Today's condition of the church is characterized by complex universal development processes and new relations in the religious palette of the world.
Unfortunately, we still have only superficial knowledge, which characterizes the main features of the motivation of perception by people of faith and the sacrament of baptism. Without thorough study, we will not be able to correctly define the methods and forms of missionary and catechoatorship appeal to them and their churching. It is time for serious theological, pedagogical and sociological studieswhich could help us in the development of missionary - catechisators.
The reality of our church life is such that mostly we can offer just two things that have entered the church: participation in worship and individual ascetic life, which is mostly reduced to the rules, prohibitions and urges. Obviously, church life is not limited to these two points. Church assumes an active life, covering all spheres of human existence. This life is made in the gospel principle and penetrates the grace of the Holy Spirit - then only she satisfies the religious arrangement of man, especially in young aged. Youth more than anyone else, you need church communication, church case and a feat of the ministry.
It is time to rethink the concepts of squeezers and catechization themselves, tie them with the reality of our days. Created a serious 25 years of experience, samples and errors in this direction. Live faith and knowledge are fully compatible and are capable of not only to interruption, but also the unity of faith, knowledge and life.
The process of catechization is an introduction to the whole of the totality and the completeness of church life, the vertex and the focus of which the Eucharist is.
It's time to determine and suggest general concepts, challenges, principles and forms of organization of catechizer activities at the parish and diocesan levels.
The concept of catechization
Word "Catechization" originated from the Greek word "Catechism", (derived from the Greek verb "Katecheo", which means "To speak to someone," "verbally to instruct," "announce". The expression it initially meant "undoubted from an elevated place" (lat. Ex Alto), as well as "to produce an echo, cause a response" (Kate - from the mountain, EUHEK - to sound, distribute, pronounce).
Later - to "instruct" (the voice of the teacher is as if aware response to the question of the student, and the student's response is a response to the words of the teacher). It is in a meeting or a dialogue, the meaning of the word "Catechization" is from Greek. "KATECHEK".
Therefore, catechization is carried out in the form of dialogue, interviews, in the form of questions and answers. Such a value of the concept of "Catechization" follows from many places of the New Testament, and then from the works of the fathers of the Church.
And in the 19th century SVT. Filaret, Moscow made up Catechism - a study guide containing a vaulting truth, concepts and definitions for instructions in the Orthodox faith in the form of issues and answers.
Therefore, Catechism - This is a challenge content of what needs to be told when instructed in faith, and catechization - This is a technique for whom and how to talk. Catechization It is to teach the truths of the Orthodox faith and the rank of church life for the fault of God and the salvation of the soul.
Catechizator - This is a specialist who has received systematic theological education, the necessary skills, skills and pastoral blessing to hold spiritually - educational activities at its level.
Catechization, in the narrow sense of the word- This is a public conversation on the basics of faith for preparing to accept holy baptism.
Catechization in a broad sense of the word - This is an exercise on behalf Orthodox church spiritual and educational activities in various layers of society and at different levels in order to attract people to the norms of Christian life, which are laid in us by the Creator.
With the concept of the catechizer, it is adjacent and the rich word cateHumen, literally meaning "instructed, passed" (Katechg Menos). In our context, we are talking, of course, about a person who "is instructed" in the truths of faith and in the rules of the Christian lifestyle. First of all, the word Catehumen was related to those who were preparing to accept baptism, according to the commandment of Christ.
Katehumenot In the ancient church, the entire system of phased entry into the community-scale life of the Church with the corresponding methodology for the transfer of catechysis knowledge and experience was called.
New Testament bases of catechization
The starting point of every church phenomenon and the action is the Lord and our Savior - Jesus Christ. He is "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end" (Rev. 1: 8), and "no one can put another foundation, except for the laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3: 11).
The United Holy Cathedral and Apostolic, Orthodox Christ is the Church in essence, the reality in which the Holy Spirit is connected to Christ. The connection of each person with God, and in God - in the Holy Spirit of each other, there is the only essential appointment of the Church as a Godchive Organism.
Sending to the world of the apostles, the Lord in their face told all the subsequent workers on his field:
1. "... go, teach all nations",
2. "... The kreat of them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit",
3. "... teach them to observe everything I have commanded you" (Matt. 28:19).
4. "Who will believe and be baptized, will be saved; And who will not believe, will be convicted "(MK. 16:16).
The beginning of the Church is the event of Pentecost. The same event was the beginning of the apostolic sermon, the essence of which is in the confession of faith and the proclamation of the good news about Jesus Christ, and - to learn how to take advantage of this news in saving themselves and convey to others who could have been able to teach newly incoming.
So after the instruction in faith in Jesus Christ, the Apostle Philip, the eunuch of the Ethiopian Tsaritsa was taken to be baptized. "Philippe also told him: if you believe from the heart, you can. He (Even) said in response: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. "... and both went into the water, Philip and Eunuch; And he baptized him "(Acts 8: 37).
Only "dumbfounded by the heart" from the preaching of the apostle Peter, the listeners asked: "What do we do, husband's husbands?" "And heard:" Just, and let each of you are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. " As you can see, learning before baptism is completely natural. But it does not stop after baptism, which serves as the basis of the need for predominant and postpose catechization. Alone who believed and kept constantly were "in the teachings of the apostles, in the communication and refractive for bread and in prayers" (Acts 2. 37-38, 41-42). And before the followers of Christ began to be called "Christians", they were called the "students" (Acts 6: 1; 9: 25, 38).
In the actions of the apostles there are examples that speak of the difficult and ambiguous position of the Catechization case - instructions in faith. Here is the apostle Philip the baptism of Samaryan, and among them - Simon Maghev, who remained the Magi, because she believed, but did not repent, did not pass away from the sinful past and he drove for the money offering their apostles, to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter and John who came the apostles do not recycle Philip for insufficient training of bachers, but cally Simon himself to repentance (Acts.8: 9-13; 18-22), as the necessary condition for the adoption of the Holy Spirit.
According to the Old Testaverkovic Practice, based on the New Testament Revelation and the Church Tradition, the people who believed in Christ and those who wanted to be baptized a number of immutable conditions and requirements.
Terms of adoption of baptism and entry into church life
5 the main conditions necessary for life life.
The cumulatively summarized the said by the Lord and the apostles about the baptism and the nature of Christian life after it, you can allocate:
1. Faith in the triune god, (and the church created by him - according to the symbol of faith);
2. Church knowledge of faith (recognition of dogmatic truths of faith);
3. Repentance in sin (for the past non-Christian life);
4. Voluntary desire (free consent to be baptized);
5. Confession of faith life (Following the baptismal vow, the commandments of God and the church delay).
We think, in what condition is the person who bare without announcement turns out?
Novocredited without announcement as a predominant catechization man does not know :
The creatures of their faith, church creed (at least in the volume of the Symbol of Faith), and does not have the foundations of the Orthodox worldview.
Know your faith (in the amount of the Law of God), and to gain life in the faith, which the based person acted is to be his vocation and sacred debt. Only knowing, can appreciate, love, store, strengthen, multiply and transmit this treasure to others.
Lost the succession of faith is not fortunate, for without faith it is impossible to please God and escape!
Does not know such a person:
✦ Essences and content of the baptismal vow, and those responsibilities that the Holy Church imposes on the essence of the Baptism;
✦ that he gained now the Guardian Angel and heavenly patron - in the face of the eponymous, illustrated by the Church of Saint;
✦ Divine nature of the Church and her liturgical rank and purpose;
✦ What responsibility is assigned to him as a Christian and a member of the church;
Why it is necessary to pray, what prayers to read when and since; What spiritual literature to read in which sequence;
✦ with which regularity to visit the temple, how to quickly fast;
✦ Why is it important to have spiritual guidance in the face of the clergy and how to find a confessor;
✦ How to prepare for the holy sacraments of confession and communion, and how often to start them;
✦ How to behave and build relations with people unbelievers (in family, relatives, at work);
✦ What is the difference in Orthodoxy from other nonsense denominations, sects and innovative confessions.
General principles of organization of announcement
The baptism of truly should be not a carnal clearance was washing, but the promise of God for good conscience (1 Message of Peter, GL.3). Bract without prior catechization (with the exception of special cases) is prohibited 78 by the rule of the VI of the Universe, and 46 by the Rule of Laodicine Cathedrals.
Analysis of various practices allows you to identify some general principles of a successful organization of publications.
a) An announcement should be held with everyone who wishes to take the sacrament of baptism (to baptize their children) or, being baptized in childhood, they want to resume prayer-Eucharistic communication with the church.
b) Conduct public conversations preferable to priests or devices. It is quite acceptable that conversations, for the blessing of the priest, conducted the theological educated laity. But in this case, a personal acquaintance of the priest with the announcement is necessary.
c) For the baptism of the child, it is extremely desirable that the announcement passed at least one of the parents, and not just perceptions.
d) The statement of faith and the foundations of Christian life must be carried out necessarily taking into account age, household, professional, family, national characteristics, as well as, taking into account the previous religious experience.
e) It is necessary to give some time - to realize the importance of the upcoming step, to experience the hardness of intentions (2 Rule 1 of the Universal Cathedral).
