Codex Manesse, fol. 292v, "The Schoolmaster of Esslingen" (Der Schulmeister von Eßlingen)
Acatechism (/ˈkætəˌkɪzəm/; fromAncient Greek:κατηχέω, "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition ofdoctrine and serves as a learning introduction to theSacraments traditionally used incatechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult converts.[1] As Daniel R. Hyde has shown, this word is used in the New Testament (Luke 1:4; Acts 18:25; 21:2, 24; Rom. 2:18; 1 Cor. 14:19; Gal. 6:6) for the instruction of believers.[2] Catechisms are doctrinal manuals—often in the form of set questions and answers to be memorized—a formatthat has been used in non-religious or secular contexts as well.
The termcatechumen refers to the designated recipient of the catechetical work or instruction. In theCatholic Church, catechumens are those who are preparing to receive theSacrament ofBaptism. Traditionally, they would be placed separately duringHoly Mass from those who had beenbaptized, and would be dismissed from the liturgical assembly before the Profession of Faith (Nicene Creed) andGeneral Intercessions (Prayers of the Faithful).[citation needed]
Catechisms are characteristic ofWestern Christianity but are also present inEastern Christianity.[3] In 1973,The Common Catechism, the first joint catechism of Catholics and Protestants, was published by theologians of the major Western Christian traditions, as a result of extensiveecumenical dialogue.[4]
The question-and-answer format calls upon two parties to participate, a master and a student (traditionally termed a "scholar"), or a parent and a child. TheWestminster 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?
There are thousands of catechisms in the Catholic tradition, with texts already appearing in print for the instruction of lay people by the early medieval period.[citation needed]
Only two "universal" catechisms have been promulgated by the popes of the Catholic Church: TheCatechism of the Council of Trent (1566), written chiefly for priests, and theCatechism of the Catholic Church (1992), written chiefly for bishops. These remain among the most widespread among Catholics today, although the latter has been met with some controversy since its first appearance.[12][better source needed]
For Catholics, all the canonical books of the Bible (including theDeuterocanonical books), thetradition of the Church and the interpretation of these by the livingMagisterium (which may be accomplished in a catechism or other mode of teaching) constitute the entire means whereby God's revelation to mankind may be accessed. Catholics believe that sacred scripture and sacred tradition preserved and interpreted by the Magisterium are both necessary for attaining to the fullest understanding of all of God's revelation.[citation needed]
The termcatechist is most frequently used inCatholicism, often to describe alay catechist, a layperson with catechetical training who engages in such teaching and evangelization. This can be in both parish church andmission contexts.[citation needed]
Latin. Priests were to instruct their flock four times a year on "the Creed, the ten commandments, the two precepts of the Gospel, viz. love to God and man, the seven works of mercy, the seven deadly sins, the seven cardinal virtues, and the seven sacraments of grace." So no priest could claim ignorance, Peckham wrote a catechism aimed at priests.[5]: xx
The Lay Folk's Catechism
c.1357
John de Gaitrik (or de Taystek) (Subsequent revision perhaps byJohn Wycliffe)
Middle English, versions in several Northern and Southern dialects for laity. Latin version for parish priests.[5]: xv Presented as blank verse,[13] not Q&A format.
Conventional key elements of Christian doctrine such as those found in theDecalogue, the Lord's Prayer, and the Apostles' Creed. Each topic was broken up into small sections, with the question "What does this mean?" following each portion.[14][15]
Commissioned by theCouncil of Trent and was not intended for common use by the laity, but as a general use reference book for priests and bishops. There are two English translations. One byTheodore Buckley and the other byRev. J Donovan.
First published inLouvain, six further editions in rapid succession, emanating fromAntwerp andLiège, testified to its widespread popularity and effectiveness. The 1583 Liège issue was reprinted with biographical introduction for the Chetham Society byThomas Graves Law in 1885.[17] This edition contains also Vaux's paper "The Use and Meaning of Ceremonies," and a few further pages of instruction added by the Liège publisher. The catechism is practically formed on the same lines as its successor of today, explaining in sequence the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer and Hail Mary (excluding the second half beginning at "Holy Mary…"), the Ten Commandments (at considerable length), the Sacraments and the offices of Christian justice. The treatise on the ceremonies discusses the use of holy water, candles, incense, vestments and so forth.
