On Catechisms

“I thought only Catholics used catechisms?” It was an honest question from a life-long Baptist in a place like Maryland. In a state whose namesake is one of the only Catholic monarchs in modern English nobility, Catholicism’s practices and traditions are typically the rule of society while low-church Evangelicals, like Baptists, are the exception. So when another church member in our little group spoke up and said, “Yeah, I thought that was Catholic stuff”, instead of resigning to the more shallow waters of modernity, we had an opportunity to wade into the deep expanse of church history.

What is a Catechism?

The apostle Paul says In 1 Corinthians 14:19, "In the church I would rather speak five words with my mind, in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue." In Galatians 6:6 he says, "Let him who is taught the word share all good things with him who teaches."

In each of these verses the Greek word for "instruct" or "teach" is katecheo. From this word we get our English word "catechize". Catechism’s have long been a part of the church’s educational structure to help believers learn the basic elements of the faith like The Lord’s Prayer and The Apostle’s Creed. Typically, the pattern of a catechism are questions followed by short answers accompanied by Biblical support and explanation.

Is there a Baptist Catechism?

The Protestant Reformation of the 16th and 17th century saw many catechisms being written by the giants of the movement to further teach Biblical truth in a simple and orderly way. The Heidelberg Catechism and Westminster Shorter Catechism are perhaps the two best-known and most influential catechisms to emerge from the Reformation, yet the Baptist Catechism, often called Keach’s Catechism for its principle architect, remains a valuable tool in Baptist education and discipleship. The Baptist Catechism was was first adopted in 1677 and was based on the Westminster Shorter Catechism with a few slight modifications that reflect Baptist understandings of church government, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper.

Why Use a Catechism?

For over 2000 years believers and their children have used catechism’s to learn the basic elements of the Christian faith. Among the many reasons for utilizing this tool, two stick out: the fact that children memorize short facts easily and catechisms give us a framework for interpreting all of life.

Dozens of verses remain memorized in my mind because growing up, I participated in the Bible Drill program offered at my church. Yes, I’ve heard and made all the jokes, but through that program we memorized verses and important sections of Scripture while generally learning how to navigate the pages of the Bible. That didn’t happen because we were brilliant, child theology prodigies—it was because we were kids and most kids can remember short facts far better than adults.

Consider this catechisms that will help you develop a biblical framework for all of life.

• New City Catechism: This is a modern-day resource aimed at helping children and adults alike learn the core doctrines of the Christian faith via 52 questions and answers. It is available in physical and web format but its real advantage is in the app.