LOVE OF GOD: Philothéia
LOVE OF GOD: Philothéia
II. Catechesis
Christian Education & Formation
[Group Subject]
Catechesis is organized as a 4-year cycle, with topics scheduled over 30 weeks. The Catechesis block is meant to be done as a group 2-3 times per week (depending on age range), with an accompanying fiction read-aloud.
Most commonly, there will be schedules geared toward a Group 1 (~K-4th), Group 2 (~4th-12th), and a Group 3 (~9-12th, often as added independent reads to group Catechesis). We hope to eventually develop some one-day-a-week schedules conducive to Church schools.
“If children cannot listen to the Gospel, it is only because it is taught like any other subject, with boredom and indifference. Such teaching defeats the purpose of the Gospel. It fails because it forces students only to read the words and memorize them instead of making them live in their lives.”
~St. John of Kronstadt
By Cycle:
(See in-progress booklists on this page below, until individual pages are complete)
The Old Testament
God and Creation
[Topics] God, the Trinity, Creation, the Patriarchs & Prophets
The Gospels
Christ and Salvation
[Topics] Christ, the Incarnation, the Gospel, the Theotokos & the Disciples
The Epistles & Psalms
The Church & Sacramental Life
[Topics] Church, Liturgy, Feasts, Sacraments, Icons, & Prayer
Acts or Revelation
Early Church History & Spiritual Growth
[Topics] Early Church & Martyrs; Church Fathers & Councils; Desert Fathers & Monastics
4-Cycle Overview:
(combine forms where able):
IN-PROGRESS (will be adding things as we work through schedules)
Cycle 1: Catechesis
[C1 Scripture & Catechesis Memory Work]
Lower Group (~1-4th):
[2x/ wk + Read-Aloud]
The Children’s Bible Reader (American Bible Society) *PDF/e-book [All terms & Cycles]
Brave, Faithful, and True: Children of the Bible (Hyde) [All terms]
Sacred History from Adam to Me (Kokin) [All terms; Cycles 1, 2, & 4]
Orthodoxy For Children: God (Luchaninov)
The Law of God for Children (Kalinina) [All terms; Cycles 1-4]
The Ten Commandments (Piper) *PDF [Term 2]
[Optional] A Visual Catechism of the Orthodox Church (Hierotheos) [Ch. 1, 2, 5] [All Cycles]
[Optional Teacher Resource] Lessons in the Old Testament [Used in Group 2 Catechesis]
[Optional] Celebrate the Earth: Psalm 104 (Papademetriou) *Term 1-2 recitation
[Optional] The Praises: Psalm 148 : A Psalm of David (Chocheli) *Term 3 recitation
Middle Group (~4-12th):
[3x/ wk + Read-Aloud]
Orthodox Study Bible (or preferred version) *Online
The Law of God: For Study at Home and School (Slobodskoy)
Stories from Scripture (Bakoyannis)
Lessons in the Old Testament (St. John of San Francisco Orthodox Academy)
Christ in the Old Testament: Prophecy Illustrated (Chocheli) *Optional
Upper Group or Independent (~9-12th):
x
Cycle 2: Catechesis
Middle Group (~4-12th):
Orthodox Study Bible (or preferred version) *Online
The Law of God: For Study at Home and School (Slobodskoy)
Lessons in the New Testament (St. John of San Francisco Orthodox Academy)
Upper Group or Independent (~9-12th):
x
Cycle 3: Catechesis
Middle Group (~4-12th):
Orthodox Study Bible (or preferred version) *Online
The Law of God: For Study at Home and School (Slobodskoy)
The Path to Confession: A Book for Family Reading Presented to Orthodox Children (Vladimirov)
Christ Amongst Us: An Easy to Understand Commentary on the Orthodox Divine Liturgy (Vladimirov)
Upper Group or Independent (~9-12th):
x
Cycle 4: Catechesis
Lower Group (~1-4th):
[2x/ wk + Read-Aloud]
[Spines]
The Law of God (Slobodskoy) (optional catechesis spine)
Saints of the Church: From Christ to St. Constantine the Great (St. Nikolai of Zhicha) *can double as handwriting/copywork (select manuscript, cursive, etc.), or just use for readings [used Terms 1-2]
A Child’s Paradise of Saints (McLees) [9 Chapters] *can substitute
[optional]: 101 Orthodox Saints (Wright) & 102 Orthodox Saints (Wright) (intro used, & can substitute lives from these as desired)
[Acts of the Apostles, Saints, and the First Martyrs]
The Children’s Bible Reader (American Bible Society) OR Bible with the book of Acts
The Miracle of the Red Egg (Johnson) [~ A.D. 35]
[Era of the Martyrs and the Fathers of the Church]
The Legend of Saint Christopher (Hodges) [+~A.D. 251]
Saint Felix and the Spider (Jackson) [+~A.D. 260]
Saint Valentine (Sabuda) [+~A.D. 273]
Saint George and the Dragon (Forest) [+~A.D. 303]
Lucia Saint of Light (Hyde) [+~A.D. 304]
The Life of the Holy Great-martyr Catherine (Faberova)
The Legend of the Cross (Hart) [~ A.D. 326]
The Legend of Saint Nicholas (Demi) or Saint Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins (Forest) [+ ~ A.D. 343]
Enlighteners of Ancient Kingdoms (Saints for all Ages; OCA)
Forms 2-4 will be studying the Nicene Creed, feel free to get the We Believe (Adams) board book for Form 1, if desired
[Desert Fathers & Mothers, and Monasticism]
Saint Anthony the Great (Chryssavgis) [+~A.D. 356]
Stories from the Gerontikon (Gousidis) *or substitute with some Sayings of the Desert Fathers
Great Monks of the Desert (Saints for all Ages, Bk 8; OCA)
St. Isidora – The Monastery Sponge (Hogg) [+~365 AD]
The Monk Who Grew Prayer (Brandenburg)
A Visit to the Monastery (Hutchings) OR [*Another option I haven’t previewed: Little Lost Nun (Johnson)]
The Gift: A Story of Saint Onuphrius the Great (Bray) [+~4th-5th c. A.D.]
