Catechism in the Reformed and Baptist Tradition
“Catechism is a Catholic thing.” That is a statement that I have heard far too often as a Baptist pastor. For many, “catechism” and “Baptists” are not allies, but historically speaking, nothing could be further from the truth. All the way back to the 17th century, Baptists who arose out of the Reformed tradition (particular or reformed Baptists) have used Catechisms as a central tool in equipping their families and churches. And what I want to do in this brief article is show how catechism is not only a Protestant practice, a Reformed practice, but traditionally speaking, very much a Baptist practice.
Catechism and the Reformed Tradition
While there is some catechetical literature found among the writings of the early church[1], catechism use, as we know it today, blossomed during the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther, the leader of this movement in Germany, produced the first known Protestant collection of catechisms in 1529, but why did he feel the need to write such a simple work for discipleship? In the preface to his Smaller Catechism , Luther writes:
“The deplorable, miserable condition which I discovered lately…has forced and urged me to [publish] this Catechism…in this small, plain, simple form…What manifold misery I beheld! The common people, especially in the villages, have no knowledge whatever of Christian doctrine, and, alas! many pastors are altogether incapable and incompetent to teach [so much so, that one is ashamed to speak of it]. Nevertheless, all maintain that they are Christians…”[2]
It is sad to see that the condition of Luther’s day concerning the “manifold misery” of how incompetent professing Christians and pastors were regarding Christian doctrine is still very much the case within modern evangelicalism.[3] Luther believed the only way to overcome this rampant ignorance of biblical doctrine among believers was to develop catechisms to be used in both the church and the home for discipleship. Martin Luther, however, was not alone in his belief of utilizing catechisms for discipleship. Other Reformers like John Calvin and Philip Melanchthon also published and distributed catechisms for use within the church. So convinced of their necessity, Calvin once wrote: “The Church of God shall never be conserved without catechisms…if you desire to build a work of continuance to endure long…[be sure] that the children in their young age be instructed in a good catechism.”[4]
In the years that followed, two major collections of Protestant catechisms emerged. Not only were these works well-received in their time, but they have also had an enduring impact on the church. These collections were The Heidelberg Catechism (1562) and The Westminster Catechism (1647). While these works were, and continue to be, predominantly found in the traditions of Reformed Anglican and Presbyterian churches, they also inspired Baptists within the Reformed tradition to begin producing their own.
Catechism and the Baptist Tradition
In 1680, a Baptist pastor named Hercules Collins, reworded The Heidleberg Catechism, and specifically revised the work to reflect Baptist convictions regarding the church and its’ ordinances, namely baptism by immersion. His work became known as The Orthodox Catechism. Prior to this, Henry Jessey, a Particular Baptist in England, produced what is believed to be one of the earliest known Baptist catechisms. In 1652, he published A Catechism for Babes, or Little Ones to be used among the churches and in homes for training children. Just a few years later in 1675, the Baptist preacher and author, John Bunyan (writer of Pilgrim’s Progress) wrote his own catechism. It was designed as an evangelistic tool for children and those unfamiliar with the faith. He entitled it Instruction for the Ignorant. There is also the 109 question catechism of the Baptist preacher William Gadsby written in the early 1800’s.[5]
The first major and widely-circulated Baptist catechism, however, was produced in 1693 by Benjamin Keach. Though his name is unfamiliar to most, Keach was a leading Baptist in London. Baptized at the age of 15 and preaching by age 18, Keach later pastored a church in Southwark, England for 36 years. During this time, Keach was responsible for introducing the hymnbook into Baptist life. Seeing the need for strong doctrine, he was also one of the original drafters and signers of the great Baptist document, The London Baptist Confession of Faith (1677 written,1689 published). As he looked at other congregations, Keach saw the success of The Westminster Catechism for training young people in Bible doctrines. Eventually, he took that work and rewrote it to reflect a distinctively Baptist theology. His collection became so well respected and embraced that it simply became known as The Baptist Catechism.
