Luther's Small and Large Catechisms

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Luther's Small and Large Catechisms

Title Page of the original Small Catechism

Original Title Page of the Small Catechism
published in German in 1529

      One of the things Luther was most unhappy about was how the Catholic Church put itself between ordinary people and God. Luther believed that the church should help people understand the Triune God and support them in building a direct relationship with their Father in heaven, not stand between God and church parishioners.
      Before the printing press was invented in 1440, books were created individually by hand. They were often beautifully illustrated and were really works of art! Before the printing press, books were very expensive and hard to find. As a result, only a few people,could read, The printing press made books and printed material much easier and cheaper to distribute. More and more people learned to read and write. Part of the reason that Luther's ideas spread was the power of the printing press.
      The Catholic Church didn't respond to this growing population of people who could read and write. Almost all of the church's writings were in Latin, not the daily language of the people in the Catholic countries. Luther thought it was important to translate the Bible into German, so that people in his congregations could read it for themselves. He finished the translation of the New Testament in 1522, and the Old Testament in 1534..
      Luther thought it was important for families to study the Bible together, and to understand the basic building blocks of faith - the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, the Apostles Creed, the Sacrament of Baptism, Confession, and the Sacrament of the Altar (Communion). He published the Small and Large Catechisms in 1529. Luther wanted to be sure that families could learn together at home. At the end of the Small Catechism there are specific instructions for the head of households on how to conduct learning in the home. The Large Catechism was more scholarly and intended for pastors to use in leading advanced studies of the faith.

October 2012