Just Faith Program

[Angela_Tate]

Thread is moving off-topic.

In this thread please discuss the Just Faith program (curriculum, success, failure, personal experience teaching or attending).
Please take the side topic of ACORN, CCHD, USCCB, founders, etc. to the Social Justice forum by starting a new thread there.

Thank you.

 

[yayi238]

Help please. I can’t find the social justice thread where we moved this discussion. I found it once and I think I remember it being Social Justice and JustFaith but now when I put that in I get nothing. I know I posted on the new thread once and I believe there was a reply but now I can’t find it .
Sorry–I’m not that good with computers.
Can you help me find the correct thread?

Thanks,

Yayi238

 

[St_Francis]

Help please. I can’t find the social justice thread where we moved this discussion. I found it once and I think I remember it being Social Justice and JustFaith but now when I put that in I get nothing. I know I posted on the new thread once and I believe there was a reply but now I can’t find it .
Sorry–I’m not that good with computers.
Can you help me find the correct thread?

Thanks,

Yayi238

It is under the Social Justice forum here.

 

[St_Francis]

Hello.

I was just doing some research on the Just Faith program.

I am at a very liberal parish and they have had the Just Faith program there for some time. A friend of mine is in the Deaconate and was interested in participating in the Just Faith classes.

In my research I found that Just Faith is not a program that would be consistant with Catholic Social Justice teaching.

Here is a link I found very informative regarding this program catholicmediacoalition.org/default.htm
This is the link to the specific article regarding Just Faith
catholicmediacoalition.org/just_faith.htm

I hope this helps.

Michele

From the second link above: JustFaith materials include reading lists of works by other problematic authors, including Cloud of Witness by Jim Wallis, an evangelical minister who edits the magazine Sojourners – originally founded to support the anti-war and sanctuary movements. Currently, Wallis is promoting the New Sanctuary Movement to support illegal immigration in the US and the Faith in Public Life network of “spiritual progressives”, many of whom advocate abortion and homosexual advocacy.
Jim Wallis wrote a book, which I read in its entirety. 1. He is a protestant. 2. He is not pro-life. 3. What he is doing is simply taking liberalism and putting a “Christian” sheen on it. He can appear on NPR (and has done so) and quote the Bible in support of his views; pro-lifers and those who are against homosexual “marriage” cannot do that.

JustFaith also recommends Selected Readings in Liberation Theology by Gustavo Gutierrez & others.
Liberation theology has been condemned by the Church.

3 Another recommended book is Doing Justice by Dennis A. Jacobsen, which promotes the organizing principles of Saul Alinsky. These are not Catholic materials.
Precisely.

Nor does Jack Jezreel, the founder and director of JustFaith, intend to support authentic Catholic social justice teaching. Jezreel is longtime speaker for the dissident Catholic organization Call to Action,4 which exists to change church doctrine and structure along liberationist lines.

As was pointed out before, Call to Action was excommunicated in the Diocese of Lincoln, and that decision was upheld by the Vatican. This is from the article: “The judgment of the Holy See is that the activities of Call to Action in the course of these years are in contrast with the Catholic faith due to views and positions held which are unacceptable from a doctrinal and disciplinary standpoint,” the cardinal said in his letter.

“Thus to be a member of this association or to support it is irreconcilable with a coherent living of the Catholic faith,” he added.

It would appear that JustFaith is not a truly Catholic organization. There are lots of Catholic charitable organizations who really need help. The Society of St Vincent de Paul is in almost every parish and they do a lot for the poor. Give the money you’d spend on JustFaith and give it to the poor who really need it.

 

[adowcday]

Hello.

I was just doing some research on the Just Faith program.

I am at a very liberal parish and they have had the Just Faith program there for some time. A friend of mine is in the Deaconate and was interested in participating in the Just Faith classes.

In my research I found that Just Faith is not a program that would be consistant with Catholic Social Justice teaching.

Here is a link I found very informative regarding this program catholicmediacoalition.org/default.htm
This is the link to the specific article regarding Just Faith
catholicmediacoalition.org/just_faith.htm

I hope this helps.