A century and a half after Keach, another famous London preacher assumed the pastorate of that same Southwark congregation. The new pastor was none other than Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “The Prince of Preachers.” Not only was he a great preacher, Spurgeon was also a great pastor and disciple-maker. Spurgeon followed in Keach’s footsteps in promoting the use of catechisms among his church families. He once said, “If we would maintain orthodoxy in our midst and see good…doctrines handed down from father to son, I think we must use the method of catechising.”[6] So convinced was he of this, that Spurgeon wrote his own collection of catechisms in 1855. They were entitled A Puritan’s Catechism.
The use of catechisms was not just an emphasis among British Baptists. As the Colonies were being settled, American Baptists made it a top priority to put catechisms into as many hands as possible. The Philadelphia Association, which was the very first organized group of Baptist churches in America, immediately began printing and distributing Keach’s catechism under the title, The Philadelphia Baptist Catechism. In 1813, in South Carolina the Charleston Association of Baptist churches followed suit. They began printing The Baptist Catechism as well, for their own churches and families. Though it is rarely spoken of today, catechisms were frequently used and promoted within the early years of the Southern Baptist Convention. Once the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention was organized, in 1863, its very first publication was A Catechism of Bible Doctrine by J.P. Boyce. When the Sunday School Board was reestablished in 1891, its first publication was A Catechism of Bible Teaching by the famed Southern Baptist preacher and theologian John Broadus. His set consisted of 15 sections of Bible doctrine. It included both simple questions for younger children and advanced questions for the older ones.
In the front of Broadus’ Catechism, Baptist publishers included a forward, that I believe sums up well the attitudes and thoughts that Baptists have had about catechisms since the beginning, “It is earnestly hoped that the result [of this catechism] may be a more thorough acquaintance with the doctrines of God’s Word, and a still greater unity in the faith which that Word inspires.” Despite the hesitancy of some today, history shows that catechisms have been a helpful tool in Protestant, Reformed, and Baptist formation and life. Wherever Baptists have instructed their children in the faith through catechisms, they have been building their lives, homes, and churches around the centrality, authority, and sufficiency of God’s Word. Baptists have always believed in the importance of establishing Gospel-saturated homes, and one of the greatest tools for doing this has been to set down together as a family with an open Bible and Catechism growing together in the knowledge of the “faith once and for all delivered” (Jude 3).
***This article was first published by the author in the publication “Discourses of Grace, vol. 2: Family Worship, 43–51. ***
NOTES
[1] The earliest known example of a Catechetical work is the “Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,” or the Didache which Athanasius names among the “books not included in the Canon, but appointed by the Fathers to be read by those who are just recently coming to us, and wish to be instructed in the word of godliness.” This use of the Didache for the instruction of recent converts from Paganism agrees with its original purpose as stated in the longer title, “Teaching of the Lord through the Twelve Apostles for the Gentiles.” The first six chapters are evidently adapted for those who need elementary instruction, more particularly for Catechumens of Gentile descent, as distinct from Jewish candidates for Baptisms. The remaining chapters of the Didaché relate chiefly to the administration of Baptism, to Prayer, Fasting, and the services of the Lord’s Day, and to the celebration of the Agape and Eucharist. This same division of subjects is observed in the two classes of S. Cyril’s Catechetical Lectures: the first class, including the Procatechesis, consists of XIX Lectures addressed to candidates for Baptism, and these are followed by five “Mystagogic” Lectures, so called as being explanations of the Sacramental Mysteries to the newly-baptized.
[2]“Preface,” Luther’s Smaller Catechism (1529), accessed at http://catechism.cph.org.
[3] To prove this point I highly recommend reviewing the “State of Theology,” which Ligonier Ministries conducts each year. https://thestateoftheology.com
[4] John Calvin, “Letter To the Protector Somerset,” October 22, 1548. Accessed at https://reformed.org/ethics/to-the-protector-somerset-by-john-calvin/
[5] Keach is argued by some historians to be the father of modern hymnody.
[6] Charles H. Spurgeon, “A Promise for Us and Our Children,” a sermon delivered April 10, 1864, on Isaiah 44:1–5, accessed https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/a-promise-for-us-and-for-our-children/#flipbook/