According to the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia, Laurence Vaux's Catechism was the first Reformation era Catholic Catechism in English when it was published in 1567. Reprints followed in 1574, 1583, 1599 and 1605.[18]
Written at theEnglish College of Douay in Flanders & is based on the Roman Catechism of the Council of Trent. It was similarly written with the purpose of teaching Christian doctrine during the tumultuousEnglish Reformation. It is a testament to Rev. Tuberville and his colleagues at Douay that it remains one of the clearest and most direct compendiums of Catholic teaching in the English language.[21]
Luz de verdades católicas
1691
Juan Martínez de la Parra
Luz de verdades catholicas y explicación de la doctrina christiana.[22]
A popular German catechism, written by the Theologian Joseph Deharbe, which "possesses theological correctness, brevity of sentences, preciseness of expression, clearness, and good order... It is to Deharbe's credit that in his catechism he preserved catechetical tradition, but abandoned the Canisian division, arranging the text-matter under chapters on Faith, Commandments, and Means of Grace."[25]
Various editions of theBaltimore Catechism were the de facto standard Catholic school text in America from 1885 to the late 1960s. It was often taught by rote. The most common edition has a series of questions with their answers, which are followed by explanations in more depth. These are often accompanied by biblical quotes. There is a test at the end of every chapter.[26]
Explicación del catecismo católico
1900
Ángel María de Arcos
Explicación del catecismo católico breve y sencilla por el R. P. Ángel María de Arcos.[27]
It was issued byPope Pius X at the beginning of the 20th century in Italian, with the intention that all Catholics could easily understand their faith.[28]
The first comprehensive post-Vatican II Catholic catechism. It was commissioned and authorised by theCatholic hierarchy of the Netherlands, and in its foreword declares as its intention: "to make the message of Jesus Christ sound as new as it is."
The catechism, a bestseller, was alleged to contain a number of problematic formulations. These were reviewed by a commission of cardinals, who alleged several significant shortcomings in the new catechism's presentation of Catholic doctrine. They were able, nonetheless, to "leave untouched by far the greatest part of the New Catechism," while offering their support for "the laudable purpose of the authors of the Catechism, namely, to present the eternal good tidings of Christ in a way adapted to the understanding and the thinking of the present day man."[29]
The first universal catechism issued since theCouncil of Trent in 1566. It contains articles on the classical topics of the official teaching of the Catholic Church on all matters of faith and morals. Since the official language of the Catholic Church is Latin, official teaching documents distributed in Latin are unlikely to change in perceived meaning over time. The Latin language version of the catechism, published 8 September 1997, is theeditio typica—the normative and definitive text. The principal source materials for this work are the Sacred Scriptures, the Church Fathers, the liturgy, and theMagisterium. This catechism is intended to serve "as a point of reference for the catechisms or compendia that are composed in the various countries." – Extraordinary Synod of Bishops 1985, Final Report II B a, 4.
Fidei depositum is anApostolic Constitution which states that the catechism of the Catholic Church is for the laity in its address to all the people of God.
It originated with a request ofPope John Paul II in February 2003 and was issued by his successorPope Benedict XVI 28 June 2005. The English version was printed at Libreria Editrice Vaticana in 2006. Unlike the larger catechism, the Compendium is similar in format to the Baltimore Catechism with 598 questions and answers, providing an easier format with only the "essential" contents of the Catechism of the Catholic Church as the title suggests.
The 1992 Vatican catechism had several aims, among them to be an "authentic reference text for teaching Catholic doctrine and particularly for preparing local catechisms".American bishops responded with the 2006 United States Catholic Catechism for Adults (USCCB, 2006) – similar in format to a college textbook, targeting adults, contain seven elements that bring more depth to the material than the 'Compendium', providing more flexibility for diverse groups of people to study its contents. Each section or chapter contains the following: story or lesson of faith, foundation and application, sidebars, relationship 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.
Youcat, short for Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church, is a publication that aims to be an aid for youth to better understand the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
AnEastern Catholic catechism, created by the Ukrainian Greek Church & used by some[which?] of the other Eastern Catholic churches as well[citation needed], as it provides a more Eastern perspective on the universal doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church, as well as delving intoEastern Christian practices and beliefs typically not emphasized inWestern Catholicism. An English translation appeared in 2016.[31]
Encyclopedic work about medieval Christian theology, originally written in the late 11th century byHonorius Augustodunensis. It was intended as a handbook for the lower and less educated clergy.