Michele

Rather than rely on the word of someone who admittedly knows nothing about the program, I suggest that you visit the JustFaith website at www.justfaith.org. There is a substantial amount of information there.

 

[adowcday]

It would appear that JustFaith is not a truly Catholic organization. There are lots of Catholic charitable organizations who really need help. The Society of St Vincent de Paul is in almost every parish and they do a lot for the poor. Give the money you’d spend on JustFaith and give it to the poor who really need it.

It is really uncharitable, unfair and untrue to say that JustFaith is not a Catholic organization.

JustFaith does not promote a traditionalist Catholic agenda. It focuses on the needs of the poor and disadvantaged in our society and some of the root causes for their plight. It seeks to motivate Catholics to get actively engaged in outreach and social change.

I’ve found nothing that suggests that the founder of JustFaith is a member of Call to Action, although I don’t doubt that he spoke at a Call to Action event. Doing so would not condemn him to excommunication, even by the highly controversial Bishop Bruskewicz of Lincoln, Nebraska. I also don’t think that asking participants to read some non-Catholic literature is problematic as long as the emphasis is on authentic Catholic teaching on social justice issues.

Here is some factual information about Jack Jezreel and JustFaith that may help you in your decision.

Jack Jezreel holds an undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Religion from Furman University (summa cum laude) and a Master of Divinity degree from the University of Notre Dame. He spent six years in a Catholic Worker community, providing basic and emergency services to the homeless in Colorado before directing his attention to transformative education, mostly
focused on how to encourage people of Catholic background to be engaged in
outreach and social change.

Jack has over twenty years of experience working in parish ministry and
spent eight of those years at a Catholic parish in Louisville, Kentucky
developing a conversion-based justice formation program, JustFaith, which
has had extraordinary results and has been recognized nationally as a potent
strategy for empowering social ministry. The three largest poverty-focused
Catholic organizations in the country – Catholic Charities USA, Catholic
Campaign for Human Development and Catholic Relief Services are partners
and promoters of JustFaith. Over ten thousand people in over ninety dioceses
have participated.

Jack currently is Director of JustFaith Ministries, a nonprofit organization
that creates justice formation materials. In 1995, he was recognized for his
work with the Peace and Justice Award from the Archdiocese of Louisville.
In February 2006, he received the Harry A. Fagan Award at the Annual
Social Ministry Gathering in Washington, D.C., for his working in promoting social justice.

 

[fix]

It is really uncharitable, unfair and untrue to say that JustFaith is not a Catholic organization.

JustFaith does not promote a traditionalist Catholic agenda. It focuses on the needs of the poor and disadvantaged in our society and some of the root causes for their plight. It seeks to motivate Catholics to get actively engaged in outreach and social change.

I’ve found nothing that suggests that the founder of JustFaith is a member of Call to Action, although I don’t doubt that he spoke at a Call to Action event. Doing so would not condemn him to excommunication, even by the highly controversial Bishop Bruskewicz of Lincoln, Nebraska. I also don’t think that asking participants to read some non-Catholic literature is problematic as long as the emphasis is on authentic Catholic teaching on social justice issues.

Why is a holy bishop now called controversial for teaching, and protecting, the faithful?

 

[ljpgoodwin]

JustFaith is in fact very Catholic. It is endorsed by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Many Catholics do not like JustFaith for a number of reasons, usually because they mistakenly think JustFaith is politically motivated. Just because someone does not like JustFaith, does not mean it is not solidly Catholic. In fact the main objective of JustFaith is helping people learn how to make communities that are clean, and safe so they can bring up happy families. JustFaith is all about bringing Catholic family values to the community.

The program is solidly within the boundaries of the Catholic Church and it offers a valuable and authentically Catholic perspective on Catholic social teaching.

Nobody has ever been excommunicated, including the founder of JustFaith Jack Jezreel for participating in the program.

Just go to www.usccb.org (the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops official website) and do a search for JustFaith and you will see that the bishops are very much in support of JustFaith. As a matter of fact, the USCCB’s Secretariat of Life Issues and JustFaith are jointly working on a new life issues program to be run by JustFaith.

