ReEd 1 - Initium Fidei : An Introduction to
Doing Catholic Theology Religious Education
1 is the introductory course of the Theology
Program. It introduces students to the basics
of theology at the college level in today’s
Philippines. Theology is a journey of
faithseeking understanding. It is
undertaken to answer the fundamental
questions of the meaning and purpose of
human existence in the light of the rich
sources of the Catholic faith, Sacred
scripture, Sacred Tradition, and Human
Experience. This ongoing search is carried
out in the context of the Philippines today,
dialoguing with the individual stories of the
faith of each of our students
Augustinian recollects
The University of San Jose-Recoletos is
founded and administered by the
Order of Augustinian Recollects - A
religious order is a group of men (women)
who dedicate themselves in the service to
God, to the church and to the people.
The Augustinian Recollects belong the
Order of the Augustinian Recollects
(OAR), who, living the fraternal life in
community, desire to follow Christ, chaste,
poor and obedient.
The Augustinian Recollects of today are heirs
to a forn of life first initiated by St.
Augustine (354-430) The Order came
into being in the 16th century (Dec. 5,
1588) when a group of Augustinian
Religious, under the impulse of the Holy
Spirit, discovered among themselves a
collective charism by which they sought to
live a life of renewed fervor and of new
norms at the service of the Church.
Augustinian recollects
1. We are heart: We, the Augustinian Recollects wish to
be heart, we live in community of brothers the love of
God.
2. We are fire: an ardent passion inherited from the
charism of St. Augustine
3. We are commitment: We are service, sacrifice,
apostolate, passion, ministry and cross.
4. We are search: formation is a strong point within the
charism of the orders: the search for god
A religious order has its own "charisms" or
trademarks which makes their group distinct
to other congregations.
1. Interiority / Contemplative- knowing God
by knowing more about ourselves
- Demonstrate personal relationship with Christ
through search for truth in prayers and
introspection.
- Live a life animated by prayer and immerse
actively and holistically in different spiritual and
liturgical activities in the community and in the
family.
2. Communitarian - To be in One Heart and
One Mind intent upon God
- Show love and concern for family, church and
society by building friendship and solidarity
- Apply the Augustinian meaning and implications
of friendship and communion in community life
3. Apostolic- service to the Church and the
society
- Imbibe the joy of the Gospel and express it in
apostolic activities through community service,
care of environment, interfaith and intercultural
dialogue and other sustainable initiatives.
4. Marian
- Emulate Mary as model of faith, humility and
obedience
- Show and practice filial devotion to the Blessed
Virgin Mary through Marian devotional and
liturgical activities.
OAR Philosophy of Education
St. Augustine's Spirituality which inspires the
Recollect Augustinian Charism describe in
the four Characters (Contemplative,
Communitarian, Apostolic, Marian) has
become the basis of the Philosophy of
Education of the Recoletos educational
system with Caritas et Scientia, i.e., to
educate the mind and the heart.
AUGUSTINIAN VALUES
* Interiority - Interiority is the process of
entering into our inner self in order to
discover God.
* Truth - To live the Augustinian value of
truth means to be able to reject relativism
and to acknowledge that there is one truth,
Jesus Christ who sheds light in the life of
every man.
* Freedom - It is not doing what we want
but Freedom to do good and avoid evil.
* • Communitarian - "The common good
first before one's own and not one's own
before the common good."
* • Friendship - Authentic friendship must
be Sincere, Strong and Spiritual. Friendship
must lead to God.
* • Solidarity and Justice - - Solidarity and
Justice should be manifestations of our just
love of God and of neighbor.
INSPIRE! = Integrity, Nationalism, Service,
Pioneerism, Interiority, Reliability, Excellence
VISION/MISSION USJR
To become a premier Gospel Institution
CRE Vision/Mission
-To transform students to become mature ax
Christians/disciples thru Information-
Formation - Transformation to Share and
Live Jesus in our life"
Tatak Recoleto- is a brand of Education
inspired by the charism and spirituality of St.
Augustine, that is, to be in One Heart and
One Mind intent upon God.
LESSON 1 THEOLOGY AND SEARCH FOR
MEANING
Theo = God Logos = Study
Hindrances to our search for meaning and
purpose:
1) Skepticism - doubt as to the truth of
something; theory that certain
knowledge is impossible.
2) Indifference – lack of interest to
something/someone
3) Cynicism – a belief of a person that is
motivated by his/her desire
4) “POST-TRUTH ERA”
5) Trolling - kind of political activity that
is marked by a refusal to participate in
the kind of productive exchange of
ideas that marks democratic politics.
Theology presents a way to search for the
meaning and
Purpose grounded on God’s certainty.
Theological enterprise is an opportunity
for people, especially the youth, to
understand life, faith, and reality.
Both individualism and exclusivism are
signs of the trend for more privatistic
tendencies that can become hindrances to an
authentic search for meaning and purpose in
the world.
Recourse from privatism?
INTERIORTIY - Introspection and
self-understanding will be an avenue
to witness the presence of the Divine
in our lives
i. For believers, theology acts as
faithseeking understanding (Latin:
Fides quaerens intellectum)
ii. For nonbelievers, theology is a form
of appreciation of the capacity of
human beings to acquire faith. And in
no way is It is by no means a form
of indoctrination or an attempt to
convert people to Christianity or
Catholicism.
YOUTH - as Essential Audience of Theology
Direction, commitment, call — these are
all within the vision of the Christian faith.
Theology is therefore scientia Dei in as
much as it is a rational participation in the
knowledge that God has of himself and of all
things. As scientia Dei, theology aims to
understand in a rational and systematic
manner the saving truth of God.
THEOLOGY
•as an Endeavor for
•ALL People
Spirituality is "the experience of conscious
involvement in the project of life-integration
through self-transcendence toward the
ultimate value one perceives."
Christian
Spirituality is “the lived experience
Of Christian faith.”
Augustinian Spirituality as Pattern

