First the individual believes in Jesus, then he reads the Bible, prays, is filled with the Holy Spirit, is encouraged to speak in tongues, is given Communion, told to resist evil, learns about and experiences faith healing - and only then does the Alpha Course mention the Church!Ī Congregationalist Ecclesiology.Gumbel presents the Church as a "three-tier structure of celebration, congregation, and cell." The "celebration" is the Sunday gathering. Alpha presents a gospel which is reduced to "me and Jesus," and the Church becomes merely a gathering of people who have come to faith in Christ. As we have seen, ChristLife claims that in its presentation of these "basic Christian truths," " Alpha is compatible with Catholic teaching." The UK Catholic Alpha Office says, "Catholics who have read the Alpha material have found it to be remarkably free from anything, which we might object to." Are these claims valid?Īn evaluation of Alpha materials reveals that Alpha does not offer simply "basic Christian truths" common to all, but presents specific teachings on the Church, the Sacraments, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit that constitute the theology of the Charismatic Protestantism which gave birth to Alpha.Īn Individualistic Christianity. We must also look at the specific content of the Alpha program itself. Rather than taking what someone else has developed and making it into something else, "Is it not wiser, more Christian, and more ecumenical to accept gratefully the grace of God in Alpha from our Anglican brothers and sisters and supplement it with full Catholic teaching?" 9ĭespite that attempt at a response, the question remains: Can Catholic evangelization really be done in such a way that certain items distinctive to Catholicism can be somehow detached from what Evangelical Protestants believe to be "the basic Christian truths"? "What some see as the tacking on of Catholic convictions as an after-thought can be seen by others as preaching the basic Gospel kerygma followed by an introduction to the fullness of Christian faith." 7 They urge us to see that this is a "polished and refined" 8 program that has been tested, and is successful. This has led to criticism that "the Catholic bits are just ‘tacked on’ to a Protestant message." The Catholic advocates of Alpha reject this characterization. Only Baptism and the Eucharist are recognized explicitly." They quote Nicky Gumbel as saying, "Teaching on the sacraments is limited, in the sense that we only teach on Alpha what all the major denominations and traditions are agreed about." 6 "On the question of sacraments, Alpha is seriously deficient from a Catholic point of view. The question of the sacraments receives a fuller response further on. In addition, the current teaching is deficient with respect to Catholic ecclesiology. Alpha is, therefore, compatible with Catholic teaching, but does not address the role of the Catholic Church in the proclamation of the gospel or in its teaching on the sacraments. It is the historic faith expressed in the ancient creeds. The basic thrust of Alpha is to communicate the essentials of the Christian faith, with its understanding of God the Father, of Jesus Christ-his incarnation, death and resurrection-and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Courses such as Exploring the Catholic Church and Drink from the Wells of the Church may be used as the first step in the sharing of specifically Catholic teaching." 4 As the British office says, "Catholic Alpha uses the Alpha course as it stands, but recognizes that for Catholics, and those wishing to become Catholics, much more teaching is needed after Alpha. This is not a Catholic adaptation of the Protestant program, but is the Protestant program with Catholic teaching presented afterwards as a supplement. The Houston Catholic parishes hosting Alpha use " Alpha for Catholics," as developed by ChristLife and a Catholic Alpha Office in the UK. The Alpha webpage lists over 60 sites in the counties covered by the Diocese of Galveston-Houston, sponsored by churches of diverse background: Lutheran, Methodist, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Baptist, Vineyard, Disciples, Foursquare, and three Catholic parishes. Does God Heal Today? (small group time replaced by a "practical healing session.")Īlpha Dinner: Christianity: Boring, Untrue, and Irrelevant? 2Īlpha claims that there are currently 5000 courses being offered around the world. How Can I Make the Most of the Rest of My Life?ĩ. (followed by prayer for "the gift of tongues") Alpha Dinner: Christianity: Boring, Untrue, and Irrelevant?
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