 

[yayi238]

You twist words— again. I am concerned about Jezreel’s past connection to Call to Action, and you respond that his connection with JustFaith did not result in excommunication. You shift the focus and then go off on that tangent. I’m done.

As for checking with CCHD concerning the Catholicness of JustFaith-- well that is just a circular waste of time since they are the ones promoting JustFaith. I’ve contacted JustFaith and the outcome–as I’ve listed in many past posts–has left me still leery of the motives of JustFaith.

You go on and do what you consider right and just so you can feel good about yourself.

 

[ljpgoodwin]

You twist words— again. I am concerned about Jezreel’s past connection to Call to Action, and you respond that his connection with JustFaith did not result in excommunication. You shift the focus and then go off on that tangent. I’m done.

As for checking with CCHD concerning the Catholicness of JustFaith-- well that is just a circular waste of time since they are the ones promoting JustFaith. I’ve contacted JustFaith and the outcome–as I’ve listed in many past posts–has left me still leery of the motives of JustFaith.

You go on and do what you consider right and just so you can feel good about yourself.

Are you sure that you want to accuse me of selfishness? Is it possible I did JustFaith because I was answering a real call to serve my brother and sister and that I wanted some more education on Catholic social teaching? Do you think it’s possible that I could be an intelligent and sensitive person who has honest motivations for doing JustFaith? Could you at least pretend to think that people who may have a different view of somethings than you might actully be good people?

 

[chimakuni]

I am reading this thread with interest as our parish is planning on running a Just Faith program this fall and winter.

I have a couple of concerns. The first one is the YouTube in which I saw Jack Jezreel speaking about how Catholics do not have a good sense of social teaching. He then goes on to ridicule those who came to his meetings when he first tried to get his teachings in place in a parish. One of his statements was that Catholics were 99 % unaware of Catholic social teaching. He says that the three people that came to his meetings … “none of whom I liked” and laughs at them and their assistance to him.

He then goes on to say that he “instead of preparing people to become Catholics, preparing them to become saints” by virtue of his teachings on social justice.

He also says that the program “Redefine Eucharist, or redefine it correctly” by putting into place, his teachings of social justice.

You can see more here youtube.com/user/WoodstockCenter#p/u/2/jpLTd71YnLs

The Summer 2009 newsletter that I looked through on the JustFaith website seems to be all about illegal immigration and assisting those who are coming over the boarder from Mexico illegally. This is problematic.

I am concerned that I have not been able to find, on their website, any information on assisting women who are pregnant and in crisis. I am curious as to what they are teaching regarding abortion (bearing in mind, that yes, I know, one program cannot address all issues). However, social justice must address abortion as the leading cause of injustice for those who are not yet born.

I am asking that those who are in the program write and address the abortion issue and the issue of the founder of JustFaith ridiculing those who were assisting him in.

I am curious as to why the founder of this program gets a pass for being involved with those who are anti-Catholic such as Pax Christi and Call to Action, agreeing to, and speaking as their key note speaker at their conventions.

Thank you for any assistance.

 

[Earnest_Bunbury]

This thread is a little old but far from stale. Anyone thinking of Just Faith should be warned of its liberal bent as seen in the earlier posts commenting on Jezereel’s speaking to the “Call to Action” group of Catholic dissenters.

I dropped out of Just Faith due to the curriculum opposing the basic tenets of the faith, like: Contemplation subordinate to action, sin not being emphasized as the problem but systems like corporations, systems, and even the hierarchy of the Church as opposed to ecclesial based communities as needed for improvement of the world. Jesus as a radical opposing the political powers of the day was the way they presented our Lord.

It smacked of temporal salvation by the correct “use” of divine revelation. Absolutely no Church based books like the “Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church” or encyclicals, just what other people say about official Church documents. One book offered, “The Powers That Be, A Theology for a New Millennium” by “Jesus Seminar” member Walter Wink, intimated at the Church “making” Jesus divine in opposition to His actual Divinity. Wink never says that Jesus isn’t Divine but one can well deduce his meaning. Gnostic texts are used in place of the Gospel of John due to the spiritual nature of the official Gospel. The historical Jesus is emphasized and sin is de-emphasized.