The catechetical instructions of SaintThomas 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 influence 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.
Catechism of Christian Doctrine (or "Penny Catechism")
A question-and-answer format catechism that was the standard catechetical text inGreat Britain in the earlier part of the 20th century. Popularly called thePenny Catechism, as the original version only cost onepenny. Various editions of thePenny Catechism were issued through the century and changes were made to the text.[36]
TheDoctrina Cristiana[37] was written in Tagalog (both in a hispanisedLatin script and the then-common indigenousBaybayin script), as well asSpanish. Amongst the contents of theDoctrina are the Spanish alphabet andphonics, basic prayers shown inboth languages – in the case of the Tagalog, using archaic words andboth scripts – and a brief catechism in question-and-answer format.
Enchiridion symbolorum, definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum
TheEnchiridion symbolorum, definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum, also known asEnchiridion orDenzinger, is acompendium ofall basic texts ofCatholicdogma andmorality since theapostles. Commissioned byPope 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 time, more than a catechism. It is a search instrument for theologians, historians and anybody interested in Christian religion. The latest updates of theEnchiridion extend to the teachings ofPope John Paul II.[citation needed]
TheTradivox Catholic Catechism Index is a twenty-volume book series developed by Tradivox and published bySophia Institute Press, consisting of reprints of more than thirty historical Catholiccatechisms.[38] When complete, it will consist of twenty cross-indexed hardcover volumes.[39] The project has received several endorsements from prominent members of the Catholic clergy & public, includingCardinal Burke,Cardinal Müller,Cardinal Pell,Bishop Strickland,Bishop Schneider, and theologianPeter Kwasniewski.[40] As the episcopal advisor of the project, Bishop Schneider has written a foreword for each of the hardcover volumes in the series.[41]
Unlike the Catholic Church, there is no teachingMagisterium in the Orthodox world. Most catechumens are instructed orally by a deacon or priest at the church. There is emphasis on being taught by simply being in church, and listening to the services.[citation needed]
Most Orthodox would refer back to the original writings of theChurch Fathers, including the Catechetical Lectures of St.Cyril of Jerusalem[7] andThe Ladder of Divine Ascent. New catechumens would generally be encouraged to read "The Orthodox Church" byKallistos Ware to get an overview of the Christian faith from an Orthodox perspective before being given more advanced readings.
TheOriental Orthodox Churches rely heavily on theDidascalia Apostolorum. The Ethiopic version is known as the "Ethiopic Didascalia." It is included in theOrthodox Tewahedo biblical canon, and is read from on Sundays. The faith of theCoptic Orthodox Church has historically been evidenced in the lives and sayings of the early desert monks, which was recorded in "The paradise of the holy fathers,"Volume 1 andVolume 2. Recently the Coptic church has used Fr. Tadros Malaty's books,[44] along withPope Shenouda III of Alexandria's many books, to help lay people better understand their Coptic faith. However, like the Eastern Orthodox church, the faith is mostly expounded in the lives of the saints[45][46]and the material recited during the services.
The catechism's question-and-answer format, with a view toward the instruction of children, was a form adopted by the various Protestant confessions almost from the beginning of theReformation.
Among the first projects of the Reformation was the production of catechisms self-consciously modelled after the older traditions ofCyril of Jerusalem andAugustine. These catechisms showed special admiration forChrysostom's view of the family as a "little church", and placed strong responsibility on every father to teach his children, to prevent them from coming to baptism or the Lord's table ignorant of the doctrine under which they are expected to live as Christians.[citation needed]
TheAnglicanBook of Common Prayer includes a catechism. In older editions it is a brief manual for the instruction of those preparing to be brought before the bishop forconfirmation: the baptised first professes his baptism, and then rehearses the principal elements of the faith into which he has been baptised: theApostles' Creed,Ten Commandments, theLord's Prayer, and thesacraments.
Catechist: What is your Name?
Answer: N. or M.
