What Is Catechism?

A catechism is a summary of religious doctrine.

Catechism is an exposition of religious doctrine. It is typically used for instruction, in the form of a question and answer dialogue. Most religions, including the Catholic faith, use catechism as a teaching tool for someone who wants to join the Church.

History

The earliest sign of catechism in the Christian Church appears in the epistles of St. Paul. St. Augustine was probably the first person to recognize the importance of the question and answer strategy in teaching religious instruction and use it to assess the motives of someone who wants become a Christian.

Types

A committee of American bishops in Baltimore published a number of versions of "The Baltimore Complete Catechism" in 1885. It contains 1400 questions and answers in 37 lessons. The famous Heidelberg Catechism, published by German theologians in 1563, is used in the Dutch and German Reformed churches of America.

Expert Insight

Catechism is not just the preserve of the Christian faith. Henry S. Olcott wrote a catechism on the Buddhist faith explaining the religion to Westerners. Olcott uses a question and answer format. The book starts: "Question: Of what religion are you? Answer: The Buddhist."

References

• Covenant of Grace Protestant Reformed Church
• "The First Catechetical Instruction"; Joseph Patrick Christopher; 1946; pg 6
• Bible Study Tools: Catechisms
• Amazon: Buddhist Catechism