The reason for a 30 week, multi-hour classes and “immersion” weekends is to re-educate Catholics in a different Christian ethic in order to fit the “humanistic” ideals of the Just Faith program. This is not a problem for Protestant groups as they have such a varied theology that this is just another view added to their personal interpretations anyway. Official Catholic Magisterial teaching is oriented to sin and to our nature based on original sin with salvation through Grace. This Just Faith program is in no way faithful to that. Liberation Theology, taught by priests of the diocese by the way, and dissent by those who ran the group is not the way to teach Catholic social justice. The priest of this parish saw nothing wrong so I left for a less liberal parish.

 

[Tiberius1701]

I too have just stumbled on this thread, and I’ve found it, as Earnest Bunbury said, “far from stale.” I am not in a parish where JustFaith is active, but nevertheless, it’s good to be aware of movements within the Church (be they orthodox or not). The title of this thread/program intrigued me (in that it’s name, despite being meant to speak of justice/fairness rather than sola fide, automatically caught the attention of my internal Heresy Alert System™ - no matter the “real” meaning of the group’s name, it cannot be denied that they intentionally used the word-play with the heresy to draw attention to their group).

Throughout the discussion, I couldn’t help but notice the lack of actual, factual evidence from those who asserted that the group was in-line with Catholic teaching. Nor did it escape my attention that, rather than address the specific assertions of the article by Stephanie Block of the Catholic Media Coalition, they simply discreditted the source as “someone who admittedly knows nothing about the program”. (I read the article, and nowhere does the author admit to being completely knowledgeless concerning the subject of the article, which would be absurd considering the purpose of the article is to share her knowledge of the group with the faithful.) Nevertheless, I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt, hoping someone would give some inside, experiencial evidence regarding the group’s specific teachings/activities. I can’t say I’m very surprised, given everything else, that the group isn’t pattently orthodox, but my reason for posting is simply to sincerely thank Ernest Bunbury for finally giving us direct evidence of JustFaith’s doctrine one way or the other.

It’s so easy to get wrapped up in debates about politics and justice without getting right down to the heart of the matter: truth. The question isn’t, “do they help people?” or “is their heart in the right place?” It is, “What do they teach?” Tell us that, and it’s a simple matter of comparing it to the Catechism to see whether it is faithful to true Catholic Social Teaching (or Catholic teaching on any topic). When the lives and souls of our parishoners are at stake, we should not waste time on polemics or emotional appeals.

 

[tinalewis]

We have a wonderful Just Faith group in our parish. This is the third year it’s being held and everyone who’s involved loves it.

It does take time and committment and yes, it can get pricey with the books to buy. There is financial assistance offered for those who want to participate but who cannot afford the books.

As to the questions about the program or authors being Catholic or not, I can’t comment. But I do know that Mark Link, SJ constantly references William Barclay’s writings in his Ignatius Retreat guides and no one thinks that’s a terrible thing, do they? Bishop Fulton Sheen also quotes Barclay in his talks and I don’t think that’s ever been raised as an issue, either.

 

[chimakuni]

Tina - are you actually in the group, Just Faith?

Could you please, if you are in the group, tell me whether they use the Church’s teaching on social justice? Could you please tell me what books are used? I am interested in knowing as our parish, which is quite conservative, has a new Just Faith program starting up (or perhaps has already) and I have come across Jack Jezbeel’s You Tube lectures, which worry me.

Mr. Bunbury and Tiberious1701 - thank you for your information.

Merry Christmas (we are STILL in the season! ) and Happy and Blessed New Year!

 

[Mimi]

Hi,

Just noticed this thread & the new posts.

We pretty much hashed this topic over (and over and over until it ran 241 posts)… over at
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=376418

I think there is good reason to be wary and continue to press them as to their fidelity to Authentic Teaching on Catholic social justice.

I also recommend as an introduction to the subject, the short & concise book,
Citizens of the Heavenly City: A Catechism of Catholic Social Teaching by Arthur Hippler.
Borromeo Books. About $16.00 (USD)
borromeobooks.com/
Be sure to specify you also receive the Answer Key. There are several questions for study/review at the end of each short chapter. This could be used as a text for an intro course or for those who want to have a discussion group on social teaching.

