Why does SL use the Westminster Catechism?

Why does SL use the Westminster Catechism? Eve wrote:

> John...Why did you choose to make the [Westminster] > Catechism such a large part of SL 8, when most Protestants don't even consider themselves denominational at all? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this document more representative of classical Lutheranism than Evangelical Protestantism or even Reformed doctrine?

The Westminster Catechism is actually one of the [almost] foundational documents of historic Presbyterianism . . . which is also the foundation of the American Congregational churches from which many Protestant American denominations come. [Presbyterianism was around before the Catechism was written in the mid-1600s; but the Catechism helped to crystallize "orthodox" Presbyterian teaching.]

It is my understanding that at least one of the historic Baptist catechisms is based on and only slightly divergent from the Westminster Catechism.

While the Continental (Dutch, Swiss, German, etc.) Reformed churches won't use the Westminster Catechism as their PRIMARY catechism, they generally "subscribe" to it (as they do--and as historic presbyterians "subscribe" to and endures--the Continental catechisms and confessions like the Heidelberg Catechism and the Belgic Confession of Faith).

The Westminster Catechism is, at root, Reformed/Calvinistic. That means you will find none of the Arminian/"Holiness" (Nazarene, Church of God, Brethren, etc.) churches lining up behind it. It also has no weight among Lutherans, Episcopalian/Anglicans, or (because it is not Episcopalian/Anglican) Methodists. (The Methodists are rooted in the Anglican/Episcopal church.)

So where does all of this leave us? And why would we at Sonlight choose the Westminster Catechism when, as Eve notes, "most Protestants don't even consider themselves denominational at all"?

  • Fact: Most Protestants (as, I'm getting the sense, most Catholics) are un- or poorly-catechized. To my knowledge, the Presbyterian, Reformed and Lutheran churches are pretty much the only Protestant churches that engage in any consistent catechetical style of instruction.
  • While Sarita and I are familiar with the Heidelberg Catechism and Belgic Confession of Faith, we recognize that more of our likely customers are coming from Presbyterian than Continental Reformed backgrounds and are, therefore, more likely to be familiar with and desiring instruction from the Westminster

Catechism than from the Heidelberg Catechism or Belgic Confession.

  • We believed (and believe) it is good that students have some relatively well-thought-out idea of WHAT they believe and WHY.
  • We are well familiar with the Westminster Catechism.
  • Among the catechisms of the world, the Westminster Catechism is relatively concise and precise even while being rather comprehensive, thus yielding itself rather nicely to one year of high school-level study and/or instruction. [Compare, for example, the current 2800-some paragraph Catechism of the Catholic Church, printed in relatively small type on 680-some

pages. The Westminster Larger Catechism, printed, itself, in larger type, but then INCLUDING on the same pages the full Scripture citations (which citations, printed in 6-point type, take up an average of well over half of each page) . . . --the Westminster Catechism (printed as I've just described) is not quite 155 pages long and includes the equivalent of 196 paragraphs (392 paragraphs if you count each Question as one paragraph, and its one-paragraph reply as a second).

EXAMPLE: Q. 1. What is the chief and highest end of man? A. Man's chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him for ever.

Q. 2. How doth it appear that there is a God? A. The very light of nature in man, and the works of God, declare plainly that there is a God; but his word and Spirit only do sufficiently and effectually reveal him unto men for their salvation.

Q. 3. . . . ]

  • While people both inside and outside of historic Presbyterianism will disagree with various points in the Westminster Catechism, we figured we had to start SOMEWHERE. If they (or you) disagree with a point or two--or MOST of the points--they (or you) would AT LEAST have some firm ground from which you could launch your criticism and response. They (or you) would have an organized, concise, yet relatively robust or comprehensive statement of faith against which to construct or state their own (or your own) honest beliefs. [Honestly, if it weren't so long, it seems to me that I could use the Catholic Catechism in the same way. As some members of this loop have noted, the Catechism of the Catholic Church is EXTREMELY comprehensive. It would make a WONDERFUL tool from which, or upon which, to build one's own, personal, "statement of faith." The kinds of questions I'd want to answer for myself (or have my students answer for THEMSELVES): Do I UNDERSTAND what this paragraph is saying? How would I state this idea if I were trying to summarize it or put it in my own words? In what sense do I BELIEVE what this paragraph is saying? WHY do I believe it?) . . . I think this kind of study and thoughtful interaction with a foundational text can be extremely helpful and

enlightening.

Hope this may be of some help. Good question! Thanks for asking! John