Catechist: Who gave you this Name? Answer: My Godfathers and Godmothers in my Baptism; wherein I was made a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven.
The "N. or M." stands for the Latin, "nomen vel nomina", meaning "name or names". It is an accident of typography that "nomina" (nn.) came to be represented by "m".
The catechism was published in 1604 as a stand-alone document. It was later bound up with the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. This edition holds authority across theAnglican Communion.
TheEpiscopal Church's 1928 prayer book included a catechism with offices of instruction, based upon the catechism of the Church of England's 1662 prayer book.
The Episcopal Church's 1979 prayer book includes a catechism newly written for the prayer book, intended as "an outline of instruction" and "a brief summary of the Church's teaching".[60]
"To Be A Christian: An Anglican Catechism" was published in 2020 by Anglican House Media Ministries, the publishing house of theAnglican Church in North America (ACNA).[61]
Luther's Large Catechism (1529) typifies the emphasis which the churches of theAugsburg Confession placed on the importance of knowledge and understanding of the articles of the Christian faith. Primarily intended as instruction to teachers, especially to parents, the catechism consists of a series of exhortations on the importance of each topic of the catechism. It is meant for those who have the capacity to understand, and is meant to be memorized and then repeatedly reviewed so that the Small Catechism could be taught with understanding. For example, the author stipulates in the preface:
Therefore it is the duty of every father of a family to question and examine his children and servants at least once a week and to ascertain what they know of it, or are learning and, if they do not know it, to keep them faithfully at it. The catechism, Luther wrote, should consist of instruction in the rule of conduct, which always accuses us because we fail to keep it (Ten Commandments), the rule of faith (Apostles' Creed), the rule of prayer (Lord's Prayer), and the sacraments (baptism,confession, andcommunion).
Luther adds:
However, it is not enough for them to comprehend and recite these parts according to the words only, but the young people should also be made to attend the preaching, especially during the time which is devoted to the catechism, that they may hear it explained and may learn to understand what every part contains, so as to be able to recite it as they have heard it, and, when asked, may give a correct answer, so that the preaching may not be without profit and fruit.
Luther's Small Catechism, in contrast, is written to accommodate the understanding of a child or an uneducated person. It begins:
The First Commandment
You shall have no other gods.
Q. What does this mean?
A. We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
The Probationer's Catechism was authored byMethodist divineS. Olin Garrison for probationary members of theMethodist Episcopal Church seekingfull membership in theconnexion; it has been one of the most widely used catechisms in Methodist history.[62]A Catechism on the Christian Religion: The Doctrines of Christianity with Special Emphasis on Wesleyan Concepts by Mel-Thomas and Helen Rothwell is another popular catechism used to explicateWesleyan-Arminian theology. More recent publications areA Catechism Prepared Especially for the Members of the Evangelical Wesleyan Church (printed in the United States),A Larger Catechism: For Members of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (printed in the United States), andA Catechism for the Use of the People Called Methodists (printed in Great Britain).[63]
While the Pentecostal movement has no one official catechism or confession, nevertheless Pentecostal authors have produced catechetical works. William Seymour, founder of the Azusa Street revival, included a catechism in the Doctrines and Disciplines of the Azusa Street Apostolic Faith Mission. Assemblies of God minister Warren D. Combs produced a catechism in the 1960s.[64] In 2016 Henry Volk the host of the Theology in Perspective podcast authored a resource entitled, A Pentecostal Catechism.[65]
Calvin's 1545 preface to theGenevan Catechism begins with an acknowledgement that the several traditions and cultures which were joined in the Reformed movement would produce their own form of instruction in each place. While Calvin argues that no effort should be expended on preventing this, he adds:
We are all directed to one Christ, in whose truth being united together, we may grow up into one body and one spirit, and with the same mouth also proclaim whatever belongs to the sum of faith. Catechists not intent on this end, besides fatally injuring the Church, by sowing the materials of dissension in religion, also introduce an impious profanation of baptism. For where can any longer be the utility of baptism unless this remain as its foundation – that we all agree in one faith?Wherefore, those who publish Catechisms ought to be the more carefully on their guard, by producing anything rashly, they may not for the present only, but in regard to posterity also, do grievous harm to piety, and inflict a deadly wound on the Church.
