Faith Formation: When Knowledge Becomes Love
Part-2 of a two-part series explaining the differences between Religious Education, and Faith Formation.
In my last post, I wrote about religious education — how it helps us learn and understand the truths of our faith. But if religious education forms the mind, then faith formation forms the heart, and informs the will (actions and behavior).
Religious education tells us who God is. Faith formation helps us fall in love with Him. That’s the difference — and the connection.
Faith formation takes what we’ve learned about God and allows it to move us, to transform our desires, habits, and way of life. It’s where truth leaves the classroom and enters the soul. As St. Paul wrote:
“Be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.”
— Romans 12:2
Notice that Paul connects renewing the mind (religious education) with discerning and living God’s will (faith formation). One leads naturally to the other.
From Intellect to Will
In Catholic theology, truth is meant to shape both the intellect and the will. The intellect perceives what is true; the will chooses what is good. Religious education strengthens the intellect and helps us know what God has revealed. But faith formation strengthens the will. It helps us desire and choose God Himself.
The Catechism puts it this way:
“Faith is first of all a personal adherence of man to God. At the same time, it is a free assent to the whole truth that God has revealed.”
— CCC 150
Faith formation brings the truths learned in religious education to their perfection.
The Perfection of Religious Education
Religious education without faith formation can leave faith at the level of information, where it’s true, but not yet alive. It’s a body without a soul, as I often say. Knowledge is not power if it doesn’t move from our heads to our hearts; if it doesn’t become love and motivate or deepen discipleship. That’s why the General Directory for Catechesis reminds us that:
“Catechesis is not simply the communication of doctrinal knowledge, but the formation of the Christian as a disciple of Jesus Christ.”
— GDC 80
Faith formation perfects religious education by uniting knowing and living, understanding and doing, believing and becoming.
As St. James put it
“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.”
— James 1:22
That’s the heart of faith formation — turning what we’ve heard and learned into a life that looks more and more like Christ’s. You can memorize and recite Truth, but it’s impossible to imitate Jesus. In the end, the goal isn’t just to know about Jesus, it’s to become like Him. We have to form the students in our care, not just inform them.
So how do we do that? How do we form young disciples in the faith, rather than just crap facts and figures into their minds? That’s what this publication is intended to help you with. So be sure to subscribe.
In the next couple of posts I’ll talk about mystagogy and wonder, provide practical tips (not just theory), and talk about how a Faith Formation Program may be broken into grade groups and and how specific strategies can be applied to each. God bless you all!
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