Catechism

The Large and Small Catechisms of Dr. Luther

The Large and Small Catechisms of Dr. Luther

The Large and Small Catechisms of Dr. Luther were born of pastoral necessity. In 1528, Luther and his colleagues visited the congregations in Saxony to assess their spiritual health. Luther was horrified.

Luther’s Catechism Hymns

Luther’s Catechism Hymns

Over the course of his life, Luther wrote hymns on all six chief parts of the catechism. He did not specifically compose them at one time as a set, and in fact most of these predate the publication of the Small Catechism in 1529, but it is natural that similar themes would be found in both his hymnody and his writings. In some cases Luther modified existing hymns, while others were completely new compositions.

The Marriage Booklet in the Catechism

The Marriage Booklet in the Catechism

The culture increasingly maintains that marriage is man’s institution. Thus marriage can be defined according to the shifting winds of popular opinion, and ultimately government mandate. This is to rob marriage of any real objective meaning.

The Table of Duties in the Small Catechism

The Table of Duties in the Small Catechism

When Martin Luther prepared the text of the Small Catechism, he included a list of duties that people in various callings and stations in life have, as both a command and blessing from God.

Catechism Study: The Lord’s Prayer

Catechism Study: The Lord’s Prayer

As recorded in Luke 11, the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray, and he does not respond with comments about posture or attitude or sentiment, but with specific words that serve as a foundation on which all Christian prayer is built.