«Question: What is the main purpose of man’s existence? Answer: The main purpose of man’s existence is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. These words are the first question and answer of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which was completed 347 years ago. The Westminster Catechisms, both the Larger and the Shorter, would become some of the most influential catechisms in Christian history.
Here are nine things to know about catechisms and catechism.
1. The catechist catechizes when he uses the catechism to catechize the catechumen.
Catechesis is a form of religious instruction that usually consists of the oral recitation of information. Instruction is usually based on a book or document known as a catechism, which contains a summary of principles, especially religious doctrine, often in the form of questions and answers. While the catechism is the content of the instruction, it is called catechumen to the person being taught (Greek for “one being instructed”) and the catechist is the person who instructs. The instruction is called catechism and the process is called catechize.
2. Terms related to catechesis are derived from the Bible.
Terms related to catechesis are derived from the original Greek word transliterated as katecheo (ie, teach orally, instruct). The word is found in passages such as Luke 1:4 and 1 Corinthians 14:19. Paul uses the word and the concept when he says: “And to the one who is taught the word, let him share every good thing with him who teaches him” (Gal 6: 6). Paul also says that Apollos “had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught exactly” (Hch 18:25).
3. Almost all catechisms include the same four main elements.
Although the doctrinal content of catechisms has varied widely, from the early Church to today most catecheses have included four basic elements: the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and teachings on the sacraments or ordinances (for example, the Lord’s Supper and baptism).
4. The Protestant Reformers “recovered” catechism (at least they thought so).
Many Protestant clergymen during the Reformation era believed that what their medieval ancestors had taught should not really be considered catechesis. In the introduction to his catechism, John Calvin wrote that the devil had overthrown catechism and “left nothing but certain trifles that only engender superstition without any edifying fruit.” Martin Luther said: “By the grace of God I have brought about such a change that today a fifteen-year-old girl or boy knows more about Christian doctrine than all the theologians in the great universities used to know in the old days. Because among us the catechism has been used again: I mean the Our Father, the Apostles’ Creed, the Ten Commandments…».
5. Catechisms and the printing press were two of the most influential tools of the Reformation.
During the Reformation era, the printing press not only allowed people to have Bibles printed in their language, but also helped spread Protestant catechetical materials. John Tillotson, Archbishop of Canterbury in England (1691-1694), said that “catecheses and the history of the martyrs have been the two great pillars of the Protestant religion.” The Roman Catholic Council of Trent complained that Protestants had done great “mischief” through catechisms.
6. Martin Luther popularized the question and answer format.
Almost all catecheses require some form of memorization. But not all catechisms use the common format of guided questions and answers. Luther, anxious to make sure that Christians understood what they were memorizing, included in his shorter catechism of 1529 a question of the type “What does this mean?” with an answer of his own devising. Although Luther did not invent the question and answer format, he made it the popular form of Protestant catechism.
7. The Westminster Confession of Faith inspired most of the important catechisms of Reformed Christianity.
A gathering of pastor-theologians meeting in Westminster Abbey completed both the Westminster Larger Catechism and the Westminster Shorter Catechism in 1646. Both catechisms were intended as supplementary texts to the Westminster Confession of Faith. This popular confession also inspired other catechisms.
Chad Van Dixhoorn comments: “The terms and phrases found in the Confession almost immediately became the preferred language of English-speaking Reformed churches, and when Congregationalists, Baptists, and Methodists wanted to create confessional or catechetical texts of their own, they often turned to to the revision and republishing of the works produced by the Westminster Assembly».
8. Almost every church tradition has produced its own catechism.
Nearly every denomination and tradition in church history has used some form of catechism for the religious education of Christian children and adults: Lutheran (Luther’s Shorter Catechism), Presbyterian (Westminster Shorter Catechism), Baptist (Keach’s Shorter Catechism). ), Catholics (Catechism of the Catholic Church), Anglicans (Catechism of the Book of Common Prayer), etc.
9. helped create a catechism for the modern age.
In 2012, The and Redeemer Presbyterian Church published The Catechism of the New City. This catechism was developed and adapted by Timothy Keller and Sam Shammas from Reformation catechisms. It consists of fifty-two questions and answers, making it easy to fit into church calendars and achievable even for people with demanding schedules. It is also a catechism for adults and children. That is, children and adults are asked the same questions, and the children’s response is always part of the adult’s response. Attached to each question and answer is a short teaching from a historic preacher (Augustine, Edwards, Spurgeon, Wesley…) and a short devotional (Don Carson, Mark Dever, Timothy Keller, John Piper).
Originally posted on The . Translated by Team Coalition.