Through his Revelation detailed in the Bible and manifested in Jesus Christ, God invites us to his own company (Catechism of the Catholic Church or CCC 142). Faith makes us taste in advance the light of the beatific vision of God in Heaven. It is the beginning of the eternal life to which He has called us (CCC 163).
Faith is above all a grace and needs the help of the Holy Spirit ‘who moves the heart and converts it to God’ (CCC153). It is also a conscious and free embrace of that invitation with our whole being (CCC 143), a decision to trust in God and what He has revealed (CCC 154).
Often Revelation can be above reason but never against it. As intelligent beings, we seek to understand that which, and Him in whom we have believed (fides quaerens intellectum, CCC156-159).
Furthermore, as we live in interaction and communication with others, we must be prepared to ‘make a defense to anyone who calls [us] to account for the hope that is in [us]’ (1 Peter 3:15).
The Catholic Formation: Seminars on Faith and Culture group contributes to the Church's duty of serving the truth (Pope St John Paul II, Encyclical Redemptor Hominis 19) in conjunction with other catechesis and formation initiatives.
Its goal is to serve believers wishing to deepen in the understanding of their faith in God and his Revelation under the guidance of the Catholic Church’s Magisterium in the context of today’s world.
Authors showcased will have been models in approaching topics of contemporary relevance in light of the Deposit of Faith―Holy Scripture, Tradition and Magisterium of the Church. Among others, the list includes Joseph Ratzinger―Benedict XVI, St John Henry Newman, GK Chesterton, Elizabeth Anscombe, Henri de Lubac, Carlos Cardona, Jacques Maritain, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Karol Wojtyla―St John Paul II, Joseph Pieper, Edith Stein, Jean Guitton, André Frossard, Robert Spaemann, Alasdair MacIntyre and Cornelio Fabro.
The seminars aim at aiding participants increase their understanding of and love for their Catholic Faith and, through the reading, reflection and discussion of the models' works, gain insights on how to deal, in the light of Faith, with issues in society, politics, morality, science, international relations, technology, art, spirituality--all part of today's 'culture' broadly considered.