RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Catechisms Catechumenate
works on catecheties). On the catechisms of the Middle Ages consult: G. Langemack, Historic, catechetica, vol. i., Stralsund, 1729; J. GefTcken, Der Bilderkatechismus des fiinfzehnten J ahrhunderts und die katechetischen Hauptstucke in dieser Zeit bis auf Luther, vol. i., Leipsic, 1855; H. Brtick, Der religiose Vnterricht . in Deutschland, Mainz, 1876; P. Gobi, Geschichte der Katechese im Abendlande vom VerfaU des Katechumenats bis zum Ende des Mittelalters, Kempten, 1880; F. Probst, deschichte der katholischen Katechese, Breslau, 1887; F. Falk, Der Vnterricht des Volks m den kateclietischen Hauptstucken am Ende des Mittelalters, in Historisch-politische Blatter, cviii (1891), 553 sqq., 682 sqq., cix (1892) 81 sqq., 721 sqq.; P. Bahlmann, Deutschlands katholische Katechismen bis zum Ende des sechszehnten J ahrhunderts, Munster, 1894; Hauck, KD, vols, i.-iii.
For collections of catechisms in post- Reformation times in Germany consult, besides the collections of Kehrbach and Walk, ut sup.: J. Hartmann, Aelteste katechetische Denkmale der evangelischen Kirche, Stuttgart, 1844; F. W. Bodemann, Katechetische Denkmale der evangelischlutherischen Kirche, Harburg, 1861; G. Kawerau, Zivei alteste Katechismen der lutherischen Reformation, Halle, 1890. For a bibliography of newer literature consult: F. Schneider, Kritischer Wegweiser durch die Litteratur des Konflrmandenunterrichts und der offentlichen Cliristenlehre, Stuttgart, 1899. The history of catechisms is treated in: G. Langemack, ut sup., vols, ii.-iii., Stralssund, 1730-40; K. J. Loschke, Die religiose Bildung der Jugend und der sittliche Zustand der Schulen im 16. Jahrhundert, Breslau, 1846; F. R. Ehrenfeuchter, Zur Geschichte des Katechismus, Gottingen, 1857; K. Neumann, Der evangelische Religionsunterricht im Zeitalter der Reformation, Berlin, 1899.
On other than German lands consult: S. Hess, Geschichte des Ziircher-Katechismus, Zurich, 1811; Tercentenary Monument. In Commemoration of the Three Hundredth Anniversary of the Heidelberg Catechism, Philadelphia, 1863; C. A. Toren, Der ernnnelische Religiuns-U nterricht in Deutschland, Grossbritannien und Danemark, Gotha, 1865; H. Bonar, Catechisms of the Scottish I eforrration, London, 1866; A. T. Mitchell, Catechisms of the Second Reformation . with Historical Introduction, London, 1886; A. C. Bang, Dokumenter og studier vedrorende den lutherske katekismus' historie in Nordens kirker, 2 vols., Christiania, 1893-99; I. Moschakes, Catechism of the Orthodox Eastern Church, London, 1894; J. Poynet, The Real Reformation Catechism of 15SS, ib. 1894; W Eames, Early New England Catechisms. A bibliographical Account of some Catechisms published before 1800, Worcester, 1898.
The literature on Roman Catholic catechisms is vcrV voluminous; the following may be consulted: The Catechism of John Hamilton, Oxford, 1844; C. Moufang, Die Mainzer Katechismen von der Erfindung der Buchdruckerkunst bis zum Ende des achtzehnten J ahrhunderts, Mainz, 1877; Commentaire sur le catechisme des provinces eccUsiastiques de Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa, Montreal, 1897; F. X. Thalhofer, Entwickelung des katholischen Katechismus in Deutschland von Canisius bis Deharhe. Freibure, 1899; F. Spirago, The Catechism Explained. New York, 1899; T. E. Cox, Biblical Treasury of the Catechism, ib. 1900; T. L. Kinkead, Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism, ib. 1902; J. Perry, Explanation of the Catechism, St. Louis, 1902.
CATECHUMENATE.
Earliest Data (§ 1). Second Period of Develop- According to the Church ment (§ 4).
Fathers (§ 2). Decline of the Catechume-
First Period of Development rate (§ 5).
(§ 3). Ritual Survivals (§ 6).
Catechumenate is a term applied to the method of receiving and instructing, in preparation for baptism, those who applied for membership in the early Christian Church. As soon as the apostolic mission had reached the stage of founding a Christian society, it was natural that those who wished to enter it should be required to go through a course of instruction as to the meaning of the hopes which it held out and the demands which it made IT.— 29
of its members. Our information as to the method pursued in the earliest period is very scanty. Apparently the gatherings of the disciples were at first freely opened to any one (I Cor. xiv. 24) who desired to know more of their faith and practise; and baptism was probably often administered with but a short delay. As time went on, more
care was exercised; the need of it
i. Earliest was demonstrated by cases of relapse
Data. into heathenism and of the seeking
of membership from interested or treacherous motives. We find traces of this greater caution as early as the first Apology of Justin (c. 150). A demand is made for some security as to the belief and conduct of the candidate, who is not apparently admitted to the assembly of the faithful until he has been adjudged worthy of baptism. How this security was obtained is not clear; the preparation seems to have been private, and the one who conducted it probably answered for the candidate, as at once sponsor and catechist. Tertullian portrays a somewhat different system; though catechumens are still excluded from the assembly, the application of this name to them implies that they were already reckoned as in a sense belonging to the Church and under its care. This is still more clearly the case in Origen's account.
The much discussed passage Contra Cel-
2. According sum, iii. 51 shows plainly that there was
to the a definite system of examination and
Church of instruction. It gives also the fact
Fathers, that at this period, besides the class
which (as in Justin and Tertullian) is excluded from the assembly, there is another which has advanced far enough to claim the privilege of admission, and is only waiting for the last decisive step of baptism. It is a mistake to attempt to deduce from his words three classes divided by a hard and fast line, or to apply to these classes the names audientes (Gk. akroomenoi), genuflectente (gonuklinontes),ajidcompetentes (photizomenoi). The last occurs in the Apostolic Constitutions, an-l in Cyril of Jerusalem passim, for the candidates approaching baptism, who are definitely distinguished from the catechumens. The name akroomenoi occurs for the first time in the passage of Origen referred to, but without a distinct meaning; its use later in the proclamation of the deacon in the liturgy, summoning those not entitled to be present to depart, relates to a class of penitents not allowed to hear a part of the service to which catechumens were admitted. In like manner the application of gonuklinontes to a class of catechumens rests on a misunderstanding of the corrupt Greek text of the fifth canon of the Synod of Neocaesarea (314), which really means that catechumens falling into sin are to be put among the penitents, and expelled altogether if they do not amend.
To sum up, then, what has been said, Origen shows a development of the catechumenate from what Justin gives, while Tertullian exhibits an intermediate stage. We must, however, remember that these witnesses are from different parts of the Church. The development was probably largely influenced by local conditions. In Ter-
Catechumenate Catenae