, Rohr. But what
works for the less-familiar reader as an introduction to Christianity as
known and practiced in a modern Anglo-Catholic parish?

I'm thinking maybe Rowan Williams' more accessible writings? I'd love a
simpler distillation of Michael Ramsey's excellent "Gospel and the Catholic
Church" - we tried to tackle that in an adult forum but it was a turbulent
time in the parish, so we didn't get too far. Barbara Brown Taylor?

Of course, this still doesn't help those who come in asking, "What happens
here? What's a 'Bible'?"

But for those with those basics, maybe there's a good combination of
resources old and new? I wonder if the time is right for a modern
equivalent to Vernon Staley's "The Catholic Religion." Maybe not?

-- 
Scott R. Knitter
Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois USA