LESSON 2 A CONVERSATION BETWEEN The Three Principles of Augustinian

SPIRITUALITY AND THEOLOGY
Spirituality refers to the logic, character, or
consistent quality of a person’s or a group’s
pattern of living insofar as it is measured
before some kind of ultimate reality
Three ways people view
the relationship between spirituality and
religion as:
1. "strangers to the banquet of
transcendence who never actually meet or
converse"
2. "rivals, if not enemies, vying for the
allegiance of the serious seekers
3. partners, two dimensions of a single
enterprise
These phrases reflect different
attitudes and relationships people may
have regarding spirituality and religion.
Spirituality:
1. Veritas (Truth) - Veritas refers to
the pursuit and adherence to truth.
Augustine believed that the ultimate
truth is found in God, and the search
for truth is a fundamental aspect of
the human journey.
2. Unitas (Unity) - Unitas emphasizes the
unity or oneness of God and the
interconnectedness of all creation. Augustine
believed that all things find their ultimate
purpose and fulfillment in God, and this unity
is a source of profound spiritual meaning.
3. Caritas (Love) - Caritas, often
translated as "charity" or "love," holds
a central place in Augustine's writings
and spirituality. Augustine famously
said, "Love, and do what you will,"
highlighting the transformative power
of divine love.
"You can be spiritual but not
Religious"

Spirituality RELIGION SPIRITUALITY

as Life Integration set of beliefs and focus on spiritual
SPIRITUALITY VS. RELIGION rituals that claim to things and the
get a person in the spiritual world instead
Religion refers to a set of beliefs, values, right relationship with of physical things.
and practices that together identify what God.
institutional personal,
ultimate reality is and help establish the
involves a group of It connotes an
relationship that obtains between this
people brought experience of
ultimate reality and the practitioners. together by their connection to
common faith or something larger than
Religion becomes that which aids people in beliefs about the you; living everyday
developing spirituality within its defined divine. Religion aims life in a reverent and
beliefs and practices, and in doing so, to build one's sacred manner.
according to that religion's tradition, a character
person can grow closer and closer to the institutionalized concentrates more on
ultimate value or reality. system of religious each person's
On Religion AND Spirituality attitudes, beliefs, and individual soul.
practices;