Connecting Faith and Life: Theological Reflection

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Connecting Faith and LifeTheological
Reflection

• The Effective DRE
• A Skills Development Series

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Theological Reflection Part 1

• What and Why
• Model
• Method

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What and Why

• Natural Activity
• Transformation

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Small Group Discussion

• Think back to your growing up years. What did it
  mean to be holy? Who was or could be holy?
  How did you know if you were holy or good?
  What does holiness look like for you at this
  point in your life? What created the changes?

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• Did anyone try the exercise from page 6 of the
  text?
• What was your experience?

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The Model

• Experience
• Tradition
• Culture

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Experience

• Simple
• Complex
• Whole person

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Tradition

• Scripture
• History
• Teachings of the Church

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Culture

• Environment (society)
• symbols, values, mores, philosophies
• comfort vs. discomfort

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Small Group

• Experience - Recall an event that has some
  meaning for you. Tell it is as much detail as you
  can.
• Tradition What Scripture story or religious
  teaching would shed light on that experience?
• Culture What would todays society say about
  the experience?
• Intersection Putting the 3 in dialogue, where
  do they intersect?

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The Method

• Attending
• Asserting
• Decision making

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Attending

• Be alert to mind and heart
• Be open to experience of others
• Listen deeply
• Be open to transformation

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• Critical attending requires that we be open to
  receive new information and insights that
  challenge the way we see things, our worldview.
• A change in our worldview clarifies or changes
  our actions.

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Asserting

• Engage info from the 3 poles to expand and deepen
  religious insight
• Search for a deeper truth
• Claim a truth
• Let go of old truth
• Be open to interpretation

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• Theological reflection asks us to be willing to
  suspend, for a while, what we hold to be certain.
  Give up the need to be right.
• Explore the truth and wisdom of each pole
• Sustain different and possibly conflicting
  testimonies, and realize this is a valuable and
  necessary part of theological reflection.

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Decision Making

• The goal of theological reflection
• Choose to respond
• Find insight to move faith into action

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Discussion

• Recall an attitude, a belief, or a way of
  thinking that has changed for you.
• How did this change come about?
• What influenced this change?
• How has this change made you different?

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Lets Use ItTheological Reflection Part 2

• Form two groups
• Choose a facilitator
• Do a group reflection based on the For
  Reflection exercise found on pages 33 and 34.

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Positive Sharing

• Recall an experience of positive faith sharing
• What made it so?
• Recall an experience of negative sharing
• What made it so?

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Skills
So what I hear you saying is

• I messages
• Use silence
• Keep focused
• Avoid generalizations
• Keep the discussion open
• Summarize (clarify)

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Listening
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak
and slow to become angry James 119
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Dos

• Concentrate on listening
• Let speakers own their statements
• Affirm restate if necessary
• Invite completion
• Allow silence
• Stick with I statements

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Do Nots

• Jump in with your experience
• Try to problem solve
• Make everything better
• Explain away feelings
• Add your interpretation
• Pry
• Forget silence
• Allow generalizations

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Sharing Guidelines

• Create them
• Use dialogue (see chart)
• Frame questions
• Prepare for challenges
• Be informed

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Discussion

• In what areas of theological understanding are
  you strong?
• How do you grow in theological understanding?

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Reflection Paper2-3 typed pages

• Answer What have I learned about theological
  reflection? What does it mean for me? How will I
  use it personally and in groups? Give specific
  examples.