When catechesis in the broader evangelical world has been forgotten, Alex Fogleman makes a case for retrieving this ecclesial practice. In Making Disciples, he offers ministry leaders, clergy, and students of ecclesiastical history a practical, yet historically and theologically robust understanding of catechesis which he calls “basic but comprehensive instruction in what Christians believe, hope, and love” (2). Making Disciples consists of nine core chapters covering the history and nature of catechesis. Chapter one grounds the reader’s understanding of catechesis in the knowledge and love of the Triune God. In chapters two and three, utilizing various primary sources, Fogleman traces the history of catechesis from the first-century through the modern age. Chapter four is a discussion of liturgical catechesis which is the symbiotic relationship between instruction and liturgy, ordering the life of the believer in accordance with their worship on a Sunday, cultivating a deeper engagement with worship. In chapter five, Fogleman articulates missional catechesis which is the offering of a Christian metaphysical framework to those being catechized. Chapter six shows how catechism is the rule faith, hope, and love which correspond to the internalization of the Apostle’s Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, respectively. Chapter seven covers the elements of catechesis which are the story of Scripture, wherein the catechumen finds their place in the story of God’s plan of salvation, and the sacraments, which offer a vision of God’s invisible power within the visible world. In chapter eight, catechesis is described in relational terms where the catechist and the church partner with the catechumen in their process toward the heavenly city. In chapter nine, Fogleman elaborates on the four key practices which serve as the building blocks of catechesis; these are memory, imagination, the role of questions, and the connection between knowledge and prayer. Making Disciples closes with what Fogleman is known for doing well; that is reorienting the reader back to the focal point of catechesis which is the knowledge and love of Triune God.
No CrossRef data available.