THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
Leitfaden fur den Religionsunterricht (Cassel, 1899) is used. [Several catechisms were prepared by English Particular Baptists in the seventeenth century: A Soul Searching Catechism, by
19. Baptist Christopher Blackwood (1653); Cateand Irvine-- chism for Children, by Henry Jessey
ite Cate- (1073); The Child's Instructor: a New chisms. an(i Easy Primer, by Benjamin Krach (1664). The General Assembly of the Particular Baptists at its session in London in June, 1693, requested William Collins to draw up a catechism " containing the substance of the Christian religion, for the instruction of children and servants." It has been reproduced in authentic form in Confessions of Faith, and other Documents, edited for the Hanserd Knotty s Society, by E. B. UnderhM (London, 1S54). Among the Baptists of the United States in the South and Southwest Question Books (four series) by A. C. Dayton, and a Catechism by J. A. Broadus, have been widely used.
A H. N.]
The catechism of the Irvingites contains three chapters; the first two represent practically the Prayer-book catechism; the third part treats of the doctrines peculiar to the Irvingites, the doctrine of the Church and its offices.
[For the catechisms used in most Presbyterian communions see Westminster Standards.]
The English Unitarians use especially two small
manuals — Ten Lessons in Religion by Charles
Beard (London, 2d ed., 1897) and A Catechism of
Religion by H. W. Hawkes. While
20. tTnita- the former contains only an exposition rian Cate- of the Lord's Prayer and instruction
chisms. on the Bible, the latter treats in fifty-two questions of the most important terms in Christian faith and interprets them in the Unitarian sense. The latter is in some respects dependent on An Evangelical Free Church Catechism for Use in Home and School (London), which is used by Unitarians, Methodists, Baptists, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, and some smaller denominations.
The Roman Catholic Church learned from the Evangelicals its solicitude for the religious instruction of youth. Numerous manuals appeared as imitations of Evangelical catechisms. The catechism of John Dietenberger, a very popular book, was in some passages copied verbatim from Luther's. But all the catechisms previously published were far surpassed in popularity by the Summa doctrines christiance, per quaestiones tradita et ad capitum rudiorum accommodata (1556) by the Jesuit Peter Canisius. It forms an epitome of his
21. Roman. ^umma doctrinre christians of 1555 Catholic anfl was translated into all European and Old languages. It was used even in India Catholic and remained for about two centuries
Catechisms, the principal catechism of the Roman Catholic Church. Tn 1559 Canisius enlarged it under the title Parvus Catechismus catholicorum, which became the model for numerous expositions of the Summa. In 1566 appeared the Catechismus ex (hereto Concili! Tridentini ad Parochos Pii V Pontificis Maxi,,ii iussu editus, intended as a homiletieal and catechetical hand-
book for the clergy; but the influence of the Jesuits was so great that it could not compete with the catechisms of Canisius; and even those of Bellarmin, which appeared in 1598, did not attain equal popularity with them. The Roman Catholic books of instruction, like the Evangelical catechisms, did not escape the influence of rationalism, at first in method and then even to some extent in contents. A return to the stricter teaching of the Church made itself felt in the first decades of the nineteenth century. Since 1847 J. Deharbe's catechisms have been generally recognized as standard works. They include Katholischer Katechismus fur Stadt- und Landschulen (Regensburg, 1847) ; and Kleiner katholischer Katechismus zunachst fur solche Landschulen, welche nur wahrend des Sommer- oder Winter semesters besucht werden (1847). In the United States the Catholic Church provides manuals of catechetical instruction, such as those edited by W. Faerber in German and English (St. Louis, 1897 and often), and Catechisms of Catholic Teaching (New York, n.d.).
The Old Catholic Church has two official catechisms, the Katholische Katechismus, herausgegeben im Auftrage der altkatholischen Synode (Bonn) and Leitfaden fur den katholischen Religionsunterricht an hoheren Schulen, herausgegeben im Auftrage der altkatholischen Synode (Bonn, 1877).
In 1721 the synod of the Russian Orthodox
Church decreed that three small manuals for the
instruction of youth and the common people should
be made, one on the principal doctrines of faith
and on the decalogue, a second on the
22. The special duties of each class, and a third Greek containing sermons on the principal
Church, doctrines, virtues, and vices. On the strength of this order there appeared a book entitled " First Instruction of Youth, Containing a Primer and a Short Exposition of the Decalogue, the Lord's Prayer and the Creed, by order of his Majesty Peter I., emperor of all the Russias," which is probably the first real catechism in the Greek Church. The catechism used at the present time, the " Complete Christian Catechism of the Orthodox Catholic Eastern Church," first published in 1839, originated under the influence of a manual composed by Jeromonach Platon in 1765 for the heir to the throne, the Grand Duke Paul Petrovitch, which is influenced in the arrangement of material by the Confessio orthodoxa of Peter Mogilas (1643). Like the latter, it groups its material under the three Christian virtues of faith, hope, and love. After an introduction on revelation, Holy Scripture, and catechetical teaching, it begins with an exposition of the Nicene Creed, followed by the Lord's Prayer and the Beatitudes, the union between faith and love, and an exposition of the Ten Commandments. The book closes with the application of the doctrine of faith and of piety.
(Ferdinand Cohrs.)
Bibliography: The works under Catechesis, Catechetics; CATErutTMTCNATE; Luther's Two Catechisms; and Heidei.bfik; Catechism should he consulted Collections of early catechisms are made n !\fonv"<f"ta Crr-^avirr prprfagogica, ed. C. Kehrbach, vols. 4, 20-:«. 39, Berlin, 1887- 1907, and in Katechetische Handbibliothck, ed. F. Walk, Kempten, 1891-1905 (containing not only catechisms but