The scandal of diverse instruction is that it produces diverse baptisms and diverse communions, and diverse faith. However, forms may vary without introducing substantial differences, according to the Reformed view of doctrine.[citation needed]
Title page of 1545 edition of the Genevan Catechism
John Calvin produced a catechism while atGeneva (1541), which underwent two major revisions (1545 and 1560). Calvin's aim in writing the catechism of 1545 was to set a basic pattern of doctrine, meant to be imitated by other catechists, which would not affirm local distinctions or dwell on controversial issues, but would serve as a pattern for what was expected to be taught by Christian fathers and other teachers of children in the church. The catechism is organized on the topics offaith, law, prayer andsacraments.
Master. What is the chief end of human life?
Scholar. To know God by whom men were created.
M. What reason have you for saying so?
S. Because he created us and placed us in this world to be glorified in us. And it is indeed right that our life, of which himself is the beginning, should be devoted to his glory.
After Protestantism entered into the Palatinate, in 1546 the controversy between Lutherans and Calvinists broke out, and especially while the region was under the electorOtto Heinrich (1556–1559), this conflict inSaxony, particularly inHeidelberg, became increasingly bitter and turned violent.[citation needed]
WhenFrederick III, Elector Palatine, came into power in 1559 he put his authority behind the Calvinistic view on the Lord's Supper, which denied the local presence of the body of Jesus Christ in the elements of the sacrament. He turnedSapienz College into a school of divinity, and in 1562 he placed over it a pupil and friend of Luther's colleague,Philipp Melanchthon, namedZacharias Ursinus. In an attempt to resolve the religious disputes in his domain, Frederick called upon Ursinus and his colleagueCaspar Olevianus (preacher to Frederick's court) to produce a catechism. As Hyde writes,
"It was intended to do three things: 1) provide a 'fixed form and model' of Christian doctrine for his realm; 2) instruct the youth of the Palatinate in school and church; and 3) enable the pastors and schoolteachers of the Palatinate to preach/teach.[69]
The two collaborators referred to existing catechetical literature, and especially relied on the catechisms of Calvin and ofJohn Lasco. To prepare the catechism, they adopted the method of sketching drafts independently, and then bringing together the work to combine their efforts. "The final preparation was the work of both theologians, with the constant co-operation of Frederick III. Ursinus has always been regarded as the principal author, as he was afterwards the chief defender and interpreter of the Catechism; still, it would appear that the nervous German style, the division into three parts (as distinguished from the five parts in the Catechism of Calvin and the previous draft of Ursinus), and the genial warmth and unction of the whole work, are chiefly due to Olevianus." (Schaff, in. Am. Presb. Rev. July 1863, p. 379). The structure of theHeidelberg Catechism is spelled out in the second question; and the three-part structure seen there is based on the belief that the single work of salvation brings forward the three persons of theTrinity in turn, to make God fully and intimately known by his work of salvation, referring to theApostles' Creed as an epitome of Christian faith. Assurance of salvation is the unifying theme throughout this catechism: assurance obtained by the work of Christ, applied through the sacraments, and resulting in grateful obedience to the commandments and persistence in prayer.[citation needed]
Lord's Day 1.
Q. What is thy only comfort in life and death? A. That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can 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 first, 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 first page of the ninth edition ofThe Shorter Catechism Explained (Perth, 1785).
Together with theWestminster Confession of Faith (1647), theWestminster Assembly also produced two catechisms, aLarger and aShorter, which were intended for use in Christian families and in churches. These documents have served as the doctrinal standards, subordinate to the Bible, for Presbyterians and other Reformed churches around the world. The Shorter Catechism shows the Assembly's reliance upon the previous work of Calvin, Lasco, and the theologians of Heidelberg. It comprises two main sections summarizing what the Scriptures principally teach: the doctrine of God, and the duty required of men. Questions and answers cover the usual elements:faith, theTen Commandments, thesacraments, and prayer.
Q. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to 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.
Q. What do the scriptures principally teach?
A. The scriptures principally teach, what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.
Oecolampadius composed theBasel Catechism in 1526, Leo Juda (1534) followed by Bullinger (1555) published catechisms in Zurich. The French Reformed used Calvin's Genevan catechism, as well as works published byLouis Cappel (1619), andCharles Drelincourt (1642).
