Whole Community Catechesis by Bill Huebsch

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inHisgrace said:
I was wondering if anyone has actually heard this man speak at their parish? He is scheduled to speak at our parish in the near future and is described as “being known across the U.S. for his work with thousands of Catholic parishes”. I am concerned as to whether or not he presents authentic Church teaching. Thanks.
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I heard him and would not go again if I knew he was he speaker. We spent so mush time correcting people afterwards.
 
ugh. I’ve read his whole community catechesis book. yuck

I don’t know if he is a good speaker, but don’t waste your money on his books.
 
inHisgrace said:
I was wondering if anyone has actually heard this man speak at their parish? He is scheduled to speak at our parish in the near future and is described as “being known across the U.S. for his work with thousands of Catholic parishes”. I am concerned as to whether or not he presents authentic Church teaching. Thanks.
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he is not the kind of speaker who would be asked to this parish, and we could not afford him anyhow, but I have heard him at catechetical conference. He is a leading proponent of “whole community catechesis” which is a laudable concept in and of itself, but the way his publisher, Twenty-third Publications, interprets the concept in its resources leaves a lot to be desired.

If he is coming to your parish I suspect it is because your parish is considering a change from the traditional grade level CCD and a hit-or-miss youth and adult faith formation program, to that new concept, and he is preparing the way. I strongly suggest you attend and get involved in the program so that level heads will prevail in whatever planning is going on.
 
Some consider him a disident. He just spoke in my diocese recently - I heard him speak last year and wasn’t at ease and uncomfortable during his talk, he seems to want to empower the laity in ways that don’t seem quite right, but I cannot put my figure on it. He left me confused otherwise about his intent.:confused:
Here from an article from the Wanderer posted on Catholic Culture
Top Amchurch Catechists Subvert Church’s Doctrine and Discipline
One theme articulated over and over again at Roger Cardinal Mahony’s recent annual Religious Education Congress is that the Catholic Church and its doctrines and discipline impede Church renewal and the enjoyment of a personal religious experience.

That was the message hammered into the heads of catechists and religious educators by speaker after speaker at the mid-February congress, and most effectively by two of the U.S. bishops’ most highly regarded catechetical and renewal experts, Fr. Richard Rohr, O.F.M., and Bill Huebsch, a catechetical consultant to the bishops and Benziger Publishers.
But aside from the predictable Church-bashing from Mahony’s stable of religious education experts, there is the sheer banality of Rohr’s and Huebsch’s ecclesiology and their low opinion of the catechetical enterprise – even while financially benefiting from it. Rohr, for example, spoke at length of the Church as a tyrannical and corrupt “dating service,” while Huebsch told some 700 catechists that their most important text is The Joy of Cooking and their most crucial task is learning how to dine well.
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He currently does work for Twenty-Third Publications.
 
I’ve read many of your comments here, but I must tell you I have heard Bill Huebsch speak and he loves Christ and the Church very much. Honestly, some of your remarks seem based on hear say or innuendo, neither of which is becoming of a Christian, much less a Catholic. Mr Huebsch is helping parishes enliven their adult ed programs, and is the first to insist that they be based on a solid children’s program. I think you’re being unfair to him. Joan Lotta
 
inHisgrace said:
I was wondering if anyone has actually heard this man speak at their parish? He is scheduled to speak at our parish in the near future and is described as “being known across the U.S. for his work with thousands of Catholic parishes”. I am concerned as to whether or not he presents authentic Church teaching. Thanks.
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Yes, in our diocese UNFORTUNTELY.
 
I’ve been reading many of your remarks about Bill Huebsch and the whole movement to re-start lifelong faith formation. I honestly think you’re being a little unfair toward him, and sometimes you even seem a bit mean spirited. Much of what you are saying here is based on hear-say. I have read his books and heard him speak several times. I can tell you first-hand, he loves the Church - and had dedicated his life it. And whoever wrote that conversion does not precede catechesis is contradicting the Pope himself. Read articles 98-101 and 53-54 of the General Directory for Catechesis. Let’s try to be a bit more fair and Christian in our remarks here. Thank you. Joan Lotta
 
leonie said:
Our faith formation commssion decided to drop the program at least as proposed by the Huebsch manual. It looks rather liberal. There is one section that says that homosexual couples are just another type of family. Plus, it is really irritating to read, isn’t it?

We as a commission like the idea of involving the whole parish in catechesis. We like a lectionary model, but from what we could see in the Huebsch model, it was all about feelings. There wasn’t much actual doctrine and very little scripture study. There were a lot of “how does this make you feel?”

I don’t agree with his statement that conversion precedes catechesis. Generally, I think it is different for everyone. Plus, conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit. IMO, suggesting everyone in the parish consider how a scripture passage makes you feel will not bring about conversions.

There is another program that I thought would be a good model. I’ll see if I can find it.

Here it is churchofsaintpaul.com/content/formation/html/ffhome.shtml
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The broad brush stroke definition for “family” is enough to alert me to something is amiss.

I will be on “Defcon I” with Bill Huebschschshchshfhcs
 
since the threads on this topic have been revived I assume it is by someone whose parish or diocese is now considering Mr. Huebsch and his version of whole community catechesis. I simply suggest that one take the time to read his books (the one by that name, he has others), or listen to him speak if you have the opportunity. If you have mental reservations, actually reading and listening to the man will tell you why your instincts have kicked in. then read everything you can find about “whole community catechesis”, intergenerational catechesis and the like. Get to know the authors and publishers who market these resources. As in every other area of catechesis a good idea can be ruined by bad resources and bad direction.
 
Huebsch also wrote the book series “Vatican II in Plain English”, which is a bit iffy. As with many, I’m sure his heart’s in the right place, but some of his ideas are a bit off the mark.
 
Joan_Lotta said:
I’ve been reading many of your remarks about Bill Huebsch and the whole movement to re-start lifelong faith formation. I honestly think you’re being a little unfair toward him, and sometimes you even seem a bit mean spirited. Much of what you are saying here is based on hear-say. I have read his books and heard him speak several times. I can tell you first-hand, he loves the Church - and had dedicated his life it. And whoever wrote that conversion does not precede catechesis is contradicting the Pope himself. Read articles 98-101 and 53-54 of the General Directory for Catechesis. Let’s try to be a bit more fair and Christian in our remarks here. Thank you. Joan Lotta
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I’m not sure I understand your criticisms. You came here and resurrected 2 two-year old threads mentioning Bill Huebsch, and in both of your posts, you accuse people of being mean-spirited. In both threads, I have not seen a single mean-spirited comment directed at Bill Huebsch or anyone else. No one has questioned his love for the Church.

Simply pointing out perceived deficiencies in Huebsch’s programs does not contradict Christian charity. We are free to criticize ideas (indeed, we are obligated to when we believe that those ideas run contrary to our faith). That doesn’t mean we are criticizing the person articulating those ideas.
 
It is beyond me how people could be so ga-ga over Cardinal Dulles’ populist anti-institutional Church bent. When the people are put in charge, we become protestants, self-shepherding sheep. Doesn’t work! Worst yet, the “people” are not “freed” to become whole, they are scattered to become lunch meat. This is a power grab from that creepy spy lineage of the Dulles legacy. Destroy the leadership of the Church, take power. God forbid!
 
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