L. Charles Jackson
Americans at one time were familiar with catechism in Bible training. Some of you are familiar with the famous New England Primer, which required memorization of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Such catechism has fallen into disuse, to put it lightly, and there is a corresponding decline in many other areas of child training. It seems to be true, though hard to prove, that whenever and wherever catechism training loses a foothold, so also theology loses its place in the heart of the church.
John Calvin said, "We who aim at the restitution of the Church are everywhere faithfully exerting ourselves in order that at least the use of the Catechism ... may now resume its lost rights" (quoted by Donald Van Dyken, Rediscovering Catechism, p. 3). One of our own theologians from the past century, John Murray, noted, "We believe it is to the discontinuance of this practice [of catechizing] that we can trace much of the doctrinal ignorance, confusion and instability so characteristic of modern Christianity" (Van Dyken, p. 8). It is normal, then, for us to associate strength of spiritual vigor and character with the catechetical training of our covenant youth.
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