(e) Preparation for baptism is conducted both theoretical and practical. The theoretical is to study the gospel and the foundations of the Orthodox faith, without unnecessary details. Practical - in gaining the skill of the post, prayer, reading the gospel, visits to worship and extra-service moral life.
Important aspects of theoretical training
but) About God and about faith.
Before you require a person to pronounce the vows of baptism, it is natural to reveal to him the content of faith, according to which he is going to live. Make it need alone and creatively. It is not necessary to concern secondary questions, but is guided by the symbol of faith. It is necessary to explain the primacy of the sacrament of baptism itself, which, however, can be done during the pause when baptism.
b) About Orthodoxy.
"Orthodoxy is not a" national-cultural affiliation "of the Eastern Church. Orthodoxy is the internal quality of the Church, the preservation of the challenge truth, the liturgical and hierarchical system and the principles of spiritual life, continuously and consistently staying in the Church since the time of Apostolic. "(Jubilee Cathedral R.P.TS.).
in) The concept of sin and redemption.
We must give a person a simple and clear concept of sin, how to give the will of God who loving us, as disobedience to the commandments with a spite of us. It would be nice to rely on, first of all, to the New Testament texts, and the answers to give the New Testament.
For example, the question of what our sinfulness is to the sin of Adam, and why "death moved in all men," the Apostle Paul explains that "everything was sinned in it" (Rom. 5:12). We all sinned, and suffer because of our sin, and not because of Adamov, and therefore should repent. But we were sinned in it, in Adam. These words can not be explained. They need to remember and feel.
Also on the question that I was accomplished on the cross, the new covenant clearly answers: Christ died "For our sins" (1 Corp.15: 3; Gal.1: 4; 1Pet. 3: 18), "For people" (John 11: 50), "For wicked" (Rome. 5: 6), "For all of us" (Rom. 8: 32), and we are "redeemed ... the precious blood of Christ, like a delicate and clean lamb" (1pete. 1: 18- nineteen). And to the question, "who pretended to sacrifice Christ?" - There is also a clear answer: "God." But not to satisfy his allegedly offended dignity, but "in the fragrance of pleasant" (Eph. 5: 1-2).
d) About Christ and His commandments.
One of the conversations must be devoted to the Gospel, as the good news of Christ the Savior, about Christ of God and the man of Christ. During the preparation, the announced, as the minimum requirement, should read one of the synoptic gospels, and the book of Acts of Apostolic. As an introduction to Christian morality, Evangelical parables are indispensable, especially about the prodigal son, about evil debtor, about Samaryan, about talents.
e) About church, sacraments and prayer.
The practical religious life is unthinkable without a collection of believers. After all, wanting to become Christians, we "started Mount Zion and to the city of God Zhivago, to the Heavenly Jerusalem and the Darkness of Angels, to the Solding Cathedral and the Church of the firstborn, written in heaven, and to the proud of all God, and to the spirits of the righteous who have reached perfection, and For the new Testament to Jesus, and to the blood of kropling, speaking better than Aveleva "(Heb. 12: 22-24).
We are called upon to promote the formation of the feelings of the church and the right concepts about its external device, properties and sacraments, in relation to modern life.
Here it is also necessary to give an idea of \u200b\u200bprayer as talking with God, angels, and saints. It is important to disclose to people to the essential, and not the secondary aspects of the preparation of Christians to confession and communion (see an application-memo application for the preparation for the communion).
e) On disciplinary requirements.
To begin with, it would be necessary to limit the minimum that set the first apostolic cathedral for facing pagans: "refrain from the patent and blood, and the removal, and fornication, and not to do another of what you do not want" (Acts 15: 29).
Minimum catechization can be carried out during four thematic conversations. Reducing them is undesirable, but an increase is possible, with pastoral prudacity and concern for those who want to know the faith deeper. Optimal mode "One conversation a week, and it is undesirable to delay each share of one to one and a half hours." The form of a dialogue is very important to hear and feel the challenge. Visual manuals and modern training tools are very helpful: video, audio and computer equipment, for which, of course, you need a small video and library.
Practical aspects of announcement
When preparing for baptism, a person must feel that he needs a church that it was in the church with him to talk about the most important and most mysterious sides of his life. Communication should be paid at least attention than the study of the truth of faith.
It is desirable that the preparation for church life is carried out by the forces of the arrival in which the announcement is going to enter. The supervisor must be the abbot of the temple, or another priest, or an active member of the parish, who blesses the abbot. The other members of the community should help to help, especially those who are announced. Practical training includes:
a) acquaintance with the parish life (a story about the temple, about the order of worship services and their views, the shrines, the parishioners and the directions of the extra-service life).
b) Estimated participation in worship services. It is important that the announced helped consciously participate - clarified the meaning, gave literature. It is quite appropriate to commit missionary services.
c) a choice of a brief prayer prayer ruleIn coordination with a responsible priest or catechizer.
d) Estimated compliance with the statutory moments, according to the free decision of the announceable, in particular, the satisfaction of the post before baptism. The requirement to comply with the post strictly according to the Charter - is unacceptable!
e) Confession before baptism - for someone who will show free will.
(e) If there is a desire and opportunity, - participation in parish off-service life, in particular, in the work at the temple, in the cleaning of the temple and territory, in helping needy.
Confidence-confidential conversation before baptism.
According to the tradition of the church, with the announced, before his name fit into the number of preparing for baptism, a test conversation was carried out. She gave the opportunity to figure out the motivation, the general mood of the person preceding life. If there were classes that are incompatible with the Christian faith, they should be left during the announcement. If necessary, the community even contained that until he finds a new profession. At the end of catechization, a secondary test took place, sometimes combined with the confession of sins. The knowledge gained was checked, and the degree of readiness to join the church. These conversations, held, of course, only a priest give an additional strong motivation to study the faith and lifestyle change.
About baptism of babies
In the public consciousness, baptism of babies seems to be an old household rite, mandatory for a Russian person, where faith "godpa" is not at all mandatory. However, on the basis of ecclexyiological considerations, you can baptize only children of conscious Christians. By the word an. Paul, Children Christians are holy (1 Cor. 7: 14), they are by virtue of birth from church people belong to the church.
Therefore, by the way, the Chin of "T Corressia" would be to precede the baptism, as indicating the potential church of children. If parents are still not enough, there should be a guarantee that at least perceivers will be able to provide a serious church-educational impact on children. Otherwise, it would be necessary to wait until the child grows, and himself freely and consciously wants to be baptized. Generally speaking, in our time, due to the loss of community, and closets family lifeThe role of perceivers in relation to children is not entirely clear. Children's churching in our time lies and can lie more on parents. The main role of perceivers is to be zealous prayer books for their gods.
It is quite acceptable to be two criss, although an ancient practice knew one, the same gender as the baptist. The true perception should be considered that of them, who more responsibly comes to their duties, regardless of gender.
It would be necessary to be allowed to attend the Mother's sacrament, after forty days, after reading the cleansing prayer over it. It is also an opinion that, on the basis of the importance of the moment, it makes sense to allow women and before this period, unless the christening are performed in the temple.
So, only correctly following the protected God, the church and these conditions in the case of catechization, overcoming the existing difficulties, we will be on the saved path.
Catechization state and its need at the present stage
Currently, many people hopefully draw their eyes towards the church. The increasing influence of the Church on civil society gives us the right to look into the future with optimism:
The number of arrival is increasing, including at the expense of youth;
- by the number of baffling, the Orthodox Church in front of all other religions and denominations in Russia;
- passing through neophyticity as a natural growth disease, people find people true meaning and the joy of life in love to Christ and union with him;
- the missionary, catechics and publishing activities of the Church are reborn;
- the network of the CPU Sunday Schools and spiritual and educational centers is expanding;
- the social ministry of the Church is expanding;
- the public status, the authority of the Church and the level of church self-consciousness;
- The church in the entire variety of forms enters into a constructive dialogue with the state and society, which is reflected in the social concept.
But it is alarming and concern that although the overwhelming majority of Russians were baptized and baptized in the Orthodox Church, but the motives for which they do, are often distant from the true content of Orthodox faith and Christian life. Orthodox faith in their consciousness often remains like tribute to historical and national cultural traditions. There is a low level of knowledge about God, about faith and church. Very weak motivation and orientation on moral and spiritual life. Common phenomenon has become a consumer attitude to the church.
And a significant proportion of responsibility for it lies, of course, at the ministers of the Church, on those who are not enough to make about their teacher duties.
Currently, when a Christian education in the twentieth century turned out to be practically destroyed, and missionary - catechisators did not develop largely, the problem of familiarization and training of the majority of baptized people with the basics of Orthodox creed and the worldview. The main part of modern believers, baptized people, is very low-member and far from compliance with the requirements that were prescribed in the faith - announced, before baptism, in the ancient church during the times of St. Cyril Jerusalem, the author of the public awareness who lived in the IV century.
In unfortunate modern families Without the succession of Christian traditions, more than 3 generations have ceased to take care of the Christian nature of the education of children and encourage them to church life. Now we can only pronounce the patristic expression "Family is a small church", but few people understand, and is able to introduce a family to a pious life in a traditional churchoff.
