This work maps the evolution and changes of The Czechoslovak Hussite Church Catechesis from 1920 to 1980. The selected time frame starts with foundations of The Czechoslovak Hussite Church and ends with analysis of the academic life of Rudolf Horsky, the main thought leader of this field. Taking catechism as a theological field, this work focuses mainly on principal and materialistic catechism within specific historical thought streams. In this work, I aim to discover significant points in history that influenced the catechism of CČSH and the thought leaders of this field. In particular, I examine the form, content and purpose of catechisms. Catechisms normally include religious education of a particular Church, thus it is understandable to consider catechisms to be the materialistic basis of catechesis. I study the pedagogical and religious education purpose of catechisms of CČSH based on the content relevant for baptism, confirmation, and influence of cultural-hisotrical context to its content and usage.

The observation is made that the spiritual well being of the church youth - i.e., the covenantal youth -is not healthy. The aim of this thesis is to study this observation. It seems that when children come to the point that they confess their faith they do not grasp the full implications of this undertaking as they do not bear the fruits of faith in their daily lives. There exists empiric evidence that the church youth are well equipped in the knowledge of faith, but when it comes to subjective acts of faith, there is a great lack. The assumption is made that the catechist is not always sufficiently equipped to apply the balance between knowledge of faith and subjective acts of faith in catechises. The focus point of the study is: Catechises as a means through which salvation is secured and appropriated within the context of the covenant and the Kingdom of God. The fundamental question at stake is: How does the believer share in the salvation that Christ has earned on the cross, and in which way can the catechises serves as a vehicle to achieve this goal. Essentially catechises is the official service of the church through which children of the covenant are assured of their salvation. They must also come to the point where they claim this redemption. The church obtains this objective by proclaiming the truths and instructing the doctrines of the Word of God to these children in such a way that each individual should come to confess his/her faith publicly and personally. Catechists must shepherd and guide these children not only to obtain certainty of faith (certitudo fidei) and to be obedient as believers, but also to be convinced of their salvation (certitudo salutis) and to make this redemption their own. The unity between God and man is not a polar one, but an apolar covenantal relation. Within this polar relation the covenant is like a solid foundation in which this oneness is rooted. The monopleuric (one-sided, unilateral) and dipleuric (two-sided, bilateral) character of the covenant proves that God treats man as a responsible associate in this treaty. God's sovereignty or objective salvation, on the one hand, and human responsibility or subjective faith, on the other hand, coexists without any strain or uneasiness whatsoever within this apolar covenantal connection between God and man. There is no contradiction between God's redemptive word and man's responsibility. It is therefore compulsory for man to believe; that man has faith is not something that rakes place without his decision. However, it is through the power of the gospel that faith is created in man - the gospel that Christ was crucified. The grace of God does not cause the believer to be a passive being; it has the effect that he is in active service of the Lord. The requirement to believe and to repent is not set aside; in fact, it remains a condition of the covenant. This means that, in the relation between God and His people, the promises and the demands of the covenant must be operative and active in the personal lives of the people of the covenant. The purpose of this exercise is that the believers will be able to experience the grace of the promises of the covenant as a reality. There is also a call at the address of these people to appropriate the salvation promised in the covenant. The children of the covenant must share in the promises of the pact on a personal basis. The reality of these promises, as well as the urgency of the demands - according to the gospel of God - must be proclaimed to the catechumens. There is a close relationship between certainty of faith and the objective truths of religion. This certainty is built on the truths that form the content of the Word of God. Certainty of salvation links up with the subjective acts of faith. A believer takes part on a personal level in the redemptive work of Christ. The fact that he is saved, through this redemption, forms the foundation of the Christian's life. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Catechetics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

