Why Study the Catechism?
For many who come to a Reformed or Presbyterian church from some other tradition, the idea of a Catechism can seem foreign or even mechanical. “Why not memorize Scripture instead?” Indeed we should memorize Scripture! However, given the amount of hours most people today spend binge-watching their favorite series or scrolling through the social media feed, it would not seem as if it is the Catechism and Scripture that are in such competition for our mental space.
The apparent conflict between Catechism and Scripture parallels similar misconceptions about conflicts between the historic and the relevant, between the contemplative and the practical, between the structured and the personal, or between systematic theology and biblical theology.
These supposed tensions are the very fabric of American Evangelicalism. In fact, the false narrative of the “conflicts” between these were very intentionally pushed by the main leaders of the Second Great Awakening as popular religion moved westward in the early 1800s and shaped what most Americans have known as “spirituality.” Yes, even the word “religion” became a casualty in this frontier crusade against old Christendom.
When we examine the reasons for using catechisms throughout church history, it becomes apparent that popular suspicions have little place. There have been many defenses written of catechisms (not to mention creeds and confessions), and this is in no way meant to rival such excellent presentations. But let me offer four things that catechisms can uniquely accomplish for the church and for the individual believer.
1. Catechisms summarize the most important biblical truths.
Simply take a look at any random set of answers in the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Start with just one. Notice how much ground they cover. Would anyone really say that this is of no value? Take Question 3, “What do the Scriptures principally teach?” Answer: “The Scriptures principally teach, what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.” Here we have the division between doctrine and command that we see everywhere in Scripture. Knowing which is which is actually a key to interpretation as well.
Now I choose this question on purpose because what we need to have hammered home to us is this: The Scriptures teach things. Would you immerse yourself in the Bible? Then you will have to understand what the Psalmist meant by his confession: “The sum of your word is truth” (Ps. 119:160). The Word of God is presented to us in parts, yes, but also as a sum. A catechism answer takes that larger circle that runs through various places in the biblical words. It presents a doctrine—in other words, everything that the Bible teaches about Christ’s human nature or about justification, for example—and it distills that to give us a concise statement about what is most important to know.
2. Catechisms aid in memorizing and conceptualizing those truths.
I think we can all agree that memorizing what is most important is a good thing. We may even notice that catechism answers (whether in the Westminster or the Heidelberg) always attach “proof texts” at the bottom of each answer. A proof text is so named because these verses support, or “prove,” one or more aspects of the answer. Let us leave aside whether or not the authors of the Catechism have rightly used such verses. The point is only to say that one is now memorizing Scripture passages in a context, each going together within a set of verses that have some common theme. But there is more going on than memorization alone. In memorizing words that form a concept that features prominently in Scripture, one is learning how to do theology. This is especially true when one is taking in a whole lecture explaining each answer. We are building the expectation in our minds that Bible study is about more than jumping through hoops made up of ink patterns. It is about coming to understand who God is and how he has redeemed us in Christ.
3. Catechisms regulate the boundaries around those truths.
When a Catechism gets closer to being four-hundred years old, that means it has withstood the test of time. And that in turn means that it has undergone scrutiny. It has been used to settle disputes and to repel the innovations of heretics. The same words that draw a circle around a truth for our instruction build a fence around the flock for our protection. Here is a trustworthy course for what to teach. There may be other subjects worthy of our consideration—especially as controversies move into the church from our culture—but the Catechism provides a consistent home base. Lay members of a church may not think about this, but confessional standards of all kinds also maintain the faithfulness of the leadership. If they want to wander off into the “latest and greatest” fad, the Catechism, no less than the Confession, cannot be left far behind without other leaders taking notice.
4. Catechisms initiate and instruct those newer to the faith.
This last point is really the most obvious feature of the Catechism’s use; and this is most obviously witnessed in children. However, even adults need memory devices in their learning. That our memories do not work as well as those of the sponge-like mind of children only intensifies the great need for such a system of instruction. To grow in Christ is to discover how much more there is to learn. God is infinite. So we should expect no less from the subject matter of Christian theology. As the wise Ethiopian eunuch said when asked whether he understood what he was reading from the ancient text: “How can I, unless someone guides me?” (Acts 8:31). What we need then is a guide. What we have in such a Catechism is like a greatest among guides outside of Scripture, confirmed by history.