In church-parish Sunday schools, less than 1% of the total number of students study public schoolswhere the coverage of students with the optional teaching of the foundations of Orthodox culture is catastrophically slightly and clearly sinks. In this regard, the issue of catechization - (riders), spiritual enlightenment with the aim of squeezing newly-clothes and preparing to be baptized, worth more than ever. All this requires from the church of new approaches, (in missionary, catechisators, pedagogical, pastoral and management activities), new organizational forms, efforts to help newly incoming, special attention, care, tact and love, to become on the path of squeezing, gaining Christian life and salvation.
To date, there is no developed, effective system of education and practical training of catechisators, church teachers, psychologists and educational institutions and social work. Few practically verified specialized literature for self-education and the arrangement of vital consideration forms of church-creative activities. At many major arrival, and even in many puments, so far, despite the resolution of the 2004 Bishop Cathedral, there is no regular position of the parish catechistant - the organizer of various forms of community worker of coming.
In the most liter service of the arrival, there is often no emphasis on the Eucharist, as on the main mystery of the church. Along with this, there is a lack of interest of the priests in the extra-board-friendly educational activities, and in general - the insufficient level of pastoral preparation for it, sometimes the inability to convey to modern person and the younger generation the eternal truths of Orthodox confession.
The underdevelopment of the extra-hospital, community-shaped, learning-labor life of the parishes, as well as the absence of joint leisure of families, leads to an almost complete absence of an Orthodox sociocultural environment, where only the full education of children and young people is possible.
It is extremely important to shift the focus on the material side of the lives of the Church to missionary-catechisators, the teacher and educational, community-sustainable under the pastoral ocher. Material resources should be directed primarily to care for members of the church, mission, catechization, and charity. As stated in the message of the Jubilee Bishops' Cathedral of the ROC, "today the initial stage of the church revival is completed, on which the main attention was paid to the restoration of old and opening new temples, monasteries, spiritual schools. We enter into a new era, when you need to go to a high-quality, When the main attention should be paid to the recreation of the human soul. The main and unchanged care of the church is the salvation of people, not only permanent parishioners, but also those who are looking for their way to God. It is necessary that every person who came to the temple felt in his native environment, felt love And care.
Shepherds should remember that their personal holiness can lead to faith thousand people, as well as their flavors can disrupt many from the church. If today's situation does not change, we are threatened by the marginalization of the church and the loss of authority in society ...
By organizing church work, a Christian is designed to look for effective forms, clarify them, to improve, ensuring with the Sacred Scriptures and St. Tradition, without fearing to apply all the best in its practice, on the principle of expressed blessed Augustine: "In the main thing - unity, in secondary - freedom, in everything - love".
Per last years There was a kind tradition of holding socio-church forums, law-term congresses, catechisators and educational conferences. This, of course, contributes to the exchange of experience, book publishing, elevation of the voice of the Church. However, the case of catechization has not become generally worker.
The goal of the Mission of the Church on Earth has always been - to open the reality of the good news about Christ the Savior, for - "How to believe in what did not hear about whom?" (Rome 10: 14) The result of the mission will be achieved when a person begins to live on the basis of this reality. Catechization is a practical process of revealing the reality of the good news, some accompaniment of a person on the way to baptism, and in the first stages of an independent church life. At first, this word meant "undoubted from an exalted place." Catechization has always been carried out in the form of dialogue, interviews, in the form of issues and answers. And it's not by chance. Because it is possible to fill only an open, asking soul.
Appointment and place of catechisators
Among the 4 fundamental types of church ministry, catechizatoric ministry Has its place, its focus, appointment and content.
If a missionary activity It is designed to awaken faith in man, turn to Christ and his church, then catechisatorsAs spiritual and educational activities, aims to assimilate the foundations of Orthodoxy and orientation at the initial stage of church life.
Case Church Pedagogue, more often than the lawmaker, to teach mainly the subject matter of church creed, and the foundations of the Christian worldview.
The same shepherd - lay the foundation of spiritual life and correctly guide the fierce in the dispensation, maintaining and improving spiritual life in the Lon of the Holy Church.
Purpose and objectives of catechization
The purpose of catechization is an in Cercck - the acquisition of people to the Christian God-life of the commandments in the Lona of the Holy Church.
The church is a treasury, which contains all the fullness of life, an inexorable source of all the goods and our salvation.
Under the church, there is no set of knowledge and various church external actions, but the real transformation of the spirit, their, the relationship and the lifestyle of a person with a modern evangelical image of the identity of Jesus Christ.
In Cercck - It means to introduce into the body of the Church, assimilate a person to the graceful spirit of the life of the Church, to help promote moral and spiritual ties with the rest of the church community, to become Christ in their spirit, moral, relationships, and through the lively cell of the God-human body of the Christ Church.
You can carry out comparative parallels, opening our meaning and the high appointment of the mother of the Church. As in the womb of his mother's mother, each of us was formed by our body and the life of the soul was encountered, like this, but already in the womb of the mother of the church (in the branch of which we were among the fonts of baptism), under its guidance, for all earthly life, the formation should be More precisely, the "aging" of the soul for the future life is eternal life.
The church-parish community has four of the most important properties of the Church, ( single, holiness, cobatriness and apostle) For which it belongs to her.
In Cercck - It means to introduce into the life of the church community, in order to understand the properties of the church organism, to become their carrier.
Unity - Like the integrity of the person and unshakability in the confession of faith in God and the Church.
HolinessAs storing chastity and moral cleanliness in relations, behavior and life.
CathedralAs the unituousness and unanimity of church community in confession, affairs and ministry.
ApostlesityAs the co-career of Christ in the spread of faith and testifying an in-law of Christian life.
This is achievable only when solving a number of tasks, namely:
a) help gain the gospel as a book of life and in the light of him to adopt legends of the Orthodox Church, coming from the apostolic times and the Holy Fathers;
b) Help to gain Christian tricks and a worldview based on the Holy Scripture and the dogmatic foundations of Orthodoxy, which are primarily in the Faith symbol.
c) Help to gain basic knowledge about church life and recognizing that the life of a Christian is designed to be in the framework of the canonical rules and church discipline.
d) Promoting churching, as a phased entry into the practical development of the Church of Church Life, increasingly departing from pride, to his way and self-interest.
e) help the admission to the Eucharistic life of the community recognition that the center of all life orthodox Christian is the Eucharist.
e) help adopt the hierarchical structure of the Church.
g) help find a personal spiritual life and your place in the skeleton ministry of the Church.
h) Help a person to take responsibility to God and the Church for the church life as a form in which can develop and grow personal piety.
With a holistic look at the process of squeezing through catechization, it is possible to allocate in it a few complementary parties:
a) the admission of a person to the church chain knowledge contributing to the insertion of his consciousness and life;
b) the acquisition for the experience of church-authorized discipline and the prayer-Eucharistic liturgical life, contributing to the most transformation of the human spirit into the firmity of Christ to Christ: "... if someone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not ..." (Rome 8, 9);
c) spiritual leadership, helping Christian cultivation in the virtue and cut-off of his biased will, overcoming self-identification, self, self-supporting and self-education;
d) an active community worker life at the church parish that contributes to the acquisition of moral and spiritual relations and fraternal relations, the relationship of the first Christian community in the evangelter spirit (Acts 2: 42-47);
e) own spiritual and moral, ascetic life (prayer, post and alms) in his family, in church shink.
Therefore, under the catechism in our time, it is necessary to understand the work on facilitating in churching those who have decided to become a church person and lead the Christian pious lifestyle. Catechization is designed to encourage a person to conscious church life in the ministry to which a person is called to what the gift from God has (doctor, teacher, head, teacher, priest, monk, etc.) (1 Cor. 7: 20) .
Catechization fruits are The knowledge of the church creed, the acquisition of the Orthodox worldview and the conscious entry into the life of the Church, regular participation in its sacraments and, above all, in the Holy Eucharist. In addition to participating in the Eucharist, the most important component of the church is moral and spiritual life, as well as the prayer and affairs of love: "What benefits, my brethren, if anyone says he has faith, but does not have any affairs?" (Jac. 3: 19-20).
On the levels and steps of continuous catechization
Catechysis activities of the Church should penetrate like a beam of light and penetrate all ages, levels and spheres of the church, as well as the evangelical evangelism, addressed to all, always and at all times.
I will dwell only on the estimated levels and the steps of catechization on ascending, from simple to complex. All catechisators contains in itself two main sections - Mastering the church knowledge of faith and practical church life in faith. As stated about this from SVT. Gregory Theologian: "For our salvation, it is necessary to have two things - the faithful mind of faith and pious life."
For the convenience of perception and transfer of church knowledge of faith (we will only miss this, one side). Conditionally catechization as a means of coators can be divided into 3 levels, and on each of them 3 steps; Total gets 9 steps.
I-th level: initial catechization
Consists of 3-steps.
