Dr. Conor Sweeney on Faith Immersion and Evangelizing the Culture

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that Catholics today will argue about the best way to evangelize the culture.

"One of the more typical approaches puts a high premium on what you might call a 'go get 'em' style of evangelization, one that prioritizes the outward-looking character of evangelical activity. As Bishop Robert Barron recently put it, it means leaving the idyllic 'domesticity' of the Shire with a faith 'that goes out.' The contemplative and mystical aspects symbolized by the Shire are acknowledged, but the gold standard of evangelization ends up being what happens once we leave our hobbit holes and face the culture 'head-on.' Bilbo and Frodo truly find themselves only after they leave the comforts of the Shire.

"There is great truth in this. The 'going out' dimension of missionary activity is quite obviously implied in the Great Commission itself: 'Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit' (Matt 28:19).

"And yet I wonder if all going-out has a good deal more to do with 'staying in' than we might think. . . ."

In a recent commentary, writer Dr. Conor Sweeney reflected on the importance of immersion in our faith culture (including "the distinctively liturgical and sacramental form of lived Christian existence") in order to be an effective Christian witness in the world.

To access Dr. Sweeney's complete post, please visit:

Catholic World Report: The Dispatch: On evangelizing the culture and why hobbits (really) need the Shire (17 DEC 18)