J. I. Packer once referred to himself as a “latter-day catechist,” writing and teaching in order to instruct people, particularly adult Christians, in the ways of the Lord. Alex Fogleman has sought to take up that mantle both in his role as Assistant Research Professor of Theology at Baylor University and as the founding director of the Catechesis Institute, as well as in his latest book, Knowledge, Faith, and Early Christian Initiation. He is convinced of the need to see the practice of catechesis rightly implemented within the life of the church.

This work, however, is not intended to be a project dedicated to practical theology per se. Instead, the focus is historical and theological, with an eye to philosophical categories, particularly epistemology. Fogleman writes, “While in the post-Enlightenment West, theological epistemology has primarily been concerned with ascertaining the right criteria for adjudicating warranted belief in God, by approaching the topic of knowledge in Patristic catechesis, we are confronted with the ways in which knowing God involves a complex set of practices oriented toward the transformation of one’s being and understanding of the world” (p. 210). This is key to his argument and a concept that is well presented and demonstrated throughout.

Specifically, the author’s focus is on Patristic catechesis with an eye to understanding how pastors and teachers of this era helped their people learn to know God. His question, then, is this: “What are the practices that lead to genuine knowledge of God, and how do they lead to spiritual transformation?” (p. 2). To answer it, Fogleman suggests “that early Christian catechesis provides a unique window into studying the relationship between knowledge and pedagogy in early Christianity. The catechumenate was a site of formative training for theological cognition—for learning what it means to know and encounter God” (p. 2).

Such a thesis frames the book carefully. While many could imagine the kinds of practical implications that would flow from this kind of study, the author concentrates his attention on “conceptions of God and creation [that] are presupposed in Christian practices of knowledge” (p. 3). He is, in other words, not simply championing the idea of catechesis for the local church but is “framing catechesis within the contours of a theological and historical approach that is attentive to the pedagogical shape of catechesis as it emerged within the scope of educational institutions in antiquity” (p. 4). Thus, this work is primarily concerned with the relationship between epistemology and pedagogy in the context of Patristic catechesis, focusing on “writings and writers from Italy and North Africa from the end of the second century to the middle of the fifth century” (p. 14). Fogleman’s aim in so limiting his scope is “to allow for a thorough investigation of the differences in catechesis in the centuries before and after the Constantinian turn of the mid fourth century” (p. 15).

The chapters of this work are organized chronologically, focusing on various theologians and writings, some well-known, others more obscure. Chapter 1 gives a broad overview, surveying concepts such as “knowledge” and “pedagogy,” with attention given to typical approaches to instruction, such as memorization, short verbal formulas, and the kinds of schools that were formed to give such instruction. Chapter 2 focuses on Irenaeus of Lyons and what Fogleman sees as a time of ecclesiological transition. Irenaeus is shown as using the Rule of Faith as a means of instruction, helping students embrace the “aesthetic character of Christian knowing.” That is, “Irenaeus utilizes the Rule not only as a description of doctrinal tenets but also as a pedagogical tool for shaping a perception of creation as the handiwork of the one true God” (p. 68).

The remaining chapters work through the various approaches to catechesis that were found in different places and under different teachers. These include Tertullian in North Africa (ch. 3), the Hippolytan School in Rome (ch. 4), Cyprian in Carthage (ch. 5), Ambrose of Milan (ch. 6), several lesser-known figures in northern Italy, such as Zeno of Verona, Gaudentius of Brescia, Rufinus of Aquileia, and Peter Chrysologus (ch. 7), Augustine of Hippo (ch. 8), and North African catechesis after Augustine (ch. 9).

Throughout the work one is exposed to a wealth of primary source material, some documents well-known, others much more obscure, and one is able to track with the overall trajectory of catechetical work incorporated within the life of the church of the early centuries. This fascinating journey includes forays into the changes in church governance, the uniqueness of the approaches taken in differing geographical locations, as well as the ontological presuppositions that drove such instruction forward. What is clear is that the Patristic fathers were not merely attempting to instruct people in sound doctrine (though they certainly sought to do that), but were also calling people from their baptism to their dying days to know God in ways that would actually shape and form the entirety of their lives, to behold God as we are able in this life so as to become like him, and “learning the habits of body and mind that would draw them from foundational faith to beatific knowledge” (p. 210).

The work concludes with a summary and brief foray into the author’s own considerations of the connections between epistemology, pedagogy, and catechesis (pp. 213–15). Fogleman notes the way these Christian teachers of the past recognize how the knowledge of God is a divine gift and yet also comes about through particular spiritual practices and training. In other words, there are both divine and human aspects involved in this knowledge, and catechesis of this era was approached within this epistemological and pedagogical framework. And this true knowledge of God is found in the revelation of Jesus Christ, empowered by the Spirit, in the context of the local church. Catechesis, therefore, is a “dynamic education in being,” involving a “transforming vision of reality” where all is ordered and framed around the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus (pp. 214–15).

Fogleman also has much to say about creation as a means of the knowledge of God, and ably demonstrates that this was a characteristic of Patristic theology. However, it would have also been good to see more emphasis on the church fathers’ attentiveness to Scripture and the role this played in early Christian catechesis. This lack was especially apparent in the chapter dealing with Augustine, but a more overt exploration of this theme in other fathers and other contexts would have also been helpful.

That being said, for those wishing to further consider the history of catechesis, pedagogy in the early centuries of the church, or the nature of epistemology and its understanding throughout history, all with a generous supply of primary sources, this work is worthy of careful attention. The historical analysis contained within this project is exemplary and enlightening. My hope is that others will build upon this history and, in so doing, unearth further resources to help reinvigorate the practice of catechizing within the local church.</p

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