Principles and Practice of Catechisis

Summer 2025

Course Description

This course introduces the theological and pedagogical principles undergirding the ministry of catechesis by providing a blend of both theoretical and practical skills for cradle to grave discipleship. Coursework will expose the student to a wide variety of readings in the Christian tradition as well as an examination of current and past examples of praxis as we examine a number of different models of catechetical formation.

Instructor: Dr. Leslie Thyberg

PhD  (Pedagogy and Teacher Development)  University of Pittsburgh, 1988

M.Ed. (Education and Psycholinguistics)  University of Pittsburgh, 1981

BA (Education, Sociology, Biblical Studies)  Wheaton College, 1975

It is my great joy to be a member of the administrative faculty at Trinity Anglican Seminary.  One of my roles is as the Learning Skills Coordinator.  I assist our residential and online students with their writing, study, and reading skills.  In addition to teaching pastoral and practical theology courses at Trinity, I also teach research and writing courses for our Doctor of Ministry program. I served on the original ACNA task force that authored, To Be a Christian and am currently a member of the Catechesis Task Force.  My focus is primarily on catechetical support for family and children.

I have over thirty-five years of teaching experience—ranging from preschoolers to prison inmates to graduate students.  Because I believe play to be an important component of good pedagogy, I engage in a variety of roles outside the seminary.  For a number of years, I have conducted play-based team building seminars for the staff of the Governor’s School for the Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University and until recently oversaw a cooking club at a local public high school.  From time-to-time I am privileged to lead workshops related to spirituality and living missionally and liturgically for a variety of denominations throughout the United States.  I am passionate about helping others capture a vision for what it means to be “missioned” into the world.  I live in an interdenominational, intentional Christian community in Pittsburgh’s east end with my husband, several cats, and a colorful assortment of backyard chickens.

If this is your first credit class at Trinity, or you are not taking the course as part of a degree, please complete the non-matriculated application. A bachelor’s degree is required to obtain credit.

To register to audit a Master’s Level course, please complete an audit application.