The observation is made that the spiritual well being of the church youth - i.e., the covenantal youth -is not healthy. The aim of this thesis is to study this observation. It seems that when children come to the point that they confess their faith they do not grasp the full implications of this undertaking as they do not bear the fruits of faith in their daily lives. There exists empiric evidence that the church youth are well equipped in the knowledge of faith, but when it comes to subjective acts of faith, there is a great lack. The assumption is made that the catechist is not always sufficiently equipped to apply the balance between knowledge of faith and subjective acts of faith in catechises. The focus point of the study is: Catechises as a means through which salvation is secured and appropriated within the context of the covenant and the Kingdom of God. The fundamental question at stake is: How does the believer share in the salvation that Christ has earned on the cross, and in which way can the catechises serves as a vehicle to achieve this goal. Essentially catechises is the official service of the church through which children of the covenant are assured of their salvation. They must also come to the point where they claim this redemption. The church obtains this objective by proclaiming the truths and instructing the doctrines of the Word of God to these children in such a way that each individual should come to confess his/her faith publicly and personally. Catechists must shepherd and guide these children not only to obtain certainty of faith (certitudo fidei) and to be obedient as believers, but also to be convinced of their salvation (certitudo salutis) and to make this redemption their own. The unity between God and man is not a polar one, but an apolar covenantal relation. Within this polar relation the covenant is like a solid foundation in which this oneness is rooted. The monopleuric (one-sided, unilateral) and dipleuric (two-sided, bilateral) character of the covenant proves that God treats man as a responsible associate in this treaty. God's sovereignty or objective salvation, on the one hand, and human responsibility or subjective faith, on the other hand, coexists without any strain or uneasiness whatsoever within this apolar covenantal connection between God and man. There is no contradiction between God's redemptive word and man's responsibility. It is therefore compulsory for man to believe; that man has faith is not something that rakes place without his decision. However, it is through the power of the gospel that faith is created in man - the gospel that Christ was crucified. The grace of God does not cause the believer to be a passive being; it has the effect that he is in active service of the Lord. The requirement to believe and to repent is not set aside; in fact, it remains a condition of the covenant. This means that, in the relation between God and His people, the promises and the demands of the covenant must be operative and active in the personal lives of the people of the covenant. The purpose of this exercise is that the believers will be able to experience the grace of the promises of the covenant as a reality. There is also a call at the address of these people to appropriate the salvation promised in the covenant. The children of the covenant must share in the promises of the pact on a personal basis. The reality of these promises, as well as the urgency of the demands - according to the gospel of God - must be proclaimed to the catechumens. There is a close relationship between certainty of faith and the objective truths of religion. This certainty is built on the truths that form the content of the Word of God. Certainty of salvation links up with the subjective acts of faith. A believer takes part on a personal level in the redemptive work of Christ. The fact that he is saved, through this redemption, forms the foundation of the Christian's life. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Catechetics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Text in Afrikaans / Aanduidings bestaan dat jongmense na twaalf jaar van kategetiese onderrig steeds slegs 'n opperviakkige kennis, begrip van en insig in skrifwaarhede het. Hierdie probleem moet deur die praktiese teologie aangespreek word, want kategetiese onderrig is 'n kommunikatiewe handeling in diens van die evangelie. Die praktiese teologie kan 'n bydrae lewer deur die polivorme en polivalente leefwereld van die jeugdige (as praxis) te beskryf en te verklaar, sodat tot groter insig in die geloofswereld van die jeugdige gekom kan word, maar ook wee verken waardeur die jeugdige effektief met die Evangelie bereik kan word. Onderhawige studie poog om langs beskrywend-analitiese weg ervaringsleer as aanbiedingswyse te ondersoek met die doel om te bepaal of ervaringsleer moontlikhede bied wat kan verseker dat skrifwaarhede effektief ontsluit word. Die vertrekpunt in die studie is die leerparadigmatiese en 'n konstruktivistiese benadering tot leer word gevolg. Die meriete van die benutting van ervaringsleer moet gesien word vanuit 'n prakties-teologiese vertrekpunt waar die praxis krities ondersoek is met die doel om kommunikatiewe handelinge tussen jeugwerker en jeugdige in diens van die evangelie te optimaliseer. / Indications are that youth, after twelve years of catechetical instruction, still have superficial knowledge, understanding and insight into biblical truths. This problem must be addressed within practical theology, because catechetical instruction is a communicative action in evangelical service. The practical theology can make a contribution by describing and interpreting the multifarious and multifaceted world of the youth (as praxis). In this way, greater insight can be gained into the spiritual life of the youth and ways can be explored to reach youth more effectively with the Word. This study, by means of a descriptive and analytical review of experiential learning, attempts to determine whether experiential learning could be used to effectively disclose biblical truths. The approach was based on the learning paradigm and a constructivistic view of learning. The merit of using experiential learning in youth work must be seen from a practical theology perspective where the praxis was critically examined with a view of optimising the communicative interaction between youth and youth workers. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / Thesis (M. Diac.)--Universiteit van Suid-Afrika, 2000.

Text in Afrikaans / Die Jeugbediening binne die Nederduitse Gereforrneerde Kerk verkeer tans in 'n stroomversnelling, en roep om vemuwing en verandering. Onderliggend aan bierdie krisis wat ontstaan het, le die tydsgees van die postmodemisme. Laasgenoemde het 'n beslissende invloed op die wyse waarop die jongmense vandag die evangelie hoor en leer. Dit het ook 'n deurslaggewende invloed op geloofskommunikasie. Pierre Babin beredeneer in sy boek The New Era in Religious Communication vyf konsepte wat lig werp op die nuwe era wat aangebreek het in geloofskommunikasie en spreek daarrnee die krisis in hierdie nuwe era bevredigend aan. Hy benadruk die volgende hoofkonsepte, naamlik: • Die verskuiwing van die Gutenberg-era na die Oudiovisuele era • Die impak van die elektroniese media op geloof • Die weg van skoonheid • Die simboliese weg • Stereo-kategese. Die skrywer is van mening dat die hoofkonsepte, soos uitgewerk deur Babin, die basis le vir 'n effektiewe, kontemporere jeugbedieningsmodel vir die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. / The ministering of the gospel to the youth within the Dutch Reformed Church finds itself in a rapid at present and is calling for rejuvenation and change. Underlying to this crisis, is the spirit of the times known as Post Modernism. The latter has a decisive influence on the way the youth of today hear and learn the gospel. It also has a conclusive impact on communicating religion. Pierre Babin argued in his book The New Era in Religious Communication five concepts which cast light on the new era which has arrived in the communication of religion. These address the crisis of the new era effectively. He emphasizes the following main concepts: • The shift from the Gutenberg era to the audiovisual era • The impact of the electronic era on faith • The way of beauty • The symbolic way • Stereo catechesis. The author is of the opinion that these concepts, as formulated by Babin, pave the way for an effective, contemporary model for ministering the gospel to the youth within the South African context. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Diac. (Youth work)

