The Catechism as Pastoral Theology

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The Catechism as Pastoral Theology

• Wyoming District Pastoral Conference
• 8-10 October 2007
• Casper, WY

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The Village Altar to the Family Kitchen

• "The Small Catechism, in chart and pamphlet form,
  quickly became one of the most important
  documents of the Lutheran Reformation. It moved
  the village altar into the family kitchen,
  literally bringing instruction in the faith home
  to the intimacies of family life"- (James
  Nestingen)

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Catechism Pattern of Sound Words

• "Much of the influence of Lutheranism around the
  world can be traced to the success of this
  catechism in expressing the profound truths of
  the faith in a language that all can understand"
  (Mark Noll)

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Luthers Path to the Formation of the Catechisms
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Catechetical Sermons

• As early as July 1516, Luther preached on the
  Catechism
• By 1522, the practice had been established in
  Wittenberg of preaching on the Catechism at least
  four times per year
• His catechetical sermons flow into the Large
  Catechism

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Confessional Materials

• Luther provided documents designed to replace the
  confessional manuals of the medieval church
• Such tracts as The Sacrament of Penance of 1519
  (AE 353-22) and A Discussion on How Confession
  Should be Made also of 1519 (AE 3927-47) would
  serve to guide pastor and people in a new
  evangelical understanding of confession and
  absolution
• These pastoral tracts would serve as building
  blocks as Luther moved to provide a concise form
  of Christian teaching geared toward repentance,
  faith and holy living.

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Luthers Devotional Material

• Personal Prayer Book of 1522 (AE 433-45) A
  Booklet for Laity and Children of 1525
  (available in Sources and Contexts for the Book
  of Concord edited by R. Kolb and J.
  Nestingen,1-12)
• Several of Luthers Catechism Hymns actually
  pre-date the publication of the Catechisms Here
  is the Tenfold Sure Command (1524), We All
  Believe in One True God (1524) From Depths of
  Woe I Cry to You (1523) O Lord, We Praise
  Thee (1524). From both a literary and
  theological perspective it may be observed that
  concepts expressed in these hymns will find their
  way into the Small Catechism.

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Events Leading to the Catechisms

• The request of Pastor Nicholas Hausmann for a
  catechism to use with "the common folk" (1524)
• Controversy between Agricola and Melanchthon on
  the place of the law in the Christian life
• A remedy to the maladies diagnosed in the Saxon
  Visitation of 1528.

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From Preface to the Small Catechism

• "The deplorable, wretched deprivation that I
  recently encountered while I was a visitor has
  constrained and compelled me to prepare this
  catechism, or Christian instruction, in such a
  brief, plain, and simple version. Dear God, what
  misery I beheld! The ordinary person, especially
  in the villages, knows absolutely nothing about
  the Christian faith, and unfortunately many
  pastors are completely unskilled and incompetent
  teachers. Yet supposedly they all bear the name
  Christian, are baptized, and receive the holy
  sacrament, even though they do not know the
  Lord's Prayer, the Creed, or the Ten
  Commandments! As a result they live like simple
  cattle or irrational pigs and, despite the fact
  that the Gospel has returned, have mastered the
  fine art of misusing their freedom"
  (Kolb/Wengert, 347-348).

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How Luther Wanted the Catechism Used

• The Catechism provided a basic summary of
  Christian doctrine along with a template for
  teaching. Luthers pattern for catechesis
  outlined in the Preface to the Small Catechism
  (a) Avoid changes or variations in the text (b)
  After people have learned the text, teach them to
  understand it (c) Once people have been taught
  the shorter catechism, take up the longer
  catechism (SC-Preface 7-18, Kolb/Wengert, The
  Book of Concord, 348-349).
• Luther intended the Small Catechism to be a
  handbook for Christian doctrine, a prayer book,
  and a book for the on-going Christian life.

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• "The world has now become very sure of itself. It
  relies on books and thinks that if these are read
  it knows everything. The devil almost succeeded
  in getting me, too, to become lazy and secure and
  think 'Here you have the books. If you read them
  you'll have the answers.' So the fanatics and
  sacramentarians suppose that because they have
  read only one little book they know everything.
  Against such security I pray the catechism every
  day like my little Hans and ask God to keep me in
  his dear holy Word, lest I grow weary of it"
  (Luther in a "table Talk" of July or August 1532,
  AE 54163).

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Teaching the Catechism is Prepares for Crisis

• "And finally, I strongly urge that the children
  be taught the catechism. Should they be taken
  captive in the invasion, they will at least take
  something of the Christian faith with them. Who
  knows what God might accomplish through them.
  Joseph as a seventeen year-old youth was sold
  into slavery into Egypt, but he had God's word
  and knew what he believed" (1541) Appeal for
  Prayer Against the Turks AE 43239.

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Theological Structure of the Small Catechism

• Traditional Ordering Lords Prayer, Creed,
  Commandments
• Luther Commandments, Creed, Lords Prayer

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Law and Gospel in the Catechism

• Thus the commandments teach man to recognize his
  sickness, enabling him to perceive what he must
  do or refrain from doing, consent to or refuse,
  and so he will recognize himself a sinful and
  wicked person. The Creed will teach and show him
  where to find the medicine-grace-which will help
  him to become devout and keep the commandments.
  The Creed points him to God and his mercy, given
  and made plain to him in Christ. Finally, the
  Lord's Prayer teaches all this namely, through
  the fulfillment of God's commandments everything
  will be given him. In these three are the
  essentials of the entire Bible" (AE 43, 4).

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Note how this insight of Luther shapes his
ordering of the chief parts Ten
Commandments Creed Lord's Prayer Holy
Baptism Confession/Absolution Sacrament of the
Altar The Second Article of the Creed is the
pivotal point of the catechism Ten
Commandments/First Article
Second Article
Third
Article/Lord's Prayer

(Sacraments) Appendices Vocation of Faith and
Love Morning, Evening, and Table Prayers Table
of Duties Marriage Booklet Baptismal Booklet
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The Catechisms Framework for Pastoral Theology

• First Commandment/Autonomy
• The Creedal/Trinitarian Shape of the Christian
  Life
• The Lords Prayer as Lived Theology of the Cross
• Baptism Death/Resurrection
• Confession/Absolution Living in the Truth
• Sacrament of the Altar Forgiveness of Sins
• Daily Prayers/Table of Duties Vocation