1 step: Parish counseling; (initial knowledge of Orthodoxy), where the main truths of the Orthodox worldview are affected: about the purpose and sense human life; about good and evil; About faith, love; about truth and misconceptions, etc. He reveals human priorities, the presence of spaces (t. Lakun) in the human consciousness, the nature of delusions, superstitions, various ideological stamps and negative stereotypes of perception of the challenge truths of Orthodoxy. And also is the instruction in the initial information about the faith and church life of an educational nature; carried out when communicating people and especially in the "parish counseling" as to provide necessary assistance With the initial church of the laity, making the first steps to God and the Church.
2 steps: Oblocation (Predest Catechization is the primary knowledge of Orthodoxy), where the announcement receives instruction in the basics of faith, to the conscious adoption of Saint Baptism; According to the main sections of the public conversation cycle, (which is m. B. variatives for timing and content).
3 steps: Fundamentals of Orthodoxy (fundamental knowledge of Orthodoxy), where the catechumens are reasonable to give knowledge on the basics of Orthodox faith. (in the volume of books the law of God and catechism; for example, ed. Prot. Seraphim Slobodsky Svt. Philaret (Drozdova).
*Services - It is overcoming superstitions, delusions and outstates, in the post-Soviet, (materialistic - atheistic) consciousness of people, so H. "Stamps and stereotypes", against faith, through communication, in the spirit of the said word and Christian beliefs based on personal experience and the power of personal example.
* Initiation Gradually occurs at the i-Ohm level of catechization, when moving from stage to stage.
II level: basic catechization
1 step: Orthodox creed (main challenge)
2 steps: Orthodox worldview (main theology with elements of history, anthropology, philosophy, cultural and natural science)
3 steps: Orthodox apologetics; (Protection of truths and the teachings of the Orthodox Church, with a support for Orthodox creed and worldview with elements of comparative theology).
III level: in-depth catechization
(At theological level)
1 step: The initial theological level (spiritual school)
2 steps: Middle Theologian Level (Spiritual Seminary)
3 Step: Higher Theological Level (Spiritual Academy)
There are 4 catechization elements of catechization
1) Catechization as an introduction to Christian chain knowledge;
2) as an attachment to the experience of church life and church legend through the prayer, post, pastoral leadership, the sacraments and the affairs of mercy;
3) as a community-organizing life of a particular group of churching people;
4) own moral and ascetic life of a person on the rank of church life; Thus, the concept of "catechization" accommodates these levels.
In general, catechization should contribute to a holistic formation of a person. Christian in which it can be distinguished six areas of formation:
1) liturgical or eucharistic The area of \u200b\u200blife, which consists in regular participation in worship (post, prayer, confession, communion), as a gathering dialogue of communication, up to the unity acquired in the sacrament of Holy Communion.
2) then spiritual and crumpled The side of life under the pastoral leadership, where, with mentoring help, a person can take place unexplored the path of temptations and difficulties, reaching greater Christian perfection;
3) moral and ascetic The region of formation and self-education through the internal work on itself, requiring the attentive prayer-sober life of a person, striving for the eradication of sins, bad habits and the compassion of the grace of the Holy Spirit and Christian virtues;
4) family-family The area of \u200b\u200blife where a person passes the stages of sowns, marriage and paternity;
5) navigator-ideological or educational and educational area aimed at the phased development of the church creed and the Christian Orthodox worldview;
6) community-labor Part, the area of \u200b\u200blife in the acquisition of the virtuous nature of relations through the internal work on oneself on the pacification of passions, the eradication of sin and joint labor activities for the benefit of the neighbor and church.
I want to note interesting fact What happened on 24 Christmas readings on the catechization sections. Literally not agreeing with each other, several speakers with the reports on the catechization of priests from different dioceses of the Russian Church expressed the same thought - that our baptized people did not make it difficult for the church, there are not enough impulse, which would pushed and returned them to the embrace of the Holy Mother of the Church . I would like to hope that the Catechization case will serve as such a momentum.
You can consider this question in the narrowly historical sense. Much has already been said about him in theological literature. Much can still be investigated, as this is one of the most important church topics.
If we talk in a concrete current sense of these issues, this topic is extremely painful, because often before committing the sacrament of baptism in the terrible spiritual battle of the Christian world and the world of pagan, their worldview and lifestyles. And the most terrible is that paganism tries to crawl into Christianity, to receive satisfaction from him and the right to life, take the shape of Christian, in many respects without changing himself.
This is a piercing priest, because every father in his ministry faced the formal perception of the sacrament of baptism many times. And how difficult it is to lead this battle with a false pagan consciousness, knows every priest. Each baptism is like a fight. Each baptism is like a battle. Of course, you can surrender, you can take it indifferent. Half an hour - and here is your baby, goodbye. Do what you want! But does I have the right, Ieria God, do this? You need to plow heartfront people. And this is often the same grave case, how to bother Kirkoy to granite. Why so?
Unfortunately, often a modern man post-Soviet space Refers to baptism only as a good tradition. They say, all sacraments, and I have to pursue a child. Or at best, to protect the baby in the baby. But the deep awareness of the sacrament of baptism does not occur. A person does not want to understand him.
So, what is the sacrament of baptism? Orthodox Catechism gives the following answer: "The baptism is a sacrament in which the believer, with a three-time immersion of the body into the water, with the call of God's father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, dies for the life of the carnal, sinful and is reborn from the Holy Spirit to life spiritual, holy." That is, baptism is not only a beautiful old tradition or just protection for the child. This is a step into the sky. This is a step into open the door of the Church of the Earth and the Church of Heaven. This is taking on themselves and on a child commitment to live in the church, approaching Christ. Live the life of the church.
But does it often happen?
Breasting and not to live church life is about the same as buying a beautiful icon, and then dig a hole and put an image into it. And then for decades, to fall asleep it with every everyday garbage, until the shrine, finally, will not be completely buried under the rubble.
Will the Lord ask us after death or on a terrible court about TAILANT, about the gift of the Spirit of the Holy in the saint, which we got in the sacrament of baptism? Of course, asks. Can a person answer why the shrine was buried in the ground? Probably not. And then cry and grinds teeth.
The sacrament of baptism is the mustard grain that is thrown into our heart soil. In order for it sprout and developing into a beautiful tree, it is necessary to cultivate it with prayer, post, sacraments, lives in the church, the affairs of mercy. And then the birds of heaven (grace of the Holy Spirit) are told sockets on this tree. And it will shoot to the heights.
Therefore, speaking in modern language and for a modern man, the sacrament of baptism is a certain credibility of a person who is given to him in order that he began his personal approach to God. This, if you want, the duty and promise to work for the compassion of the Holy Spirit and for your personal salvation.
And this is especially seen from how the ancient Christians believed to the sacrament ...
These are words synonyms. Catechization translated from the Greek denotes "announcement". An announcement is a study by a person the foundations of the Christian faith before accepting baptism. That is, we see that labor to change itself for the sake of making a shrine of the baptismal began with a man long before participation in this sacrament. He could last from forty days and up to three years. Announced (so called the one who wanted to be baptized and passed to this announcement (training)) had a mentor, often a priest who instructed him in the basics of Christian faith. To prepare for the baptism and raising of people on the basis of Orthodox faith there were integer educational establishments. So, for example, the famous Alexandrian school was born as a public. The main task of this school was the preparation of announced to baptism.
In fact and one of the most famous orthodox prayer - The symbol of faith is the catechism in a brief form, i.e., the statements of the Orthodox faith. Training in the public period had, as a rule, three degrees, or, expressing modern tongue, three classes. In the first "class", announced on the liturgy in the focus, listening to prayers and reading the Holy Scriptures. In the second "class", they already stood in the temple among the faithful to the Eucharistic canon, and then, dropping into his knees and adopting a blessing from the Primate, in the words "Elica Oblasty, otsey" left the temple. The third "class" was already preparing for baptism. Mass baptism were announced, as a rule, were made for Easter, Pentecost, holy bogue.
From this, we see how ancient Christians seriously treated the sacrament of baptism.
Today the situation has changed. Historical situation. But not the essence of the sacrament. She stayed the same. And the responsibility for the adoption of the sacrament of baptism is the same.
From the baptismal font, God himself perceives a person. So do I have the right to turn away from him? St. John Zlatoust in a conversation on the Gospel of John wrote: "Announced alien faithful. He does not have the same chapter with him, not the same father or the same city, no food, no clothes, nor at home; But everyone is divided. One has everything on earth; Other - in heaven. This king is Christ; That is a sin and the devil. This food is Christ; Togo - rot and drainage. Yes, and clothes for this - the Lord of Angels; That is the work of worms. This city has a sky; Togo - Earth. "
In the sacrament of baptism, we have already entered the sky. It remains only for life spiritually entrenched with God's help in it. So really want to fall from it and again return to the worms, to death and the drainage, when the merciful and loving God reveals our arms to us? Will we turn away from him?
Nowadays, a person who only came to the church is often faced with such a concept as "Catechization", and with people who are called them catechisators. This word itself has roots in Greek - instruction, teaching. Announced the current meaning of these words I asked Yuri Beannovsky, Catechizator of the Patriarchal Center for the Spiritual Development of Children and Youth at the Danil Monastery.
Yuri, in any dictionary I did not find the meaning of the word "Catechizator", only the meaning of the word "catechism" - " summary Christian teaching in matters and answers. " But who is such a catechist? What rights does he have, what is his responsibility, the field of activity in the modern life of the Church?