According to Norman DeWitt, the early Christians appropriated the practice of compiling catecisms from theEpicureans, a school whose founderEpicurus had instructed to keep summaries of the teachings for easy learning.[79]
Judaism does not have a formal catechism. While there have been several attempts to formulateJewish principles of faith, and some of these have achieved wide acceptance, none can be described as being in the form of a catechism. The most widely recited formulation,Yigdal, is in the form of ahymn based onMaimonides'13 Articles of Faith.[citation needed]
Besides the manuals of instruction that were published by the Christians for use in their families and churches, there were other works produced by heretical sectarian groups intended as a compact refutation of Christian orthodoxy.[citation needed]
For example,Socinians in Poland published theRacovian Catechism in 1605, using the question and answer format of a catechism for the orderly presentation of their arguments against the Trinity and the doctrine ofHell, as these were understood by the Reformed churches from which they were forced to separate.[citation needed]
Islam teaches children and newMuslims the matters of faith, worship, and ethics in the form of a concise manual. They are popular inTurkish asIlmihal [tr] (from the ArabicIlm ul-Hal, Situation Science). It is also advised for every Muslim to have a basic knowledge of such matters of religion. The first chapter is the book ofcleanliness and first to be taught are subjects such as: which are clean, what is clean and what is not clean, what people need to be cleansed from, how they should clean, and which water should they use to clean. There is a well-known book of catechism that is studied inIslamic boarding schools in Indonesia calledSafinatun Najah, which talks about of matters of faith, worship andjurisprudence.[citation needed]
In thePali Canon ofTheravadaBuddhism a small bit of catechism appears as the fourth section of theKhuddakapatha, as well as the forty-third and forty-fourth suttas of theMajjhima Nikaya. Henry Steel Olcott introduced his own form ofBuddhist Catechism, appropriated from Christianity, toCeylon when setting up his Buddhist education system during the late 19th century Buddhist revival on the island.[citation needed]
InZoroastrianism there is the "ČĪDAG ANDARZ Ī PŌRYŌTKĒŠĀN"[80] also known as "Pand-nāmag ī Zardušt" (Book of the counsels of Zoroaster), which is a post-Sasanian compendium of apothegms intended to instruct every Zoroastrian male, upon his attaining the age of fifteen years, in fundamental religious and ethical principles, as well as in the daily duties incumbent upon him. InRobert Charles Zaehner's words, it "sums up succinctly the whole of Zoroastrian doctrine: it is what every boy and girl of fifteen must know before he or she is invested with the sacred girdle {kusti}."[81]
Epicurean catechesis may have originated from the practice of writing outlines of Epicurean doctrines for easy memorization. Epicurus'Letter to Herodotus is known as the "Little Epitome" which young students are instructed to memorize, and in antiquity they would move on to more advanced teachings with the "Large Epitome". The 40Principal Doctrines also serve the role of a catechism. The philosopherPhilodemus of Gadara instructed his students to keep an outline of the doctrines on wealth and economics, so that there are additional doctrines that advanced students may focus on.[citation needed]
Schools of esoteric learning have used a catechetical style of instruction, as this Zodiac catechism shows:
Q. "Where is the animal, O Lanoo? and where the Man?
A. Fused into one, O Master of my Life. The two are one. But both have disappeared and naught remains but the deep fire of my desire.
By the late 18th century, "catechism" was adopted for secular uses, especially in political contexts. These "political catechisms" often utilized the question-and-answer format to succinctly present political ideologies.[82]
The term has also been used byatheist and non-Christian philosophers, such as:
Catechisms were also written to rehearse the basic knowledge of a non-religious subject. Examples include numerous political catechisms published from the 18th to the 20th century in Europe as well as in North and South America.[83] See also theCatechism of the History of Newfoundland (c1856),[84] theCoal Catechism (1898),[85] andA Catechism of the Steam Engine (1856).[86]"Elementary catechism on the Constitution of the United States" Arthur J. Stansbury (1828), "Catechism of the Constitution of the United States" Lewis Cruger (1863) and "A Catechism of the Constitution of the United States of America" John V. Overall.Friedrich Engels' 1847 workPrinciples of Communism was written as a catechism: Engels subsequently decided that the format was not suited to the addition of historical material which he felt was necessary, and he andKarl Marx restructured the material and used it as the nucleus ofThe Communist Manifesto.[87]Samuel Parkes, a British industrial chemist, wroteA Chemical Catechism (first edition 1806) as an introductory, popular text for general public.[88]
Some literary works have also taken the form of a catechism. The 17th episode ofJames Joyce's novelUlysses, known as "Ithaca", is written in the form of a catechism, as isTed Hughes' poemExamination at the Womb Door, from the collectionCrow.[89] InHenry IV, Part 1: Act V, Scene I, Line 141Falstaff refers to his monologue as a catechism, explaining his view of the virtue of honor.[citation needed]
^Commonweal, Volume 102. Commonweal Publishing Corporation. 1975. p. 31.The book offers the first comprehensive statement of religious faith produced jointly by Catholic and Protestant theologians since the separation of the churches over four centuries ago.
