A creation-centered spirituality framework on the sacrament : Toward a model of wholeness of life in Christ in religious education

Date of Publication

2006

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education Major in Religious Education and Values Education

Subject Categories

Religious Education

College

College of Liberal Arts

Department/Unit

Theology and Religious Education

Thesis Adviser

Braudis, Ann

Defense Panel Chair

Dominador E. Bombongan Jr.

Defense Panel Member

Andrew Gonzales
Ma. Corazon Manalo
Renato De Guzman
Natividad Pagadut

Abstract/Summary

While the secularization of many aspects of life continues, there is a new quest for spirituality , a thirst for wholeness, and for new ways of experiencing God. The new quest is indicated by the growing phenomenon of holistic healing meditation centers, and renewal movements across the globe. People search for wholeness whenever they experience disconnectedness and fragmentation in life. They yearn to connect with the deepest self, and with the Source of life. The search for wholeness is an indication of people's thirst for a bolistic spirituality. Seemingly, many faithful do not find genuine spiritual experience in the sacramental celebration. They seldom experience God in a profound way. Because of this, they find the sacramental celebration less meaningful and less interesting.

Studies and experience have attested that many Catholic college students do not attend Mass regularly on Sundays. For many of them, the reason is, the Mass does not effect a significant change in their lives. This made the researcher ask: What happened to what they learned in their religion and theology classes?.

Studies revealed several factors that have largely contributed to the lack of sufficient spiritual experience in sacramental celebration. They are the dualistic, rationalistic and exclusive anthropocentric approach to sacrament the symbols of the sacraments are treated as objects. They are not seen as connected and related to humans and to the whole of creation the symbols used are not sufficiently adequate to evoke the divine presence. All these factors are largely attributed to the strong influence of Western dualistic, anthropocentric, rationalistic and mechanistic culture.

A creation-centered spirituality framework on sacraments is a response to the search for an experience of wholeness of life in Christ because it takes creation in its wholeness as its broad context in understanding the sacraments. Creation as the context provides a holistic vision of reality, hence it has the power to overcome the dualistic and anthropocentric approach to sacraments. Because of this holistic vision of reality, the symbols of the sacraments can now be easily rerooted not only in human experience and culture but in the work of creation as well. Rerooting in the work of creation is done by relating the paschal mystery of Christ to God's creative action in creation. By means of this relating and rerooting to the cosmos, the dualistic and the exclusive anthropocentric approach to sacraments is overcome. This facilitates the experience of communion with Christ, with others and with the whole of creation. This is how a creation-centered spirituality framework on sacraments responds to the search for a spiritual experience of wholeness of life in Christ.

The major sources of wisdom of a creation-centered spirituality framework on sacraments are the Judeo Christian tradition, the creation-centered mystics and theologians and the new scientific account of the story of the universe or the new cosmology.

A creation-centered framework on sacraments which can respond to the search for an experience of wholeness of life in Christ is based not only on the studies done by the contemporary sacramental theologians but also on the feedback and reactions of students who participated in a pilot class on this subject. The feedback of the pilot class was positive and encouraging. The students found the creation-centered approach on baptism experiential and meaningful. They experienced more communion with God and with the whole of creation through the symbol of baptism. It was because of this experience that they highly recommend the approach to Catholic universities.

The over-all experience of the researcher attested that a creation-centered spirituality framework on sacraments in religious education can respond to the search for wholeness of life in Christ, thus, she is proposing its use in the teaching of sacraments in the tertiary level.

Abstract Format

html

Language

English

Format

Electronic

Accession Number

CDTG004102

Shelf Location

Archives, The Learning Commons, 12F Henry Sy Sr. Hall

Keywords

Theology; Spirituality; Sacraments -- Catholic Church; Religious education

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