Nowadays, this concept is very blurred, and there is still no clear generally accepted, prescribed somewhere definitions, therefore the approach to the position of the catechizer was blurred. I will explain why. There were once a long time when there was a clear boundary between the appeal of people and between the adoption of them in the church body. It seems to me that there is a principal difference. It is one thing to go to a person who is also just walking down the street, and in his own words, his life awakens in it first interest, then confidence in Christ and the Church. And another thing is when a person has already decided, came and said: "I am ready." And this difference, in my opinion, is now little taken into account.
Therefore, such a situation arises when people who do not have a deep personal decision come and say: "I want to be baptized." Reject these people can not. After all, they already have confidence. But the problem is that these are their common trust have not yet been formulated in a particular faith in Christ and confidence specifically to the church. And why is it important? First of all, because, entering into the church, a person takes a huge responsibility for the adoption of the Orthodox Christian tradition and for building life in accordance with this two-thousandth tradition. From the practical side, a person takes responsibility for the adoption of a large corps of disciplinary requirements. Here the man walked himself and walked, I didn't think about anything, and here suddenly he was told that he should observe the posts that he should not do so and so should not move a certain face in friendship with girls (or with young people), Every Sunday should go to the temple, etc., he is unlikely to be delighted. It turns out that people come baptized, come to the temples and do not understand that, entering into the church, they are obliged to take all this, no matter how it may sound - bad or, on the contrary, well. I think that, among other things, this situation develops precisely because of the blurring of the concepts of the mission - calling people to Christ - and catechization as a response to the decision on belonging to the church.
Under the catechists in practice, everything is now understood by everything, who is somehow involved in the case of preaching and squeezing people. And catechization in the understanding that was once in the church, now there is no. We must be true. Someone may be offended, say that it is not true, but it really is not. And what should she be? It must be a very serious and deep educational work, which introduces a person to church tradition. This pedagogy faith is addressed to those who came and said: "I believe, but I don't know anything, I want to be baptized." And then the first stage of preparation for baptism begins. Perhaps, it is impossible to baptize a person who does not understand what the baptism is who Jesus Christ does not know the very basics of faith, it is impossible to baptize a person who did not try his hand in the Orthodox discipline of life: moral rules, prayer, participation in worship, abstinence and etc. And that should all be before baptism, because after baptism, a person cannot tell the church: "No, I will live as I want." But the most valuable, deepest work begins, of course, after baptism. In no case should the fallen person should remain in the "airless space", and in practice it remains, first of all, because there are no church communities.
So, ideally, the catechizer is a person who perceives those who have decided to be baptized, preparing them for baptism and after baptism helps to enter these people to church life, the church community. This is what is nowhere in the form of the system nowhere: there is no first point, nor the second. In some parishes there are enthusiasts that are engaged in something like. In Moscow, maybe there are 5-10 such parishes. But there is no system yet, there is no such a full-time position as the catechizer, therefore there is no catechization. But there is definitely people who want to do this.
I know you have a school of youth ministry and with her courses of catechisators in the center. Tell me how you are preparing catechisators.
I would not say that we teach professional catechorators. We work on such a principle: if a person is ready to work hard, we can prepare it a little, in something orient it, to provide him with a certain field for activities so that the part of his free time, if desired, he paid the ministry of the Church in the Mission and Catechization.
We have the first year of study - the general lecturer of the school of youth ministry, and in the second year some group of active young people seeking to show themselves in something. Academic year We include about 25 curriculous meetings, it corresponds to about one semester. We pronounce topical issues of modern life, the basics of pedagogy, the basis of group work, there is a small special course on world religions, by sects. Guys can try themselves in working in social and medical institutions: These are hard teenagers, and children from disadvantaged families, sick children, lonely older people. First of all, it is necessary that the guys are oriented where they want to attach their strength.
Yuri, to you, how to the catechizer, people often turn with questions about faith, about the church. But in such a situation, I think, every Christian was at least once in my life: when a person "from the outside" asks some sort of difficult theological question. And at such a moment, I think everyone felt temptation and doubt: what do I answer, and I will answer correctly, and whether another person will understand me? What would you advise to do in such a situation?
Yes, there are really a lot of difficulties. I used to be quite categorical in this regard. For me, it was valuable that the answer was, let's say, dogmatically calmed. But over time I understood this: the answer in a very small degree affects the questioning. At best, a person takes your answer as one of the options that he has, at worst, simply misses the ears. Because sometimes the question is asked just for the sake of the question. This is from the category "Why do you have a patriarch on a limousine" and the like. But when you feel that the question is asked sincerely, then the correct answer comes itself and almost never concerns some of the rightological schemes. And here it is important that this answer matured in our soul. For example, if the question causes difficulties, you can answer like this: I am difficult to answer, so I am sure that the situation is so. Maybe it is the most valuable thing when a person says: "I will try to comment on you how i got itIf you want, I may not remember a couple of books, I will advise you the Internet forum, where you can ask a question more knowledgeable. " It will be right. Refuse to answer, I think it is not worth it.
To the catechists, of course, as a rule, appeal to execute the heard. But here too, there is a danger. Catechizator can give some behavioral line (as a candle to put, like pounces of laying) or thinking line (God is a trinity, etc.). But what a catechist can give, so it personal experiencewhich man can find only himself in the joint stay of Christianity with other believers. And here in this, in my opinion, a huge tragedy of our time. Without creating communities where people can gain some kind of experience, for 20 years of church life, everyone in the head has already invested the correct faith (and in fact knowledge of faith) and thereby won the level of ideology. Now there are many people who, without having a deep personal experience of faith, and maybe only purchasing it, without passing still tests of doubts, testing with life difficulties, begin to preach everything around: "So I read the saints of fathers, and I am sure that Only so correct. " But in such an ideological approach, we forget about the most demanding, we forget about a person who appeals to us. Such answers are often a simple pharyce. To be clear, I will give an example from the opposite. There was such a case as I remember him. An Anthony Surozhsky came to Metropolitan and a woman came and says: "I can not believe. What to do?" And he answers her: "And you give a place in Christ myself in you to respond." She asks: "And how is it?" - "You come tomorrow, I will pray, you will pray, you will come." - "I'm unbelieving." - "And you come and give Christ the opportunity to change it." And she came, fell and really found faith, because it is a miracle. But this case does not fit into the "letter of the law". Tell this case to someone from the gris of Orthodoxy, and you will burn you. They will say that this is something, it is as possible. But Metropolitan Anthony could afford such free relations with the "rules" for the sake of a person for his salvation. These are, it seems to me that the answers are needed: we look at a person, he is dear to us, and we tell him what matured in our soul.
The Archimandrite John (Economists) is responsible for the questions of the Patriarchal Center of the Peaceological Development of Children and Youth - Chairman of the Department of Religious Education and Catechization of the Russian Orthodox Church, the rector of the Russian Orthodox Institute of St. John the Bogosla
- Father John, you have been heading the Synodal Department of Religious Education and Catechization of the Russian Orthodox Church for 15 years. What can you say about this period?
- His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II has repeatedly emphasized that the most important task of the Russian Orthodox Church on modern stage Its existence is catechization of the people.
In the ancient church, Catechization or announcement was called the bringing of pagans to the Christian faith and preparation for adoption in the church through baptism. Currently, naked and many anyway, baptized people need insertion, and, consequently, in enlightenment and catechization.
The rapid growth in the number of Sunday schools falls in the 90s. It was at that time that the Orthodox Church entered into the restoration of his spiritual impact on the life of Russian society.
In the first decade, the restoration of the commissioned traditions of Orthodox education, Sunday schools played an important role of catalysts of spiritual lifting among the population, enlightening and chargeing the Orthodox youth of the idea of \u200b\u200bthe gracious, zealous ministry to God and the Church. The hottest confession of Christ and emotional-colored appeals to repentance and salvation committed by the teachers-category-catechisators of the Sunday Schools of the "first call", fulfilled their mission and launched public consciousness towards the acceptance of the Orthodox faith and Orthodox church.
Many people began to visit Orthodox churches. Gradually began to expand and spread through the dioceses the practice of creating Sunday schools. It could not but rejoice, but also faced the idea of \u200b\u200bthe need to start a new stage of work. As experience shows, now there is no people to God for God, not so much enthusiasm or spiritual impulse, and not a simple desire "Learn to learn about the life of the Church" or "admire the wellness of the temple", how much collision with the most difficult problems everyday lifewho are waiting for their permission. The accumulated suffering of the human soul leads it to the experience of a sharp crisis, to the need to "pour out their soul" and get active assistance and support in the church.
It can be argued that the Orthodox education received civil rights today in Russia. Church-parish Sunday schools, Orthodox gymnasiums, Orthodox Institute and theological University, many different lecturers, seminars, circles - this is not a complete list of subdivisions of today's Orthodox school. The structure was created and functions, although the process of its formation in its theoretical and in the methodical part is still in the formation stage.
This year, at our department, a working group was created, which prepares a general terrorism document "Tasks, principles and forms of organization of catechiasis in the Russian Orthodox Church." This document should help deposit the efforts of existing Orthodox Enlightenment Centers.
