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1 Format
Before the Protestant Reformation, Christian catechesis
took the form of instruction in and memorisation of the
Apostles Creed, Lords Prayer, and basic knowledge of
the sacraments. The word catechism for a manual for
this instruction appeared in the Late Middle Ages.[5] The
use of a question and answer format was popularized by
Martin Luther in his 1529 Small Catechism. He wanted
the catechumen to understand what he was learning, so
the Decalogue, Lords Prayer, and Apostles Creed were
broken up into small sections, with the question What
does the mean following each portion.[6] The format
calls upon two parties to participate, a master and a student (traditionally termed a scholar), or a parent and a
child. The Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647) is an
example:
Q. What is the chief end of man?
A. To glorify God and enjoy Him forever!
Q. What rule hath God given to direct us how
we may glorify and enjoy Him?
A. The word of God which is contained in
the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments
is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify
and enjoy him [7]
2 Protestant catechisms
2 PROTESTANT CATECHISMS
2.1
Reformed
Lutheran
2.2
2.2.1
Reformed
Genevan Catechism
3
2.2.2 Heidelberg Catechism
Main article: Heidelberg Catechism
After Protestantism entered into the Palatinate, in 1546
the controversy between Lutherans and Calvinists broke
out, and especially while the region was under the elector
Otto Heinrich (155659), this conict in Saxony, particularly in Heidelberg, became increasingly bitter and turned
violent.
2 PROTESTANT CATECHISMS
fall from my head; yea, that all things must be
subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by
his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal
life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready,
henceforth, to live unto him.
Q. How many things are necessary for thee to
know, that thou, enjoying this comfort, mayest
live and die happily?
A. Three; the rst, how great my sins and
miseries are; the second, how I may be delivered from all my sins and miseries; the third,
how I shall express my gratitude to God for
such deliverance.
The rst page of the ninth edition of The Shorter Catechism Explained (Perth, 1785).
3.2
2.5
Socinian and other sectarian cate- published in 1566 under the authority of the Council
of Trent. It was not intended for common use by the
chisms
Catholic catechisms
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (see below) is the A question and answer format catechism that was the
catechism that is in most widespread use among Catholics standard catechetical text in Great Britain in the 20th
century. Popularly called the Penny Catechism as the
today. It is the ocial catechism of the Church.
original version only cost one penny. Various editions
For Catholics, all the canonical books of the Bible of the Penny Catechism were issued through the century
(including the Deuterocanonical books), the tradition and changes were made to the text. An On-line version
of the Church and the interpretation of these by the is at http://www.proecclesia.com/penny%20catechism/
Magisterium (which may be outlined in a catechism, a index.htm
compendium or a declaration) constitute the complete
and best resource for fully attaining to Gods revelation
to mankind. Catholics believe that sacred scripture and 3.5 Dutch Catechism (A New Catechism:
sacred tradition preserved and interpreted by the MagisCatholic Faith for Adults)
terium are both necessary for attaining to the fullest understanding of all of Gods revelation.
The hotly-debated "Dutch Catechism, De nieuwe kateThe term catechist is most frequently used in Catholicism, chismus (English translation: A New Catechism), of 1966
often to describe a lay catechist or layperson with cate- was the rst comprehensive post-Vatican II Catholic catchetical training who engages in such teaching and evan- echism. It was commissioned and authorised by the
gelization. This can be in both parish church and mission Catholic hierarchy of the Netherlands, and in its foreword declares as its intention: to make the message of
contexts.
Jesus Christ sound as new as it is. The catechism, a bestseller, contained a number of problematic formulations.
These were reviewed by a commission of cardinals, who
3.1 Roman Catechism
detailed several signicant shortcomings in the new catThe Roman Catechism (also called, the Catechism of the echisms presentation of Catholic doctrine. They were
Council of Trent or the Catechism of Pius V) was rst able, nonetheless, to leave untouched by far the greatest
3.6
CATHOLIC CATECHISMS
tionship to culture, discussion questions, doctrinal statements, and meditation and prayer. The lessons of faith
stories are about individuals from the United States and
allow the American reader to better relate to these individuals. This version of the catechism is available on
audio CD-ROM as well.
3.8
The Enchiridion symbolorum, denitionum et declarationum de rebus dei et morum also known as Enchiridion or Denzinger, is a compendium of all basic texts of
Catholic dogma and morality since the apostles. Commissioned by Pope Pius IX, it has been in use since 1854,
and has been updated periodically. It is a compendium
of faith, like a catechism. By including all relevant teachings throughout history, it is at the same, more than a
catechism. It is a search instrument for theologians, historians and anybody interested in Christian religion. The
latest updates of the Enchiridion extend to the teachings
of Pope John Paul II.
3.7
United States Catholic Catechism for The Catechism for Filipino Catholics (CFC) is a contextualised and inculturated Roman Catholic catechism for
Adults
Filipinos prepared by the Catholic Bishops Conference
of the Philippines and approved by the Holy See. The
draft was produced by the Conferences Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education, and is
an update of the late 16th century Doctrina Christiana en
Lengua Espanola Y Tagala, which was a Hispano-Tagalog
version of the earlier Hispano-Chinese Doctrina that was
the rst book printed in the Philippines using moveable
type.
7
the contents of the Doctrina are the Spanish alphabet
and phonics, archaic Tagalog translations of basic prayers
shown in both languages and scripts, and a brief catechism in a question-and-answer format.
5 Secular catechisms
3.12 The Catechetical Instructions of St. In the past, catechisms were written to rehearse the baThomas Aquinas
sic knowledge of a non-religious subject. Examples inThe catechetical instructions of Saint Thomas Aquinas
were used generally throughout the 13th and 14th centuries as manuals and textbooks for priests and teachers
of religion. The Explanations of St. Thomas, wrote
Spirago, are remarkable for their conciseness and their
simplicity of language; they are especially noteworthy because the main parts of the catechetical course of instruction are brought into connection with one another so that
they appear as one harmonious whole. The inuence of
these works is especially prominent in the Roman Catechism which the Council of Trent ordered written for
parish priests and for all teachers of religion. Many of the
explanatory passages in both works are almost identical.
Non-Christian catechisms
6 See also
Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes
7 Notes
[1] Katecheo Strongs Concordance
Bibliography
Martin Luther, John Nicholas Lenker, Luthers two
catechisms explained by himself, in six classic writings, Minneapolis, Minn., The Luther Press, 1908
Google Books
Roland F. Palmer and John G. McCausland, The
Catechists Handbook; and, The Churchs Guide:
Teaching the Canadian [Anglican] Church Catechism to Children and to Older Persons (Bracebridge,
Ont.: Society of Saint John the Evangelist, 1962).
EXTERNAL LINKS
9 External links
Catechism of the Catholic Church from the ocial
website of the Vatican
Search the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Westminster Shorter Catechism From Christian
Classics Ethereal Library
Westminster Larger Catechism From Christian
Classics Ethereal Library
Heidelberg Catechism From Christian Classics
Ethereal Library
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10.1
10.2
Images
10.3
Content license