EfM is Not Only A Bible Study - So What's the Difference?
Mary Novello | Mentor, Diocesan Coordinator, Diocese of Central Pennsylvania
The first week’s reading in each of the four volumes of EfM’s Reading and Reflection Guide (RRG) includes a section on what EfM is not. First up is “EfM is not only Bible study.” The Guide goes on to say:
EfM participants study what the Bible says, but they also learn how to understand the Bible within its historical context and literary setting. Biblical studies form the primary work of the first two years. EfM is more than a Bible study in which one reads the Bible, seeks to understand it, and then applies it to daily life. EfM takes seriously God’s revelation through all of Christian tradition, from the earliest biblical messages, through the development of liturgy and theology, and even in the context of the challenges we face in our own times.
Excerpt from Education for Ministry
Reading and Reflection Guide 2023-2024:
Living as Spiritually Mature Christians
In other words, in a Bible study, the author or presenter has designed or selected the process that the group will use. They have determined what will be read, how it will be explored, and perhaps even point to what is to be learned. This, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. Bible studies can introduce people to theological thinking and help them dig for deeper meanings that can impact their lives and their relationship with God.
EfM goes beyond this. It offers participants an opportunity to become a “Bible Study Author/Presenter” for themselves, while, at the same time, providing a solid grounding in the Bible, Christian Tradition, and Modern Theology and Ethics to draw upon during reflection.
The practice of Theological Reflection (TR) is EfM’s “secret sauce.” Once a participant understands the Four Sources (Personal Experience, Christian Tradition, Culture, and Personal Belief) and the Four Movements (Identify, Explore, Connect, and Apply), they have the tools to reflect theologically on anything. A dilemma at work? Try a TR. An incident at a family gathering? Try a TR. A news report breaking your heart? Try a TR. A Sunday sermon troubling your soul? Try a TR. When something grabs your attention, and, down deep, you know that you need to take time to look at it more closely, try a TR.
Reflecting theologically can help to sort out what God is calling you to be and do in your life and your ministry. (Remember that we are all called to ministry through our Baptismal Promises). By practicing TR again and again in an EfM seminar, the process becomes second nature, like muscle memory to a dancer. As our RRG reminds us, TR truly is a life skill.
Just as TR is grounded in four sources that go beyond Bible study, EfM is grounded in five Core Practices. Bible study is one of those practices. The others are: Living in Community, Regular Prayer and Worship, Study of the Christian Tradition, and Vocational Discernment. More to come on these core practices soon.