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Joan of Arcadia Discussion Guide Online
By Fr. Dennis | March 30, 2005
For youth and adult discussion groups, the Presbyterian Church USA brings us a non-denominational discussion and study guide for Joan of Arcadia. Might be an interesting thing to do once in a while with your Bible study group or youth meeting.
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March 31st, 2005 at 2:15 pm
Let me know when the Disciples of Christ issue their “Touched by an Angel” study guide. Of course, I’m also breathlessly awaiting the Lutheran (ELCA) “Love Boat/Fantasy Island” Bible study series. The Reformed Calvinist “Pac-Man Men’s Study Bible/Concordance” back in the ’80s was very inspirational.
Of course anything “non-denominational” is also “non-Catholic” but that shouldn’t be a problem–unless of course you are the sort who thinks the Bibles we use and the study guides that go with them should have proper ecclesiastical approval.
April 1st, 2005 at 5:27 am
then tell all our Catholic publishing friends to get with it and get some stuff in the pipe-line. there’s a market to be tapped that needs this material - and much of it doesn’t exist from Catholic sources. i’ve worked in youth ministry for 25 years and it is very hard to find enough decent material to use that has “proper ecclesiastical approval”. i’ve always used “approved” bible texts and commentaries, etc., but even Catholic scholars quote from many serious Protestant scholars all the time. it has only been in the most recent years that Catholic publishing houses have seen fit to put out more current catechetical materials. and being a small business man, i know market demand fuels supply. as a group, Catholics in the pew have been way behind the curve in wanting to get the latest catechetical material. discerning Catholic catechists, especially in youth ministry, seem to have found a way to use “the other guys’” material and adapt it to our needs - i’ve had to do it for years. in a perfect world i’d refer anyone interested to a Catholic resource, but too often they don’t exist. the evangelical christians of various ilk really have a leg-up on putting materials into the public’s hand. you’re a publisher - get with it … there is a need, and maybe there’s a enough market demand from the pews that would make it profitable - and if not profitable, then maybe it could be a ministry supported by your other profitable ventures. while we Catholics sit on the sideline and wait, the protestants are doing - to our detriment.
April 1st, 2005 at 9:43 am
Although I don’t have the financial wherewithal to put out these materials (unless St. Linus Review catches a wave and becomes more than a tiny literary magazine), fortunately, there are publishers that do. Our Sunday Visitor, Ignatius Press, Tan Books all have books and catechetical materials for teens that are age appropriate and approved. And those are just the big ones. A short internet search would lead you to other, smaller, publishing companies that are Catholic and have ecclesiastical approval. EWTN has programming for that age group, most notably the “Life on the Rock” series. So, it is really not accurate to say that Catholic publishers are sitting on the sidelines. Perhaps, you haven’t heard of these resources, but they are there.
Do they specifically address “Joan of Arcadia.” Maybe, I haven’t looked into them. But even if they don’t, why should they? If we’re trying to build a Catholic culture, why are we trying to do it with television series and movies that have, at best, a tenuous connection to Catholicism? Should “Joan” be discussed? Sure, it’s a really good idea to discuss pop culture with teens to help guide them in discerning the good from the bad. But, creating a study guide for the show and thus informally giving the show an approval it doesn’t deserve, gives youth and teens the wrong idea. A teen will assume that if you are using the “Joan” study guide in church that the Church has approved the program and the guide. Whatever the merits of “Joan” it is not a Catholic program and shouldn’t be treated as such or as a ready substitute for solid catechesis. Giving “Joan” your personal imprimatur just tells kids that they can skip church and your class and stay home and watch TV instead.
Certain types of Protestants regularly try to “Christianize” popular movies, books, fads. I remember reading a tract in the ’80s that clumsily and ineffectively tried to say that the “Force” in Star Wars was actually the Holy Spirit. No, the “Force” came about as a result of George Lucas’ Manichaean fantasy–Mani was a heretic of the third century anathamatized by the Church. Now, while it is appropriate to discuss Star Wars, is it really a good idea to make a heretical fantasy the centerpiece of a catechetical program? These efforts while occasionally temporarily effective, more often lead teens to believe there is a moral equivalence between Church teaching and the movie/tv show etc.
Do Catholic scholars quote Protestant ones? They sure do, whether they are right or wrong. These “scholars” regularly become quite enamoured of the latest thing whether good or evil. They chase after novelty in theological thought like a teenager chases after his friends at the mall. But that doesn’t mean they are in harmony with Church teaching.
Do certain priests use these materials? Hoo boy do they! With relish and glee. But then we all know that a large number of our priests have embraced heretical concepts borrowed from Protestantism and even other religions. Interestingly enough, although they personally want the freedom to go borrow from the Protestants, they never go as far as to give the congregation any say in what they are doing. In fact, they exaggerate the Church’s teachings on their authority to tyrannically lead their flock astray. It’s the “I’m the Priest and I Can Do Whatever I Want and There’s Nothing You Can Do About it Except Leave” Syndrome that has crippled the Church over the past 30-40 years. It starts with the “I Have a Master’s Degree in Theology So Your Reading of the Catechism Can’t Possibly Trump My Latest Theological Thing” Virus.
Sadly, we probably can’t change any of these problems, but we don’t have to participate in them.