MUNICH METHOD IN CATECHETICS

An adaptation to catechetics of the psychological steps of learning and teaching, developed by J. F. Herbart and T. Ziller. The Munich catechists formulated their method in six principal and secondary steps: presentation, explanation, application and preparation, aim, and synthesis. The primary steps in the teaching procedure correspond to three steps in learning on the part of the pupil (viz., perception, understanding, and practice). Furthermore, there is direct appeal to the cognitive and appetitive powers of the learner: to the senses and imagination in the "presentation," to the intellect in the "explanation," and to the will and emotions in the "application." These principles of learning have their roots in the psychology of Aristotle and were formulated by St. Thomas Aquinas as the bases for all learning and teaching. A story, usually from the Bible, containing a doctrinal or moral truth is presented by the teacher; explanation of the religious elements to be learned is followed by practical application to daily living. The inductive process of teaching from the known to the unknown, from the concrete to the abstract, was a major improvement over the hitherto prevailing word analysis of the catechism answers.

Bibliography: h. w. offele, Geschichte und Grundanliegen der sogenannten Münchener katechetischen Methode (Munich 1961). For more complete bibliographical data see l. lentner et al., eds., Katechetisches Wörterbuch (Freiburg 1961).

[j. b. collins]