In his report at the II Congress of Missionaries of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy identified the coercuring of various layers of society and especially young people in the main missionary task in the 21st century: "Today we need to solve the main question - how to choke our people, how to give it natural religious searches Orthodox foundation . As a rule, we are dealing with baptized, but not enlightened people, and this is a very dangerous and seductive state of the soul, when a person with all life and preferences is in the arms of the world, but at the same time he considers an Orthodox Christian. " The appeal of His Holiness Patriarch remains relevant today.
- O. John, what can you say about the current situation with catechization in Russia?
- It is impossible to idealize the past, just sighing about him. It is because in our past there were so many purely external piety, often insincere, hypocritical, unreal. We can not just dream of the revival of the ancient Russian pious building of life, about the unspoiled nature of the pre-industrial period, about the strong unpreasual family life (which was scary vices). We will ask us and ask how we live now, in a modern life, as we, church people, are responsible for needs, requests and difficulties young generation, on his need for spiritual education now, in our time, in our conditions.
Today's "Missionary Field" is characterized by complex processes of universal development and new relations in the religious palette of the world. It is time for serious theological, sociological studies that could help us in missionary work.
Society is now in ideological captivity. Today it is a captivity in secular western thinking, achievements scientific and technological progress, cult of total pleasures. Understanding this does not mean to give up hands and lose heart - this means to act with the already existing situation.
We must admit that we can lose the generation of modern children for the church. In many ways it will be our fault. Some of our contemporaries leave the church, preferring to Christianity, the most values \u200b\u200bfor whose debunking for so long and so many things were worked and the teachers. It is our inept assistance in churching that it often becomes the main obstacle to the church to the church, the main grounds for suffering Christianity, this great cheerful and life-affirming force, tough dogma, deprived of life and joy.
Very sure about this, now the deceased about. Boris Nichiporov: "In the church environment, it became an unsolicited rule publicly brand all the anti-Christian manifestations. According to this jealousy, they even judge the" church "and" spirituality "of the Orthodox. Rare book, a rare newspaper article, a rare sermon costs without criticism of the godless modern peace and comprehensive Life in it. There was a peculiar Orthodox Fashion for the exposure of the ulcers and the vices of society. But what did we offer, Orthodox, this very society, and children in particular, for almost 15 years of legal church activity? What an alternative we found that consumer philosophy, which we found With chic and brilliance served us from the West? "
To the question of tradition and heritage we must approach creatively. It is necessary, first of all, to understand that it is from the heritage of the past we want to continue, and from what should be getting rid of that from the experience of the past we useful, and what is disgusting and alien? We will be able to answer these questions only when you yourself feel a living beating of time, we will feel the real needs of today, we will begin to comprehend them in the context of the entire history of the Church.
- How could you determine the goals and tasks of catechization now?
- The goal of Catechization is always the same - to promote the insertion of people who assured Christ the Savior.
If we speak more, then we have to help believers to find the Gospel as a book of life, we must help them in the formation of a Christian worldview, rooted in the Holy Scriptures and the dogmatic foundations of Orthodoxy, are primarily in the Faith symbol; We have to help people join church. It is important to remember that it is the Christian community that collected around the Eucharistic bowl is a visibrible church. We must help a person in the acquisition of basic knowledge about church life and church discipline: it is important to form a sense of canonism and discipline, both internal spiritual and external culture of piety. We are designed to help a person in the acquisition of their place in the Church, personal spiritual life and help him gain responsibility to God and the Church for the church life as a form in which it can develop, grow a personal bob.
- Who is such a catechizer?
- Catechizator is primarily the minister of the Church, engaged in catechization on the blessing of the priesthood or church power. The ministry of the catechizer is an integral part local church, Dioceses and communities.
In a word, the catechizer must have theological education, general humanitarian training and competence to carry out all types of catechization.
- How would you identify the basic principles of catechization?
- For 15 years of revival of church life, we often said that to be Orthodox - it means to take ritual values: posts, rules, etc. It was often forgotten that the evangelical values \u200b\u200bare different. They do not contradict the ritual, they reflect the essence of the good news, and the rituals - reflect the form of incarnation of evangelical values. The man is baptized to be with Christ, and not to fast, the man is baptized to pass, and not to be unworthy communion.
Man often takes the church as a "church life building". The task of catechization adequately tie the Gospel with this "building" individually relative to a particular person.
The tasks of catechization are not included in the upbringing of the "righteousness of the books and the Pharisees" (Matt. 5. 20) and the union piety, but assistance in an independent choice of what will bring spiritual fruits.
The center of the life of the Christian is Christ. "I am a Live Bread, who came down from heaven" (John 6. 51). "I live my father and the poisoning to live me will be me" (John 6. 57). These words, Christ identified the content of Christian life, and the main content of Orthodox education.
O. Gleb Calheda in 1994 determined one of the principles of catechization as histinery. This means that it is necessary to first attach to the certificate of Christ, to the Gospel Commandments and only then talk about church values \u200b\u200bas a form designed to embody the living God-edition and gain personal relationships with God.
It is necessary to recognize that the center of the entire life of the Orthodox Christian is the Eucharist.
Catechization is the case of the entire church community, and in our time it is a matter of greater degree of laity. Full-fledged churching is impossible without the participation of Christian communities. The coercury is life in the community, so we need to constantly increase the importance of community life, protect it from the penetration of the spirit of individualism, closedness, separatism and sectarianism in any manifestations. It must be said that the church community is the most acceptable environment and to raise children. The creation of communities in the parishes requires selfless patient pastoral labor primarily with each employee and working at the temple, and then with their help - and with all parishioners.
- O. John, what is the essence of the Christian certificate?
- "The task of the Orthodox certificate is entrusted to each church member. The duty of Orthodox Christians is to testify to the truth that was forever entrusted to the church, because, according to the expression of the Apostle Paul," We are the co-workers of God "(1 Cor. 3.9)". (Jubilee Bishops Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church. The basic principles of the attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church to ASSO).
The difference between religion and ideology is that religion, faith is always something very personal, impossible without internal mystical experience, while the ideology all denying and rejects as unnecessary.
The essence of religion is that, finding God, a person would find himself, has become himself. The essence of ideology is to subjugate a person in order to be the performer and servant of ideology.
The man of man put the above all, made it the subject of love, the subject of absolute attention. The enemies of Christ wanted from the religion of earthly well-being, order, and for the sake of all this they demanded blind subordination with impersonal laws.
Christ said not a word about the state, society, history, culture, that is, what constitutes the subject of all ideologies. His attention was drawn to living people surrounding him. Thanks to Christ, religion was transformed: from ideology, she became a living force - and the idea of \u200b\u200bpersonality was made over the world forever.
The Savior himself said: "My joy in you will be perfect and the joy will be perfect" (John 15. 11). Apostle Paul wrote: "Rejoice always in the Lord; And I also say: Rejoice" (FLP. 4. 4).
We need a crushing, and crying, and tears about their sins, perfect joy increases on them. Repentance is a tool, not a goal. The goal is the compassion of the Holy Spirit, perfect joy of Christ.
Catechization should also take into account the peculiarities of the perception of various ages of Christian truths. Children and young people need to disclose the joy of Orthodoxy. A holiday and joy should be done for them to visit temples, participation in orthodox holidays, study in Sunday schools and communicating with peers.
We often forget the words of your favorite student of Christ John the Theologian: "Who says:" I love God, "he hates his brother, that liar; for not loving his brother, whom he sees how to love God, whom he does not see? And we have from Him such a commandment so that his loving God loved and his brother "(1 in. 4. 20-21). Love increases in affairs, and faith, if he has no cases, is dead in itself.
Today, state institutions of social protection and education are ready for cooperation and dialogue with the church. An important aspect of catechysis activities should recognize social ministry. With regret, it is possible to state the indifference of some believers in the issues of social partnership and joint service in need. A paradoxical situation arises, which is easier to attract unbelievers of goodwill or neophytes unbelievable people, rather than rooted in the church traditions of people. Orthodox believers can explain their non-participation in the life of the Society with the need to perform ascetic exercises by alone, visiting worship or the ban of the spiritual leader. Such intricacies are distracted by people from the church and forcing their attention to more socially active insoluctants.
- What pedagogical principles of catechization can we speak?
- Each person is unique, as well as the circumstances of his life. In concert, an individual approach is needed, it is necessary to associate a personal faith of a person, his aspirations with the church tradition.
The coercury can be built only on the basis of sincere, trust relationships with people. We must learn to see a person, trust him and understand what is happening in it.
"Certificate cannot be a monologue - it assumes hearing, implies communication. The dialogue implies two sides, mutual openness to communication, readiness for understanding, not only" hole ears ", but also" Extended Heart "(2 Cor. 6.11)" (Acts Anniversary Bishop Cathedral, "The basic principles of the relations of the Russian Orthodox Church to Separation", paragraph 4.5).
The priest and catechizer must clearly understand the goals, the tasks and meaning of their ministry and the area, the depth of their competence. To realize that they are not the media of the completeness of truth and can be mistaken, but also recognize the freedom of those who are facing the sermon.