This thesis deals with the preparation of children for the first Holy Communion and their introduction into active and conscious celebration of Holy Mass. The theoretical part describes specifics of Christian education, typical features of younger school age?s children and nature of religious education and catechesis. Further more it describes the basic definition of the liturgy, the ways or possibilities of a true celebration of liturgical celebrations. The practical part is made up of two areas. The first section is based on the theoretical part and its basis characterizes the basic criteria which the preparation for first Holy Communion should respect. The second section contains a brief characterization of twelve books and series about the preparation for the first Holy Communion. These materials are reflected from three aspects ? if they are intended for teaching religion or catechesis, whether they count in cooperation with the family and possibly with the parish, or if they ultimately prepare children for their active and conscious participation in Holly Mass. The review is not aimed only to criticise, but rather wants to emphasize the potential benefits of a particular material and thus its importance in the systematic introducing of children into the celebration of the liturgy, from which it is possible to gain the true joy and hope.

This study flows from an awareness of the crisis in the church, and specifically in the Dutch Reformed Church The Reeds, concerning the lack of faith identity as well as the lack of assimilation with the faith community after confirmation. The hypothesis chosen for this study, which also determined the opening argument, was that parental mentorship and involvement of parents in faith development assist in the development, understanding and living of children’s faith identity as well as their assimilation with the faith community after confirmation. The opposite of this is also made clear – a lack of parental mentorship and involvement of parents in faith development is the cause of the absence of faith identity and assimilation with the faith community after confirmation. From a perspective of building up the local church this hypothesis is examined theologically, psychologically and empirically. The study concludes that this hypothesis definitely holds ground. The role of the involvement or absence of parents in children’s faith identity and faith development is examined. The role of the faith community in supporting parents with their mentoring role is also probed and the results clearly indicate the need for an adjustment in the approach of the church’s youth ministry. Another meaningful finding is that there has been a shift in the past few decades (regarding where the responsibility for the development of children’s faith lie) from parents to the faith community. Parents were gradually shifted out of youth ministry, which caused the drop-off culture that currently exists. To ensure a generation that understands and live their faith identity and who are still actively involved in their faith community after confirmation, begs for definite action. To address this crisis, different strategies and action plans are proposed in order to move away from church-centred, home-supporting youth ministry to home-centred, church-supporting youth ministry. This implies long-term implementation and will result in parents once again taking primary responsibility for the faith development of their children. This further infers that faith communities must include parents in the ministry to children before and during their Sunday-school and catechism years. Copyright / Dissertation (MA(Theol))--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

No description available.

The Diploma thesis "Prophetic model of catechesis as a response to the questions of our time" examines the theme of the historical-prophetic model of catechesis. The study part of the work looks at the model in the context of the biblical concept of prophecy consummated in the personality of Jesus of Nazareth and as one of the manifestations of the participation of those baptised in Christ's prophetic office, realised in the evangelical mission of the Church. His sensitivity to social challenges, the emphasis laid on small Christian communities, and the entitlement to Christian engagement are viewed within the scope of the Social Doctrine of the Church and its development after the Second Vatican Council. The authorial part of the work presents original catechesis to the current social topic, read through the prism of gospel and Christian belief. The objective of the work is to show how the historical-prophetic model of catechesis can help adult believers understand the "signs of the times" and contribute to the growth of Christian community. The objective is to be achieved by submitting the topic to the members of two small communities and evaluating the results of the meeting.

This diploma thesis is focused on the topic of religious education of youth in the Church of Brethren. Its main aim is to describe the process of religious education of youth according to the theoretical and practical sources of the Church of Brethren. The results were compared in the last part of the thesis to the educational concepts of other churches studied in the theoretical part. The theoretical part defines the terms related to religious education such as catechesis, pastoral care, evangelization, discipleship, religious pedagogy etc. It also includes the characteristics of the Church of Brethren and youth in the context of postmodern era. The last chapter deals with religious education of youth in church in general with regards to the personality of a youth pastor, educational goals and teaching methods. The practical part is designed as an analysis of three areas: Department of Youth of the Church of Brethren, other Christian organizations working with youth and an interview with the Leading pastor of the Council of the Church of Brethren who has been working with youth for many years. The results of each area are further reflected in the context of the studied literature. The results indicate that religious education of youth in the Church of Brethren is mostly focused on evangelization,...