catechism

catechism
catechismal, adj.
/kat"i kiz'euhm/, n.
1. Eccles.
a. an elementary book containing a summary of the principles of the Christian religion, esp. as maintained by a particular church, in the form of questions and answers.
b. the contents of such a book.
2. a similar book of instruction in other subjects.
3. a series of formal questions put, as to political candidates, to bring out their views.
4. catechetical instruction.
[1495-1505; < LL catechismus appar. equiv. to catech(izare) to CATECHIZE + -ismus -ISM]

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Manual of religious instruction usually arranged in the form of questions and answers and used to instruct the young, win converts, and testify to the faith.

The medieval catechism concentrated on the meaning of faith, hope, and charity. Later catechisms added other subjects and became more important following the Reformation and the invention of the printing press. Martin Luther's Small Catechism (1529) added discussions of baptism and the Eucharist. John Calvin published a children's catechism in 1542. The Anglican catechism is included in the Book of Common Prayer. The Baltimore Catechism (1885) is the Catholic catechism best known in the U.S. In 1992 the Vatican issued a new universal Catechism of the Catholic Church.

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▪ religious manual
      a manual of religious instruction usually arranged in the form of questions and answers used to instruct the young, to win converts, and to testify to the faith. Although many religions give instruction in the faith by means of oral questions and answers, the written catechism is primarily a product of Christianity. Some early handbooks of instruction were prepared by the Church Fathers (Church Father) (including Augustine of Hippo, John Chrysostom, and Cyril of Jerusalem), and many were prepared throughout medieval times. The term catechism, however, was evidently first used for written handbooks in the 16th century.

      After the invention of printing and the 16th-century Reformation, catechisms became much more important, both in Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. These catechisms were influenced by the medieval catechism, which had imitated the works of the Church Fathers. The medieval catechisms concentrated upon the meaning of faith (the Apostles' Creed), hope (the Lord's Prayer), and charity (the Ten Commandments). The later catechisms usually included discussions of these three subjects and added others.

      Perhaps the most influential book produced by any Reformer was Martin Luther's Small Catechism (1529), which added discussions of baptism and the Eucharist to the usual three subjects. Luther's Large Catechism (1529) was intended for use by the clergy.

      John Calvin (Calvin, John) published a catechism in 1537 that was intended to instruct children. It proved too difficult, so he prepared an easier version in 1542. The Heidelberg Catechism (1563) of Caspar Olevianus and Zacharias Ursinus (revised by the Synod of Dort in 1619) became the most widely used catechism in the Reformed churches (Reformed church). The standard Presbyterian (Reformed and Presbyterian churches) catechisms have been the Westminster (Westminster Catechism) Larger and Shorter Catechisms, completed by the Westminster Assembly in 1647.

      The Anglican (Anglicanism) catechism is included in The Book of Common Prayer (Book of Common Prayer). The first part was probably prepared by Thomas Cranmer and Nicholas Ridley in 1549 and was modified several times before 1661. A second part, discussing the meaning of the two sacraments, was prepared in 1604 in response to a suggestion of the Puritan faction of the Hampton Court Conference.

      The most famous Roman Catholic catechism was one by Peter Canisius (Canisius, Saint Peter), a Jesuit, first published in 1555, which went through 400 editions in 150 years. One that had a large circulation and greatly influenced later works was that of Robert Bellarmine (1597). In France, those of Edmond Auger (1563) and Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet (1687) were outstanding. In more recent times, well-known Roman Catholic catechisms have included the Baltimore Catechism (1885) in the United States, A Catechism of Christian Doctrine (“Penny Catechism”) in England (1898), and that of Joseph Deharbe (1847) in Germany. In 1992 the Vatican issued a new universal Catechism of the Catholic Church that summarized the church's doctrinal positions and teachings since the second Vatican Council (Vatican Council, Second) (1962–65). The new catechism abandoned the question-and-answer form and used modern language in its prescriptions on faith, the sacraments, sin, and prayer.

      In reaction to the work of the Jesuits and the Reformed church among the Orthodox, Peter Mogila (Mogila, Peter) composed The Orthodox Confession of Faith. It was approved at a provincial synod in 1640 and standardized by the synod of Jerusalem in 1672. By order of the Russian tsar Peter I the Great, a smaller Orthodox catechism was prepared in 1723.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Catechism — Cat e*chism ( k[i^]z m), n. [L. catechismus, fr. Gr. See {Catechise}.] 1. A form of instruction by means of questions and answers. [1913 Webster] 2. A book containing a summary of principles, especially of religious doctrine, reduced to the form… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • catechism — catechísm ( me), s.n. – Expunere a principiilor religiei creştine. – var. catehism, (înv.) catihis. Mr. catehisie. lat. catechismus (sec. XVI), datorită predicatorilor Reformei (cf. DAR). var. catehism se explică prin pronunţarea cuv. ngr.… …   Dicționar Român

  • catechism — c.1500, instruction in Christian principles, also elementary question and answer book of religious instruction, from Church L. catechismus book of instruction, from Gk. katekhizein to teach orally (see CATECHIZE (Cf. catechize)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • catechism — ► NOUN ▪ a summary of the principles of Christian religion in the form of questions and answers, used for teaching …   English terms dictionary

  • catechism — [kat′ə kiz΄əm] n. [LL(Ec) catechismus < Gr katēchismos < katēchizein, to catechize < katēchein: see CATECHETICAL] 1. a handbook of questions and answers for teaching the principles of a religion 2. any similar handbook for teaching the… …   English World dictionary

  • Catechism — A catechism (pronEng|ˈkætəkɪzəm; gr. κατηχισμός) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present. [ [http://bible.crosswalk.com/Lexicons/Greek/grk.cgi?number=2727… …   Wikipedia

  • Catechism —    A short instruction set forth in the Prayer Book, to be learned by every person before he be brought to be confirmed by the Bishop. The word catechism is derived from a Greek word, and means literally an instruction by word of mouth of such a… …   American Church Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  • catechism —    A catechism is a book or manual that summarizes the teachings of the Church for the purpose of catechesis andformation in the Christian faith. Some catechisms, such as the Baltimore Catechism, which was first published in 1891, use the format… …   Glossary of theological terms

  • catechism — n. (rel.) to recite the catechism * * * [ kætɪˌkɪz(ə)m] (rel.) to recite the catechism …   Combinatory dictionary

  • catechism — noun Date: 1502 1. oral instruction 2. a manual for catechizing; specifically a summary of religious doctrine often in the form of questions and answers 3. a. a set of formal questions put as a test b. something resembling a catechism …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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