The Authentic Gospel Message
In the Fullness of the Catholic Tradition
An Eight-Week Course Offered Locally and By Distance
Developed and Taught by Aimee M. Cooper, M.A.
Sponsored by the Archdiocese of Denver's John Paul II Center for the New Evangelization
Registration for the Fall course is now closed.
The course will be offered again. For more information contact Aimee at aimee@historicalchristian.com
About the Course
All Catholics are called to evangelize, share our Faith – but how? What is the gospel message, and how do we explain it to anyone? What are we supposed to say?
The word "gospel" means "good news." What is the good news of the gospel according to the Catholic Church? Did you know that it is not the same as the Protestant gospel message, that there are key – and profound – differences? That the Protestant message is incomplete – and the Catholic message is the real message, based on the fullness of 2000 years of reflection on the meaning of what Christ has actually done, and continues to do, for us? If someone were to ask you, could you explain it to them? Could you explain the differences?
What to Expect
This course will give students a thorough understanding of the core message of the Catholic Faith, the fullness of the meaning of the "good news" given to us in Christ, which is the authentic gospel message, and an effective, proven way of explaining it to others. Intellectually challenging and personally inspiring, it will cause you to ponder more deeply the meaning of your Faith than you probably ever have before. Be prepared to be challenged to deepen your relationship with Christ, and through Christ with the fullness of the Trinity, in ways you may never have realized is possible!
In the first class you will receive a walk-through of the authentic Catholic gospel message, a unique presentation based on the fullness of the 2,000-year-old Catholic tradition on the meaning of salvation, and tested with Protestants, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, New Agers, atheists, college students, feminists, and cradle Catholics, both door-to-door and in talks to various groups.
Subsequent classes embark on a deep immersion in excerpts from key theological readings on each point in the gospel presentation, including from Sacred Scripture, Church Fathers, saints and mystics and Doctors of the Church, spiritual theology, Magisterial documents, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the thought of great theologians of the 20th and 21st centuries, including John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Comparison and contrast with Protestantism and other beliefs will be made at key points.
All readings are provided in handout format, averaging 10-12 pages per class. No book purchases are necessary. Aside from reading handouts there are no assignments outside of class.
What Not to Expect
This is not a course on apologetics, explaining and defending particular doctrines of the Faith (there are plenty of books about that on the market), but rather a course on the core meaning of Catholicism itself. We’ve found that it has a way of undercutting all the misunderstandings about this or that doctrine or practice, and once understood makes particular doctrines easier to understand. The core message of Catholicism is beautiful - and when we know how to really explain it to someone else, they find it really inspiring, and want to know more!
When Classes Meet
Local classes meet once a week for eight weeks, two hours per class. For distance students, each class is recorded in two parts and uploaded from week to week in .mp3 format to a password-protected blog, along with copies of reading handouts. Distance students may stream the recordings, or download and save them for listening either on their computer or on an .mp3 player, and may participate on the blog.
Practical Uses of the Course
Students who've completed the course include individual laity and parish and diocesan staff. The gospel presentation has been used by students with family and friends, or incorporated into talks to various groups, with great results: non-Catholics asking to learn more, fallen-away Catholics returning to Church. Course materials have been incorporated by parish staff into RCIA and Adult Faith Formation courses with great success. It is especially useful in RCIA during the period of primary proclamation of the gospel - an area identified by the US Bishops as being particularly weak, and which this course was in part developed to address.
It is also designed to precede local door-to-door summer training, for those who want the challenges and rewards of learning how to do direct door-to-door evangelization. But anyone can learn how to share the fullness of the authentic gospel message – and this class will equip you for that!
Student Comments from Spring '09 Class Evaluations
“I would highly recommend this course to everyone.”
“It was what I had been looking for.”
“This is a terrific class.”
“Powerful.”
About the Instructor
Aimee M. Cooper, M.A., earned her master’s degree in theology, emphasis on evangelization and catechesis, from Denver’s Augustine Institute, where she graduated class valedictorian. She is developing a program in evangelization training for Catholics that includes theological and practical training in both classroom and door-to-door work. She offers her evangelization training classes through the Archdiocese of Denver’s John Paul II Center for the New Evangelization and in local parishes, and will also offer her course to seminarians at Denver's St. John Vianney Seminary beginning in the fall of 2009.
In addition to teaching courses and conducting summer door-to-door trainings, Aimee gives talks on the Catholic Gospel Message to various groups, such as RCIA, Adult Faith Formation, DREs and catechists, and Catholics Come Home groups. She will be a featured speaker at the Living the Catholic Faith Conference to be held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver on Feb. 26-27, 2010.
She is open to invitations to speak and teach; please contact her at aimee@historicalchristian.com to request a talk or class.