Catechizers should have an Orthodox worldview and have experience of spiritual life. It is also important to understand the meaning of the church tradition, to realize the real historical reality and do not deny the sharp moments. A person who is responsible for the insertion of converts is desirable to have the skills of communication and the necessary knowledge in the field of pedagogy, psychology and other humanitarian disciplines.
The indispensable responsibility of every Christian and especially those who are engaged in catechization and sermon from the face of the Church should be the desire to implement their lives preached. "The Lord God is holy in your hearts" (1 Pet. 3.15), "Have a good conscience" (1 Pet. 3.16), "Apply an example" (1 Pet. 5. 3), "Be a sample in the word, in life, in Love, in spirit, in faith, clean "(1 Tim. 4. 12), - admit the apostles of shepherds and preachers of catechochizers.
It is necessary to adequately correlate the purpose and tasks of the coercury with the possibilities, forces, means and time as a convertible Christian and the whole church community, priesthood and catechisators.
Catechization should be carried out in the language that is peculiar to a specific person (or group of people). At the same time, in concert, it is necessary to gradually enter a person in church concepts and to attach to the language of the Church and the Christian certificate.
It is important to understand that Christianity can convert the culture to fill it with true spiritual content. "For the development of the testimony of the Church modern world, Her decent provision in society and strengthening church authority, as well as for the development of theology and education, should intensify the dialogue and interaction of the church with secular culture and science "(Definition of the 2004 Bishop Cathedral" On issues of the inner life of the Russian Orthodox Church ").
We must honestly answer the question - what are the relationship between what we call "spiritual development", "religious growth", "increasing in God" and real life modern people.
- What needs to be done so that Catechization is successful?
- Catechization cannot be successful if there are trends in the presence of church teachers to abstract from modern problems societies. The desire to donate from the urgent questions, show an idealized picture of life, unprepacently to be in complex, and sometimes tragic circumstances turns Orthodoxy into utopia, makes a contradiction between confession and life, deprives a sober and humble attitude towards objective lifestyles and paralyzes the will to the Christian preaching.
Incursion of adults and religious education of children is a gradual process that requires an integrated, systemic approach, that is, the integration of many, often incompatible components.
It raises everything: people, things, phenomena, but above all - people.
"Orthodoxy is not a" national-cultural affiliation "of the Eastern Church. Orthodoxy is the internal quality of the Church, the preservation of the versal truth, the liturgical and hierarchical system and the principles of spiritual life, continuously and consistently staying in the Church since the times of the Apostolic. It is impossible to succumb to the temptation of the idealization of the past or ignore Tragic flaws or failures that took place in the history of the church. A sample of spiritual self-critics gives primarily the great fathers of the church. " (Jubilee Bishops Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church. The basic principles of the attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church to ASSO).
Catechization system should not be built only on the property of the past. It is impossible to be guided by the principle that everything new is just good or bad. It is impossible to reject the possibility of creativity, but follows the experience to make sure in the effectiveness of the chosen path. "Experience, have a good hold."
It should be noted that in modern conditions, catechization should be closely related to the development of new media.
The church encourages attempts to create new forms of transferring evangelical truths. Every positive initiative should be welcomed and support those who act as discovers in the field of catechization. It is necessary to take into account the age characteristics of listeners, their religious motivation and the level of secular education. Religious, moral and moral education should be ahead of the information and rationalistic refilling of the mind.
Building any pedagogical process outside this principle is impossible. Experience shows that churching is a complex phased process. The issue of timeliness, and therefore the fruitfulness of certain steps of the coathotas - not affected and waiting for its consideration the region of catechization.
God keeps human freedom, never raving his will. Catechization can only be a response to the free militia of a person to church.
Having dares to the necessary participation in the life of a person, we cannot forget about our responsibility. Therefore, there would be a great temptation to raise themselves like this, we should not succumb to him. Another person, even a child, is not intended to look like us. He is another microcosm, he has his own way in life, we are designed to help him in every way.
The love attitude of the participants in the complex process of squeezers - a priest, a catechistant, members of the parish community - a pledge of the full entry of man in church. Love is that it means to see the divine idea of \u200b\u200ba man.
The choice of catechization forms should be determined not so many traditions as fruitfulness in relation to specific people seeking to choke in this time. At the same time, of course, adaptation of traditional forms to modern reality is necessary.
The preaching of Christ gives us an understanding that catechisual instruction can and should take various forms, depending on which it is drawn to.
- The baptism of babies has now been massive. What can you say about it?
- It is necessary to recognize that in the public consciousness the baptism of babies is represented as an old household rite, mandatory for a Russian person and often implemented with the participation of even unbelievers as a "godf".
Through this sacrament, a new person enters the church society, and he is accepted in a private environment, without the participation of all members of this society and more than - often without the participation of a baby's mother.
Based on the eccleciological foundations of the sacrament of baptism, we can conclude that only children of conscious Christians can be baptized. By the word an. Paul - Children Christians Holy (1 Cor. 7: 14), that is, they are potentially belonging to the church by virtue of church people.
On the baptized child in the future and on the community is responsible for his churching, that is, for bringing the fruit of faith.
Nowadays, due to the loss of the community of church life and closedness of family life, the role of perceivers in relation to children is not entirely clear. They can't affect children before baptism. The main functions on churching of children in our time are lying and can only lie on their parents. Thus, the main role of perceptions is to be an additional guarantor of churches of children. That is, it is guarantors for the future of churching. Perceivers ideally must be church people who have experience in raising children.
The practice of two godfall is quite admissible despite the fact that an ancient practice knew one perception of the same sex as a child. In our time, a perception should be considered one who more responsively comes to their duties regardless of gender.
Archimandrite John (Economy),chairman of the Department of Religious Education and Catechization of the ROC, Rector of the Russian Orthodox Institute of SV. John the Bogosla
Patriarch center of the spiritual development of children and young people / Prokimen.ru
http://www.prokimen.ru/article_2650.html
Catechization (from Greek. The words catechism - κατήχησις - the teaching, instruction) - instruction of the newcomers in the Christian faith. Catechization is the training of the truths of the Orthodox faith and the rank of church life. The purpose of Catechization is churching - the acquisition of people to a Christian god-long life.
With a holistic look and approach to catechization, you can select several complementary sections.
a) the acquisition of announceable persons (preparing for conscious adoption of baptism) to Christian challenging knowledge b) admission to the experience of church life (prayer-Eucharistic life, spiritual leadership, post, spiritual reading, alms);
c) as an active community worker life at the church parish;
d) as their own spiritual and moral life in churchoff.
All the canonical norms of the Orthodox Church concerning the preparations for the sacrament of baptism, talk about the importance of studying faith (2 pr. I sun. Cathedral, 45 and 47 yd. Id. Cathedral, and others). Moreover, the rules provide for testing the correctness of the assimilation of the faith and sincerity of the desires of those who intend to adopt baptism (46 pr. Louds. Cathedral, 8 Ave. VII Sun. Cathedral). Canons also prescribe converts to the church and listen to the teachings (7 Ave. II Sun. Cathedral).
The concept of "catechization" in its meaning is close to the concept of "announcement". It is often used as a synonym for announcement. However, it must be remembered that today the meaning of Catechization is much broader than the meaning of Catechumenate or announcement in an ancient Church, where the practice of instruction in faith had certain features arising from the historical position of the Church:
- In the ancient church, the announcement was predominantly oral by rationing, and today, the catechysis literature is used to instruct the newcomers, which systematically reveals the foundations of Christian creed;
- In the ancient church, the announcement was made only over Christian wishing to accept baptism, and today, catechysis work can be conducted with any person who wants to explore the foundations of Christianity;
- In the ancient Church, announcement ("Adoption in CateHumenate") meant the adoption of Christianity, was the first step in the spiritual formation of a Christian leading to the second stage - baptism, and today catechizer work is conducted with baptized and unresolved people who can treat as believing Christians, so And to the seeking knowledge of God.
Such a difference is caused by the fact that the life of the ancient Church took place among persecutions and the announcement often served not only by the preparation of baptism and participation in the Eucharist, but also preparations for the feat of martyrdom and confession.
At the same time, the modern practice of catechization preserves continuity with the practice of announcement in an ancient church, because it serves as the same tasks of learning in faith. therefore modern practice Catechization can be viewed as a announcement in a different historical situation.
Introduction to the basics of catechization
The concept of catechization
The word "Catechization" originated from the Greek word "Catechism", which is derived from the Greek verb Katecheo, which means "to say to someone", "verbally to instruct", "announce". The expression it initially meant "undoubted the sublime place" (Lat. Ex Alto), as well as "produce an echo, cause a response" (Kate - "from the mountain", the EUHO - "sound, to hear, rattle").
Later - to "instruct" (the voice of the teacher is as if aware response to the question of the student, and the student's response is a response to the words of the teacher). It is in a meeting or a dialogue, the meaning of the word "Catechization" is. Such a value of the concept of "Catechization" follows from many places of the New Testament, and then from the works of the fathers of the Church. Therefore, catechization is carried out in the form of a dialogue, interview.
