My Class is "Too Catechetical"

                We have talked about the Trinity, Christology, and the Communion of Saints. The basics of Catholic theology have been laid before my students. One of my pet peeves is the criticism that some of this material is too “elementary” for high school students. You actually will not see me arguing with this. This really is material that could have been mastered years before a student comes into my classroom. The material, itself, is not difficult, and most of my students master it pretty easily. So, I understand the criticism. The class looks like it might be simple catechesis, and, well, to a certain extent it is. What those who are critical of my lesson, unit, and course objectives fail to realize is that these lessons are only elementary if my students, in fact, encountered any of this material in elementary (or middle) school. I estimate that in my eighteen years of working with high school students, and the thousands of students I have encountered, the vast majority of students who enter my classroom are not well-catechized, at all. Most of them have never learned about the Trinity. Many of them have no idea what a Saint is in the Catholic Tradition. One student told me the other day that they always thought that Mary was not a human until they came to my class; that student is fourteen years old! Sadly, most (yes, most) of my students have no concept of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I suppose my rebuttal to the criticism that my class is too catechetical is simply a nod of affirmation because, yes, my students come to me needing to be catechized. In fact, how can any good theology teacher do their job unless the students actually know the basics of Catholic Christian belief?

The Apparition of Mary in Knock, County Mayo, Ireland was silent. Not a word was spoken by Mary. Instead, she "catechized" those present  by gazing at the Lamb...by Adoring the Lamb. In my classes I attempt to look upon Jesus for my students, but I also tell them about Jesus. They need both. (Photo P. Smith)

                I used to teach English in an inner-city high school. Many of my students came into 9^th grade with a fifth or sixth grade reading level, at best. Somewhere in their educational history, their teachers stopped challenging them to read more or to read more deeply. So, they lost interest and they struggled to catch up in high school. The same thing happens with religion and theology. It is almost as if after second or third grade, religion never gets more difficult. The teachers teach the same thing over and over again. Every year, students get the same religion lessons, but the actual philosophy and theology never deepens. Effectively, my students come into 9^th grade with the religious equivalent of a 3^rd grade reading level. I am not surprised that they think religion is boring and infantile and that they know everything already (if they went to a Catholic school). When I taught English, I had to bring those kids up to a 12^th grade reading level or higher before they graduated. There are ways that you can “catch up” and go beyond the expected level. If you have read this blog and some of my other blogs, maybe you have seen how that can be done. But do not for a second say that this class is simple catechesis or that it is too elementary… most of my students need to catch up to their developmental level. In a way, I need to teach about a year and a half worth of theology in just one year. But I like that mission.