Luther's Small Catechism () is a
catechism
A catechism (; from , "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of Catholic theology, doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult co ...
written by
Martin Luther
Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...
and published in 1529 for the training of children. Luther's Small
Catechism
A catechism (; from , "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of Catholic theology, doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult co ...
reviews the
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments (), or the Decalogue (from Latin , from Ancient Greek , ), are religious and ethical directives, structured as a covenant document, that, according to the Hebrew Bible, were given by YHWH to Moses. The text of the Ten ...
,
the Apostles' Creed,
the Lord's Prayer,
the Sacrament of Holy Baptism,
the Office of the Keys and Confession and
the Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is included in the ''
Book of Concord'' as an authoritative statement of what Lutherans believe. Martin Luther took it upon himself to solve the problem of regular household Christians not being able to truly understand the key points of Christianity. He wanted to create a simple and understandable book for the regular person to grow their knowledge in the religio
It was made to help shape every Christian's life and develop their faith. Many Pastors in the early 1500s did not have the knowledge that the Small Catechism contains, which Luther saw as a problem because then many people could not hear these important aspects. He said, “Yet all the people are supposed to be Christians, have been baptized, and receive the Holy Sacrament even though they do not know the Our Father.” Martin Luther intended this book to simplify the values of Christianity for all. This book is still used today in many service
The Small Catechism is widely used today in Lutheran churches as part of youth education and
Confirmation (Lutheran Church), Confirmation. It was mandatory for confirmands in the
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden () is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.5 million members at year end 2023, it is the largest Christian denomination in Sweden, the largest List ...
until the 1960s.
It has been translated into most European languages.
See also
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Luther's Large Catechism
References
External links
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Luther's Small Catechism(1921 Triglotta version)
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1529 books
1529 in Christianity
16th-century Christian texts
Book of Concord
Catechisms
Lutheran education
Religious works for children
Works by Martin Luther
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