^abcSimmons; Nolloth (1901).The Lay Folks' Catechism. Early English Text Society.
^Reeves, Andrew (September 2013). ""The Cure of Souls is the Art of Arts:" Preaching, Confession, and Catechesis in the Middle Ages".Religion Compass.7 (9):372–384.doi:10.1111/rec3.12058.
^Lindberg, Carter (2021).The European reformations (3rd ed.). Chichester, United Kingdom Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 106–107.ISBN978-1-119-64081-3.
^Joseph, William (1912)."Roman Catechism".Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 13.
^Councils & Synods, with Other Documents Relating to the English Church, vol. 2: 1205–1313, ed. F. M. Powicke andC. R. Cheney (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1964), part 2, p. 900–905.Excerpts appear inWilliam Lyndwood'sProvinciale.
^The Lay Folks' Catechism or the English and Latin Versions of Archbishop Thoresby's Instructions for the People (London: Published for the Early English Text Society, by Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., 1901).
^Clarke, Samuel; Clarke, John (1729).An exposition of the church-catechism. University of California Libraries. London : Printed by W. Botham, for James and John Knapton.
^Kirby, James E.; Rivera, Feliciano; Rowe, Kenneth E.; Richey, Russell E. (1996).The Methodists. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 223–224.ISBN978-0-313-22048-7.
^Marsh, Clive (10 May 2006).Methodist Theology Today. A&C Black. p. 235.ISBN9780826481047.
^Volk, Henry (22 October 2016).A Pentecostal Catechism (1 ed.). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.ISBN9781539696629.
^Coffey, John (29 May 2020).The Oxford History of Protestant Dissenting Traditions, Volume I: The Post-Reformation Era, 1559-1689. Oxford University Press. p. 399.ISBN978-0-19-252098-2.
^A Short Account of the Life and Writings of Robert Barclay. Tract Association of the Society of Friends. 1827. p. 22.
^Silvey 1995, p. 19 "the first book printed for children in the New World was Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes.".
^Hawes & Hiner 1985, p. 190 "Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes, the first children's book written and published in America".
^Library of Congress 1982, p. 26 "A book that the Library lacks, John Cotton's Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes (1656), is the classic example of the moral children's book. In this small question-and-answer manual, the first children's book printed in America".
^Spurgeon 2012, p. 148 "first children's book written by an American".
^Barbara Kiefer, Ohio State University-Columbus (2010)."Charlotte Huck's Children's Literature".Online Learning center. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Retrieved11 October 2013.John Cotton's catechism, Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes in Either England, Drawn from the Breasts of Both Testaments for Their Souls' Nourishment, was originally published in England in 1646, and revised for American children in 1656, the first book written and printed for children in the American colonies.
^St Paul and Epicurus. Minnesota Archive Editions. January 1954.ISBN0816657467.{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
^Jean-Charles Buttier and Émilie Delivré."Les catéchismes républicains". Institut d’histoire moderne et contemporaine - UMR 8066. Retrieved23 September 2020.
Palmer, Roland F.; McCausland, John G.The Catechist's Handbook; and, The Church's Guide: Teaching the Canadian [Anglican] Church Catechism to Children and to Older Persons (Bracebridge, Ont.: Society of Saint John the Evangelist, 1962).
CatechismClass an interactive tool developed to provide the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Baltimore Catechism, and other Catholic catechisms in an integrated format