It received an endorsement from Bishop Doran of Rockford, IL as well as Archbishop Ray Burke. And that’s plenty good enough for me!

Happy New Year!
Mimi

 

[chimakuni]

Thank you Mimi - I will head over to the other thread. I do not want to go to our parish priest with am "I think this program is suspect - " I thank those who have posted with information regarding Just Faith. God Bless

 

[tinalewis]

Tina - are you actually in the group, Just Faith?

Could you please, if you are in the group, tell me whether they use the Church’s teaching on social justice? Could you please tell me what books are used? I am interested in knowing as our parish, which is quite conservative, has a new Just Faith program starting up (or perhaps has already) and I have come across Jack Jezbeel’s You Tube lectures, which worry me.

Hi - No I’m not a current or prior participant in Just Faith (no time!). However, our parish administrator (past participant) is facilitating the currently running program. Our priest is also a past participant. So my information is 2nd hand (about the cost of the books), from announcements in the church bulletin about financial aid availablility, and my own observation about others’ positive comments about the program.

If I had time, I’d be involved, too! I wish everyone all the best with their Just Faith journey.

 

[chimakuni]

Thank you Tina - I appreciate that you answered my question. Second hand information is difficult to follow - so I will continue my quest. God Bless -

 

[Earnest_Bunbury]

We have a wonderful Just Faith group in our parish. This is the third year it’s being held and everyone who’s involved loves it.

It does take time and committment and yes, it can get pricey with the books to buy. There is financial assistance offered for those who want to participate but who cannot afford the books.

As to the questions about the program or authors being Catholic or not, I can’t comment. But I do know that Mark Link, SJ constantly references William Barclay’s writings in his Ignatius Retreat guides and no one thinks that’s a terrible thing, do they? Bishop Fulton Sheen also quotes Barclay in his talks and I don’t think that’s ever been raised as an issue, either.

The problem with Just Faith is not if people love it or not, the time commitment, or the price. That which is taught is based on things that Catholic theology and spirituality are not based on. I will make a few points on this.

On William Barkley, not everything he says is untrue, there are aspects of truth in just about all things, as all things were created by God. The problem is in the root basis in and for his belief in the nature of God and his interpretation of the Bible that lead to untruth and even heretical beliefs. Barkley is a universalist

I am a convinced universalist. I believe that in the end all men will be gathered into the love of God.

Barkley’s quote sourced from a Universalist website:tentmaker.org/biographies/barclay.htm
The problem with this is that it contradicts Catholicism as being the one, true religion but also makes any path to God equal, even a path that rejects God. Barkley’s personal interpretation of Scripture doesn’t take into account the Catholic Magisterial definitions of the Nature of God that defined the Divinity of Jesus and came to a recognition of the Trinity.

A universal salvation to all is certainly a terrific thought and is hoped for, but in the end the Nature of God as Holiness and Justice, as well a Mercy and Love. His Justice is in relation to His Holiness which means we, who cannot approach God due to sin, MUST accept this Mercy. Those who refuse cannot be saved, just as God cannot make bad into good or a rock He Himself cannot lift. This view colors Barkley’s theology and must be considered suspect as a whole, but it doesn’t make every sentence or paragraph wrong.

This changes in “basis” is also seen in Just Faith. In replacing action for contemplation and charity for compassion, they overturn the basis of Catholic theology. Action is for man and creation, contemplation is for union with God. If Just Faith is true, the whole Carmelite order is wrong. The correct action is only performed within a union with the Will of God. Charity means the Love of God in everything, even His Mercy for sinners and desiring the sinners repentance, whereas compassion indicates no one is judged by any objective criteria. This is the first teaching of Just Faith, compassion, but it is not compassionate to give earthly food in place of the more needed spiritual food.

In the end, my experience with Just Faith is that it ignores sin, repentance, holiness, grace, etc for a political activism that wants to make the world better by reforming the world, not the person. The person is more important, as mankind was not created in the Image of God, man himself was. It is not compatible with Catholicism and leads those who desire to be in union with God away from this union, perhaps irrevocably, perhaps not. Those who are only “lukewarm” Catholics will not be made anything other than more lukewarm.