Nikola and the monk (Jackson)
Song of the Talanton (Brandenburg)
[Day 3 Read-Alouds]
Spyridon’s Shoes (Rogers) [~6-12 yo]
Keeper of the Light: St. Macrina the Elder (Cooke) (trends older)
Middle Group (~4-12th):
[2x/ wk + Read-Aloud]
[Spines]
The Law of God (Slobodskoy) [~5th+]
A Children's History of the Church (Neale) [~5th+]
Heroes for Truth (Koulomzin) [~5th+]
[Acts of the Apostles; Persecution Begins; Saints & Martyrs in the Orthodox Church]
Orthodox Study Bible (or preferred version) *Online
[Era of the Martyrs; Councils & Creed; Fathers of the Church]
Great Fathers of the Church for Young Readers (Synaxis Press) [~5th+]
The Life of the Holy Great-martyr Catherine (Faberova) [~1-9th]
The Legend of the Cross (Hart) *optional picture book
Enlighteners of Ancient Kingdoms (Saints for all Ages; OCA) *Terms 2-3
[Optional] The Nicene Creed for Young People: With Study Guide (Coniaris) *Optional, Day 4 Read-aloud/ Term 2
[Desert Fathers & Mothers; Monasticism & Spiritual Life]
Great Monks of the Desert (Saints for all Ages, Bk 8; OCA)
The Ancient Fathers of the Desert: Translated Narratives and Sayings (Chrysostomos)
OR Lives of the Great Desert Fathers (SAGOM) (or preferred version)
St. Isidora – The Monastery Sponge (Hogg) [+~365 AD] [~6-12yo] *optional picture book
Katie Visits a Monastery (Saxlid)
Letter from St. Theophan the Recluse on “Attuning Oneself to Spiritual Life”
[Day 4 Read-Alouds]
The Purple Mantle (Kafetzopoulou)[~5th+; 303 AD, Diocletian]
OR When Nero Commands (Kafetzopoulou)
OR A Trace in the Sand (Kafetzopoulou)[~5th+; 274 AD]
Keeper of the Light: St. Macrina the Elder (Cooke) [~270-340 AD]
OR Diamonds on the Bosphorus (Kafetzopoulou) [~400 AD, Constantinople, Chrysostom]
The Lion and the Saint (Wolfe)
OR The Hermitess Photini (Spetsieris) (older option)
[Optional Creed Study] The Nicene Creed for Young People: With Study Guide (Coniaris)
Upper Group or Independent (~9-12th):
[3x/ wk + Read-Aloud] OR as an independent add-on to Group 2 Catechesis
[Spines]
The Age of Paradise (Strickland) (Ch. 1-3/pp. 27-119)
The Story of Christianity (Hart) (Ch. 1-17)
The Orthodox Faith: Volume III - Church History (Hopko/Ford) (1-5th c.)
OR A Pocket Church History for Orthodox Christians (Keller) (pp. 1-14)
[Acts of the Apostles; Persecution Begins; Saints & Martyrs in the Orthodox Church]
Preferred Bible with Acts of the Apostles
[optional] Acts of the Apostles: Spreading the Word (Orthodox Bible Study Companion) (Farley)
OR if you've studied Acts, you can replace with Revelation: The Apocalypse of Saint John: A Revelation of Love and Power (Orthodox Bible Study Companion) (Farley)
[Era of the Martyrs; Councils & Creed; Fathers of the Church]
The Holy Fire (Payne) [selected excerpts on the Church Fathers]
Beginning to Read the Church Fathers (Tarpley)
Enlighteners of Ancient Kingdoms (Saints for all Ages; OCA) *Terms 2-3
[Optional Creed Study] Celebrations of Faith, Vol. 1: I Believe (Schmemann)
[Desert Fathers & Mothers; Monasticism & Spiritual Life]
Lives of the Great Desert Fathers (SAGOM) (or preferred version)
A Beginner’s Guide to the Philokalia (Coniaris)
Letter from St. Theophan the Recluse on “Attuning Oneself to Spiritual Life”
[Day 4 Read Options]
The Hermitess Photini (Spetsieris)
The Young Man, the Guru, and Elder Paisios (Farasiotis)
Quo Vadis (Sienkiewicz) [64-68 AD, Nero]