Ancient Wisdom Anglican Futures 2011 - Audio

The second bi-annual Ancient Wisdom—Anglican Futures (AWAF) Conference was held at Trinity School for Ministry on June 16-18, 2011.  This year, the gathering enjoyed co-sponsorship with the Robert E. Webber Center and its “Call to an Ancient Evangelical Future.” 

We are delighted to offer audio recordings of most of the keynote addresses at AWAF-2011.  (Unfortunately Mark Galli’s address is not available as audio.)

We hope you find these enjoyable and helpful as you consider the “call to an ancient evangelical future” the Anglican Way and beyond.

The Rev. Dr. William Harmless
Augustine and the Ancient Catechumenate: A Sunday in Hippo Regius (Part I)
The Rev. Dr. William Harmless
The Rev. Dr. William Harmless
Augustine and the 21st Century: Gleaning Wisdom from Patristic Cathechesis (Part II)
The Rev. Dr. William Harmless
The Rev. Canon Dr. Ashley Null
Thomas Cranmer and the Lively Word I: Preaching as Catechesis
The Rev. Canon Dr. Ashley Null
The Rev. Canon Dr. Ashley Null
Thomas Cranmer and the Lively Word II: Liturgy as Catechesis
The Rev. Canon Dr. Ashley Null
The Rev. Dr. Tory Baucum
Wesleyan Catechesis in Historical Conext
The Rev. Dr. Tory Baucum
The Rev. Dr. Tory Baucum
Wesleyan Catechesis Applied
The Rev. Dr. Tory Baucum
The Rev. Dr. Graham Tomlin
Catechetical Theology at the Heart of the Church
The Rev. Dr. Graham Tomlin
The Rev. Dr. Graham Tomlin
Teaching Virtue at the Heart of the Church
The Rev. Dr. Graham Tomlin
The Rev. Dr. Grant LeMarquand
African Perspectives on Catechesis
The Rev. Dr. Grant LeMarquand

David Neff reminded us of the significance of the “Call” for this year’s Conference theme: “Making Disciples in the Christian Catechumenate.”

  • We call for a catechetical spiritual formation of the people of God that is based firmly on a Trinitarian biblical narrative.
  • We are concerned when faith [spirituality] is separated from the story of God and baptism into the life of Christ and his body.
  • Faith [Spirituality], made independent from God’s story, is often characterized by legalism, mere intellectual knowledge, an overly therapeutic culture, New Age Gnosticism, a dualistic rejection of this world, and a narcissistic preoccupation with one’s own experience.
  • These false spiritualities are inadequate for the challenges we face in today’s world. Therefore, we call evangelicals to return to a historic spirituality like that taught and practiced in the ancient catechumenate.

Mark Galli's Introduction:

To set the stage for this dynamic mix of theology and practice we began with Mark Galli, Senior Managing Editor of Christianity Today, who spoke on the challenges that North American evangelicals face today as they define and practice discipleship.  In the course of his current research on “rediscovering the Christian Catechumenate” Galli has focused on seven key areas: (1) the role of Bible study; (2) the continual rediscovery of commonly shared evangelical essentials; (3) the importance of grounding discipleship in the life and ministry of the local church; (4) the centrality of God in the theology and practice of discipleship; (5) the need for question-driven catechesis; (6) the value of going-global, especially knowing that so much of Christianity in the world today is evangelical and Pentecostal in flavor; and (7) the joy of discipleship, especially as we recognize the drama of the doctrine we teach.

Each of our keynote speakers addressed one or more of these aspects of catechesis and discipleship in their explorations of “practical theology” over the centuries, from Augustine of Hippo to ALPHA.  But AWAF Conferences also feature workshops, drama, and sung Morning and Evening Prayer. 

This year, we were especially blessed to have visiting singers and song writers Andy Piercy and David Clifton as well as dramatists Jim and Carol Anderson Shores of Acts of Renewal.  These gifted artists enhanced our keynote sessions as well as worship.

Our workshop leaders included Jack Gabig (Nashotah House), Leander Harding (Trinity School for Ministry), Kristi Leaseburg (St. John’s Episcopal Church, Fort Worth, TX), Lee Nelson (Church of St. John the Evangelist, Stockton, CA), and Gary Schreckengost (Lutheran Church of St. John, Youngstown, OH).  Topics ranged widely: “The Basics of Christian Formation at Home” (Leaseburg), “Catching the Vision for the Use of Theatre and the Arts in Worship” (Acts of Renewal), “Catechesis Through Song” (Piercy), “The Catechumenate and the Parish: Practical Considerations” (Nelson), “Christian Catechesis and Formation in Parish Perspective: Lutheran and Anglican Models” (Schreckengost and Harding), and “Confirmation and the Equipping of Saints for the Work of Ministry” (Gabig).