Theology course for beginners aims to enrich faith experience

26 Apr 2017

By The Record

The Centre for Faith Enrichment’s upcoming course on Exploring Faith: Theology for Beginners, opens up a rich world of theological thought that has always been an integral part of the Christian faith experience. Photo: Sourced

By Natashya Fernandez

The Centre for Faith Enrichment’s upcoming course on Exploring Faith: Theology for Beginners, opens up a rich world of theological thought that has always been an integral part of the Christian faith experience.

The course runs every Thursday morning commencing 11 May, ending on Thursday 15 June from 10am to 12.30pm at the Newman Siena Centre and is open to everyone in the Archdiocese of Perth.

CFE course presenter and UNDA lecturer Joe Tedesco says the CFE’s Exploring Faith: Theology for Beginners course is about making sense of all things we might associate with God. Photo Supplied

Course presenter and lecturer at University of Notre Dame Australia’s Fremantle Campus, Joe Tedesco, said a course such as this can help if one has questions about the Christian faith, or already have a profound and strong faith in God.

Mr Tedesco said that theology, put simply, is about making sense of all things we might associate with God.
“To anybody who is confused and unsure about this ‘God stuff’, or the Church, or the Bible or maybe just aspects of it, then a course like this can help you settle that confusion,” Mr Tedesco continued.

“Theology done well helps us understand how the things of faith and God, such as belief, scripture, church, morality etc, can make sense to us in our lives and in the world we live in.”

Going on to explain further, he said that the course introduces five general spheres of theological thought, namely Scriptures, Christology, about Jesus Christ; Ecclesiology, community and the Church; Moral Theology, living the good life and Social Justice that are commonly found in the Catholic tradition.

“It is presented in a way that would be open and beneficial to other Christian traditions, non-Christians or even non-religious people who are curious and want to enrich their lives with the spiritual and intellectual richness that theological enquiry can provide,” Mr Tedesco said.

Having completed theological studies and being involved in various programs that allowed him to exercise his passion in faith formation, Mr Tedesco said when he was asked to do this course he willingly accepted.

“Even though it is material that I am very familiar with, I love going back to it because I always learn something new myself.

“There is a genuine need and hunger in people to understand better these things of faith and belief that are often not understood well or simply taken for granted,” he said.

The Centre for Faith Enrichment’s upcoming course on Exploring Faith: Theology for Beginners, opens up a rich world of theological thought that has always been an integral part of the Christian faith experience. Photo: Sourced

When asked about the significance of the course, Mr Tedesco said that often, the average person is exposed to misinformation on the Christian faith and on belief in general.

He said providing a place where this can be countered is where the importance of this course lies.

“It helps those of faith to enrich their faith in a world where it is often hard to do and for those who have not had an experience or are not used to the faith, it allows them to be more fully informed and able to understand their world better,” Mr Tedesco continued.
Keen to share and impart his knowledge on the subject, he said there is so much to learn about the rich Catholic Christian theological tradition.

“Don’t be afraid to continually explore and ask questions of it. Such a spirit of questioning, aimed the right way, sharpens the mind and spiritually nourishes,” he ended.

To enrol in Exploring Faith: Theology for Beginners, please click here: http://cfe.org.au/courses-and-events/exploring-faith-theology-beginners/