Questions of Faith: A Workbook Companion to the Catechism of the Catholic Church by Michael Amodei

Synopsis

Here is an ideal companion to any high-school religion course or adult faith formation process. A workbook consisting of 160 questions, Questions of Faith asks participants to explore the main teachings of the Catholic Church. Through research and writing, participants will come not only to a better understanding of their faith, but will have a summary of that faith written in their own words.

To help participants find answers to the questions in the workbook, each question has been referenced to paragraph numbers in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and to page numbers in the popular catechism This Is Our Faith by Michael Pennock.

Like the Catechism, which is divided into four pillars (creed, sacraments, morality, and prayer), Questions of Faith is also organized into four sections: Profession of Faith (creed), The Celebration of the Christian Mystery (liturgy and sacraments), Life in Christ (morality), and Christian Prayer. Each section begins with a brief introduction and is followed by the writing questions for that section, which appear two per page. In addition to the 160 writing questions are personal thought questions, intended to help participants make connections between the Church's long, living tradition and their own experiences.

A "Note to the Catechist" is included in the back of the workbook and offers suggestions for homework, seatwork, review games, memorization techniques, testing, and evaluation. Also included in this section are ideas for expanding upon the personal thought questions with activities such as journaling, small group sharing, and individual reflection, making Questions of Faith an excellent tool for any teacher or catechist.

Biography

Michael Amodei, currently an editor of adolescent curriculum materials at Ave Maria Press, has served as director of religious education and youth minister at St. Monica's Catholic Church in Santa Monica, California. A recent columnist on youth ministry in Religion Teacher's Journal, Amodei has authored and collaborated on many religious education projects, including Jump Start and the Developing Faith series (Ave Maria Press) and Marriage and Life Choices (Benziger). He has a Master of Arts in religious education from Loyola Marymount University.