In his book The secular age, Charles Taylor, emeritus professor at McGill University, uses the term ‘seekers’ to describe people who are searching for ways to reconcile their Christian faith with new knowledge and emerging levels of religious and personal consciousness, the social sciences and cosmology.
He distinguishes ‘seekers’ from ‘dwellers’ – those who are content to live out their Christian life according to fidelity as to how they understand traditional beliefs. Opening Doors is for seekers – people who are open to deepen their Christian faith through discernment, study, prayer, conversations and proactive faith commitment. Such ‘seekers’ may rightly be considered ‘conservative’ as they return to the earliest traditions of the Jesus story.
Opening Doors takes seriously the invitation of the Lord for us to open the door to him, and with confidence to explore how our faith may be enhanced and energised through the wisdoms of contemporary theology and spirituality.
We are invited to open eleven doors and enter eleven rooms of Christian living. Each room offers a flavour of each of the topics in the Christian Story followed by focused questions for individual reflection and shared conversations in self-directed groups. The topics of the rooms include: everyday spirituality, the universe story, human and religion, the mystery of God, meeting Jesus, church, ministry, women in faith communities, a Christian ethical way of life, Christian spiritualities and faith communities in a global world.
At a time in our religious history when the marginalisation of Christianity in Western societies is a growing crisis for contemporary believers, one positive response is to deepen our own faith journeys through adult life and faith formation that should always be a priority in evangelisation. Opening Doors is offered as a resource for individuals and small groups to read, reflect and share their own insights about significant contemporary understandings of their Christian faith.