In the XIX century, St. Philaret, Metropolitan Moscow was compiled Catechism - A training manual containing the arch of the versulefactory truths, concepts and definitions for instruction in the Orthodox faith in the form of issues and answers.
Therefore, Catechism - This is a challenge content of what needs to be told when instructed in faith, and Catechization - This is a technique for whom and how to talk; This is the training of the truths of the Orthodox faith and the rank of church life for the fault of God and the salvation of the soul.
Catechization (in a narrow sense) is the conduct of public conversations on the basics of faith with people who are preparing to take holy baptism.
Catechization (in a broad sense) is the exercise on behalf of the Orthodox Church of spiritual and educational activities in various layers of society in order to introduce people to the norms of Christian life, which are given to us by the Creator.
Catechizator - This is a specialist who received systematic theological education, the necessary skills, skills and pastoral blessing for conducting spiritual and educational activities at its level.
CateHumen. (Katechemenos - "instructed, passed") - in our context, the person who "is instructed" in the truths of faith and in the rules of the Christian lifestyle. In ancient times, the word "CateHumen", appropriate, first of all, to those who were preparing to accept baptism, according to the commandment of Christ.
Katehumenot The ancient church was called the system of public preparing candidates for the adoption of the baptism and phased entry into the community-scale life of the Church with the corresponding methodology for the transfer of catechysis knowledge and church experience.
Purpose and objectives of catechization
The purpose of catechization is in Cercck - the acquisition of people to the Christian God-life of the commandments in the Lona of the Holy Church. The church is a treasury, which contains all the fullness of life, an inexorable source of all the goods and our salvation.
Under the insertion, there is no set of knowledge and various church external actions, but the real transformation of the spirit, their, relationship and the lifestyle of a person according to the evangelical image of the personality of Jesus Christ.
In Cercck - It means to introduce into the body of the Church, assimilate a person to the graceful spirit of the life of the Church, help gain moral and spiritual relationships with the rest of the church community, to become Christ in their spirit, moral, relationships, and through this - the living cell of the Godchild Church of the Christ Church.
You can carry out comparative parallels, opening our meaning and the high appointment of the mother of the Church. Similarly, in the womb of the native mother, each of us was formed by our body and the life of the soul was encountered, so in the womb of the mother of the Church, in the branch of which we were among the fastener of the Baptism, during the whole of the earthly life under its guidance should be a formation, or rather " Aging "Souls for the future life - the life of the eternal.
The church-parish community has four most important properties of the church, thanks to which it belongs to it: unity, holiness, cobatriness and apostle.
Unity - the integrity of the person and unshakable in the confession of faith in God and the Church;
Holiness - Storage of chastity (moral purity and indispensability) and piety (Christian honor, dignity, honesty and god-fearing) in relations, behavior and life.
Cathedral - Odivity and unanimity of church community in confession, affairs and ministry.
Apostlesity- the co-career of Christ in the spread of faith and testimony of an in-law of Christian life in the surrounding world.
Thus, the coercard means to introduce into the life of the church community, in order to be learned by the properties of the church organism, to become their carrier.
This is achievable only when solving a number of tasks, namely:
- help find the gospel as a book of life and in the light of him to adopt the legends of the Orthodox Church, coming from the apostolic times and the Holy Fathers;
- help find Christian tricks and a worldview based on the Holy Scriptures and the dogmatic foundations of Orthodoxy, primarily in the Faith symbol;
- help gain basic knowledge about church life and recognizing that the life of a Christian is designed to be in the framework of the canonical rules and church discipline;
- to promote insertion, as a phased entry into the practical development of the church life;
- to promote the admission to the Eucharistic life of the community with the recognition that the center of the whole life of the Orthodox Christian is the Eucharist;
- help adopt the hierarchical structure of the church;
- help find personal spiritual life under pastoral leadership and its place in the skeleton ministry of the Church;
- Help a person to take responsibility to God and the Church for a church life, as a form in which can develop and grow personal piety.
With a holistic look, the process of insertion through catechization includes:
a) the admission of a person to the church chain knowledge contributing to the insertion of his consciousness and life;
b) admission to the experience of church-authorized discipline and a prayer-eucharistic liturgical life, most of all to the concessive transformation of the human spirit in the firmity of Christ the spirit: "... if someone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not ..." (Rome 8: 9);
c) spiritual guide to help Christian cultivation in the virtue and cut-off of his biased will, overcoming self-fighting, vague, self-dealers, self-education, self-reforming and self-supporting;
d) own spiritual and moral, ascetic life (prayer, post and alms) in his family, in church shink;
e) an active community worker life at the church parish, contributing to the acquisition of moral and spiritual relationships and fraternal relations, the sample of which is the relations of the First Year-Gruntian community in the evangelter spirit (Acts 2: 42-47).
Thus, in our time, under the catechization, it is necessary to understand the work on promoting in the church of those who have decided to become a church person and lead a pious Christian lifestyle. Catechization is designed to encourage a person to a conscious church life in the ministry to which the person is called to what the gift from God has (doctor, teacher, head, teacher, priest, monk, etc.) (1 Cor. 7:20) .
Catechization fruits are The knowledge of the church creed, the acquisition of the Orthodox worldview and the conscious entry into the life of the Church, regular participation in its sacraments and, above all, in the Holy Eucharist.
In addition, the most important component of genuine church is spiritual and moral, an awake life. "What is the benefit, my brethren, if anyone says he has faith, and does not have any affairs?" (Jac. 3: 19-20).
To bring the fetus most of all lacks us today examples of righteous life. About the great importance of this in due time, Saint John Zlatoust said: "Neither the baptism, nor the vacation of sins, nor knowledge, nor the sacrament of the sacraments, nor the sacred meal, nor the adoption of the body, nor the sacrament of blood, nothing else from this will be able to help us If you do not have the life of the right and amazing, and free from all sin. "
Appointment and place of catechisators
Each of the four main types of church ministry (missionary, catchisators, teacher and pastoral) has its place in church life, their focus, appointment and content.
Missionary Activities are designed to awaken faith in man, turn to Christ and his church.
Catechisatorsthe activity is aimed at churchrock, as an introduction through the announcement and baptism in the Lono of the Holy Church, and further acquisition to all sectors of the church-community life.
The case of a church teacher, the lawpower consists mainly in teaching the subject matter of the church creed and the foundation of the Christian worldview.
The case of a shepherd is universally and more responsible - lay the foundation for spiritual and church life and correctly guide the Pasmen in the arrangement, maintaining and improving spiritual life to salvation, in the Lon of the Holy Church.
What condition is the person who bare overwhelming?
A man, baptized without announcement (that is, without preoccupative catechization), does not know the creatures of his faith, church creed, Orthodox worldview!
Know your faith (at least in the volume of the Symbol of the Faith and the Law of God) and to cultivate life by faith, which he accepted the harsh person is his sacred duty and Christian vocation. Only knowing how to appreciate, love, store, multiply and transmit this treasure to others. Lost the succession of faith is not fortunate, for without faith it is impossible to please God and escape! (Heb. 11: 6), (MK. 16:16).
Such a person does not know:
- the essence and content of the baptismal vow, and those responsibilities that the Holy Church imposes on the fonts of Baptism;
- That he gained the guardian angel and heavenly patron, represented by the eponymous, illustrated by the Church of Saint;
- Divine nature of the Church and her liturgical rank and purpose;
- What responsibility is assigned to him as a Christian and a member of the church;
- why it is necessary to pray, what prayers to read when and how much;
- with what regularity to visit the temple, how to fast
- Why is it important to have spiritual leadership in the face of the clergy and how to find a confessor;
- How to prepare for the holy sacraments of confession and communion, and how often to start them;
- How to behave and build relations with people unbelievers (in the family, with relatives, at work);
- What is the difference between Orthodoxy from other nonsense denominations, innovative confessions and sects.
The most important indicator of readiness for baptism is to understand the foundations of spiritual life expressed in specific knowledge. Canonical sources also insist on the study of faith as a means of preventing evasion in heresy.
Bract without prior catechization (with the exception of special cases) is prohibited 78 by the rule of the VI of the Universe, and 46 by the Rule of Laodicine Cathedrals.
Terms of adoption of baptism and entry into church life
According to the Old Testaverkovic Practice, based on the New Testament Revelation and the Church Tradition, the people who believed in Christ and those who wanted to be baptized a number of immutable conditions and requirements. Five main of them can be highlighted:
1. VeraAccording to orthodox symbol faith.
2. Voluntary and conscious desire to be baptized.
3. Understanding the truth of faith (dogmas) in church spirit.
4. Repentance For the past sinful life.
5. Dead in practical affairs faith.
From those who make baptism, a pussy concern is required about the announceable, expressed in prayer for them in the rank of liturgy, in careful learning to the truths of faith and the preliminary test of their faith before baptism.
Baptism, truly, should be "not a carnal uncleanness was washed, but the promise of good conscience to God" (1 Peter 3:21).
The main case of the Church on Earth has always been the discovery of the good news about Christ and the leadership of Christians in the acquisition of an awake life in salvation.
So, only true by following the protected God, the church and their authority in the case of catechization, overcoming the existing difficulties, we will be on the saved path.