A few weeks ago, my wife reminded me of an experience early in our marriage that set the stage for my love of catechisms. We were speaking with a husband and wife who were Jehovah’s Witness in our home, and the wife shared her testimony of why she left her Methodist upbringing to join the Jehovah’s Witnesses: they gave her answers. Even after being raised in church, she could not answer some basic questions regarding what the Bible says happens to us after death when asked by a couple of JW missionaries. The simplicity of her conversion into a heretical teaching left me deeply troubled.

I soon afterward discovered catechisms as a wonderful tool for giving Christians answers to the basic questions of the faith, and they did so through literal questions and answers. Despite the widespread neglect of catechisms over the past several generations, it seems that I am not alone in rediscovering these time-tested teachings, particularly of parents catechizing their children.

However, if you are new to catechisms, it can be a bit daunting to figure out which you should use. To help make that decision, below are four of the most beloved catechisms with a brief word about what makes each unique.

FOR NEW BELIEVERS: NEW CITY CATECHISM

As I have said elsewhere, the New City Catechism is not my favorite catechism; however, it does hold a special place in my heart as being the first catechism that I truly used. I would imagine that many who came into Reformed theology during adulthood will have a similar experience. I also still love the NCC particularly as a catechism for new believers because of its simplicity, design, resources, and approach.

As for the approach, the NCC is by far the newest catechism on this list, and it takes modern mindsets into account. Urban settings here in the U.S. are increasingly losing any former influence of Christianity, and rural settings tend to have a lingering respect for Christianity while remaining thoroughly biblically illiterate. The NCC seems to have those factors in mind. While the other three catechisms on this list could generally assume a Christian mental framework among their readers (even if it was one steeped in error), the NCC assumes and pushes against the reader’s default secular mindset.

As for resources, my two oldest girls nearly have the entire children’s version memorized simply because they love to listen to the catechism songs. Although they enjoy songs for other catechisms, these are by far their favorite.

Also, for new believers, the NCC Devotional is a wonderful resource since it has both historical and contemporary writings on the subject of each question. The contemporary writers include Tim Keller, John Piper, D. A. Carson, and Kevin DeYoung, and the historical portions include writings by John Calvin, Augustine, Jonathan Edwards, Richard Baxter, and Charles Spurgeon. These readings give a new believer a bite-sized introduction to these theologians, while also providing a list of trusted writers to continue their theological growth.

FOR DEVOTIONS: THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM

While I find the New City Catechism Devotional to the particularly useful for discipling a new believer, the Heidelberg Catechism is my go-to for devotional warmth and reflection. Questions 1 and 26 are two of the best examples of this and ought to speak for themselves:

Q1. What is your only comfort in life and death?

A. That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.

He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has delivered me from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.

Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, also assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

Q26. What do you believe when you say, “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth”?

A. That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and everything in them, who still upholds and rules them by his eternal counsel and providence, is my God and Father for the sake of Christ his Son.

I trust God so much that I do not doubt he will provide whatever I need for body and soul, and will turn to my good whatever adversity he sends upon me in this vale of tears.

He is able to do this because he is almighty God; he desires to do this because he is a faithful Father.

Although containing 129 questions, they are grouped into 52 sections for reading through the entire catechism together at church on the Lord’s Day. This Banner of Truth leather-bound pocket edition is my favorite, but I also use the Baptist version in the third volume of the Truth and Grace Memory Series.

FOR CHILDREN: A CATECHISM FOR BOYS AND GIRLS

This is the catechism that we are intentionally working through with our six-year-old and two-year-old before bed. While the NCC does have a children’s version that is shorter than the full version, it is not quite as robust of a foundation as I would like my girls to have. The answers of this catechism are short and easy for children to memorize, but with 145 questions, it gives a more detailed picture of the Christian faith.

For any catechism, the opening question sets the tone for all that follows. The Heidelberg’s first question is one of the most beloved Christian writings outside of the Scriptures, and the New City follows in its footsteps. The Westminster is also striking: “What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” Same with the Baptist Catechism, which was based upon the Westminster: “Who is first and chiefest being? God is first and chiefest being.” Being a catechism for children, this catechism has an appropriately fitting first question: “Who made you? God made me.” Thus, from the very first question, children are taught that God is their Maker, which is a belief that is only becoming increasingly more necessary for children today.

We use a Spanish version of this catechism that is published by Poiema, and Diana Beach Batarseh has some fun and catchy songs that go through this catechism.

FOR DOCTRINAL GROWTH: WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM OR THE BAPTIST CATECHISM (AKA KEACH’S CATECHISM)

The Westminster Larger and Shorter Catechisms were created to be companions to the Westminster Confession of Faith that took the content of that confession and made it more inviting to personal memorization and family worship. The Shorter Catechism was specifically made with children in mind, but it has become by far the most commonly used of the two. In his book Catechizing Our Children, Terry Johnson gives a number of reasons for why the Shorter Catechism has been so beloved (i.e., it is evangelical, biblical, and historic), yet here is the reason that I most resound with:

The Shorter Catechism provides a comprehensive summary of Christian theology… The catechism is a valuable tool because it covers the whole range of Christian doctrine. Yet, it is more than a mere compilation of doctrine, providing a comprehensive compilation to ethics as well. It teaches both ‘what man is to believe concerning God’ and ‘what duty God requires of man.’

Pp. 20-21

Indeed, that is the chief strength of the Shorter Catechism: it is a wonderful and memorable summary of the basic doctrines of the faith, which as Johnson notes always ought to rightly include our duty to obey what God has commanded. Thus, if you are primarily looking to grow in sound doctrine, I recommend learning this catechism.

As a Baptist, I normally use this Baptist version or The Baptist Catechism (which is also called Keach’s Catechism) since, as I noted above, it is based upon the Shorter Catechism. As with the relationship between the 1689 Baptist Confession and the Westminster Confession, I am happy to follow the pattern of my Baptist forefathers of adopting, affirming, and amending such documents of other Christian denominations. Indeed, the fact that the catechism only needs a bit of revision to make it fit the Baptist tradition ought to be a great display of how likeminded we are.

---

With my catechistical recommendations made, I will close with a word from Charles Spurgeon on the great importance and benefit of catechisms, particularly for children:

In matters of doctrine you will find orthodox congregations frequently changed to heterodoxy in the course of thirty or forty years, and that is because, too often, there has been no catechising of the children in the essential doctrine of the Gospel. For my part, I am more and more persuaded that the study of good Scriptural catechism is of infinite value to our children…Even if the youngsters do not understand all the questions and answers…yet, abiding in their memories, it will be infinite service when the time of understanding comes, to have known these very excellent, wise and judicious definitions of the things of God…It will be a blessing to them—the greatest of all blessing…a blessing in life and death, in time and eternity, the best of blessings God Himself can give.