So What's "New" About the New Evangelization?

Pope Benedict XVI and the worldwide bishops have, in recent years, begun talking about the "New Evangelization." What that means can be confusing. Evangelization is the call of every baptized Christian to learn and live our faith actively and in such a way that others are attracted to the faith. Haven't we been hearing about this challenge throughout most of our lifetimes (at least since the time of Vatican II)?

So what's "new" about the new evangelization?

Truthfully, the New Evangelization is, in some senses, as old as the teaching of Jesus and the proclamation of the gospels by the apostles.

The New Evangelization calls all Catholics first to be evangelized and then in turn to evangelize. While it is directed to all people, the New Evangelization focuses specifically on those Christian communities that have Catholic roots but have lost a living sense of the faith. (Preface, Disciples Called to Witness: The New Evangelization)

What's "new" is that church leadership recognizes that in recent years more Catholics than ever have lost faith in the church as the authentic witness to Christ in our contemporary world. Many Christians claim to be "spiritual, not religious," opting for a personalized "brand" of faith that is often unconnected to any particular faith tradition.

Unfortunately, this kind of disconnect with Scripture and Tradition proclaimed in the church usually boils down to a disconnect with Christ, the One who reveals God most fully and whom we profess to follow. In their new document, Disciples Called to Witness, the Bishops are reminding us of an ancient truth: generation to generation, the ancient faith must be proclaimed in a new way so as to create true followers of Christ in today's world.

 So today as in every generation, we as Christ's disciples commit ourselves to continue learning and growing in faith so we can in turn bring the good news to our world in both word and deed. As the bishops affirm:

To create a culture of witness, we must live explicit lives of discipleship. Being a disciple is a challenge. Fortunately, one does not become a disciple of Christ on his or her own initiative. The work of the Holy Spirit within the Christian community forms the person as a disciple of Christ. (Part IV, Disciples Called to Witness: The New Evangelization)

The Office of Religious Education, in communication and solidarity with other Catholic faith formation offices nationwide, has been and continues to be committed to the New Evangelization, which might equally well be called "The Tried and True Evangelization."