Considers the Catholic Christian community's reconciliation of authoritative prescriptive moral norms of communal relevance with the autonomous moral responsibility of the individual in the occasion of moral choice. (Author/RK)

Author offered seven reflections that he believed valid for the practice of First Confession. (Author/RK)

The development of the National Catechetical Director for Catholics of the United States presents a challenge to Catholic teachers and catechists to make the concept of total religious education a reality. Its intent was to make the universal catechetical principles of the General Catechetical Directory (A Roman document) more specific and…

Discusses the General Directory for Catechesis' (GDC) statement that one of the roles rooted in baptism is the responsibility to evangelize, and that everyone involved with the Catholic church should be meeting this responsibility. Explains the GDC's definition of evangelization (to transmit the word of God) and catechesis (to put people in touch…

Outlines an immersion-apprenticeship training model to teach ministers to respond to the needs of young people. Outlines a four-stage process: (1) immersion in youth culture; (2) apprenticeship with a professional youth minister; (3) internship experiences; and (4) commissioning. (DMM)

The author explains the background and content of "Catechesi Tradendae," Pope John Paul II's pastoral letter of October 25, 1979, on the goals and methods of Catholic religious education. (SJL)

Assesses the current status of catechesis and religious education in Australian Catholic schools and parishes. Notes recent efforts and offers suggestions for improving religious education in those settings. (DMM)

Considered the role of the catechist in formulating religious belief. (RK)

Traces changes in the content and instructional methods of catechesis from the early centuries of Christianity, when the focus was on evangelization, to the twentieth century. Reviews the influences of developmental psychology and social consciousness on modern catechetical renewal. Considers the educational needs of the twenty-first century. (DMM)

Reviews recommendations put forth in "The Challenge of Adolescent Catechesis: Maturing in Faith." Enumerates principles related to the development of a personal faith and Catholic identity in adolescence, stressing respect for variability in maturation rates and learning needs and the need for variety in learning formats, environments,…

Summarizes a study designed to determine the effectiveness of parental influence on their children. The researcher interviewed nine students from a St. Louis, Missouri Catholic elementary school along with the students' parents and teachers. The author presents findings related to family discipline procedures, parental expectations for children,…

Uses the Archdiocese of New York to illustrate the Catholic Church's successes and failures in religious education. Discusses the archdiocese's efforts to reduce widespread ignorance of the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, including a community needs assessment and a weekend Synod. Highlights religious education needs. (DMM)

Article considered the task of the religious educator, presented three theological questions which are much discussed in the Catholic world today, and examined certain trends in contemporary moral theology which offered some tentative solutions to the problems of religious educators. (Author/RK)

Details results of a study of Catholic school principals who were questioned regarding the role of the principal as spiritual leader. The study followed principals at four schools in the Diocese of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, for one week. Among the six conclusions reached was the suggestion that principals must have a clear faith vision for the…