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A catechism is an elementary book containing a number of principles in any science or art, but originally particularly in religion, reduced to the form of questions and answers.
The first regular catechisms appear to have been compiled in the 8th and 9th centuries, those by Kero of St Gall and Otfried of Weissenburg being most famous. In the Roman Catholic Church each bishop has the right to make a catechism for his diocese. But in modern times Roman Catholic catechisms are generally a pretty close copy of the one drawn up by the Council of Trent and published in 1566, of which an English translation was issued in London in 1687 under the patronage of James II.
Among Protestants the catechisms of Luther (1518, 1520, and 1529) acquired great celebrity, and continue to be used in Germany, though not exclusively. Calvin's smaller and larger catechisms (1536-1539) never gained the popularity of those of Luther.
The catechism of the Church of England is contained in the Book of Common Prayer. In the First Book of Edward VI, 1549, it contained merely the baptismal vow, the creed, the ten commandments, and the Lord's prayer, with explanations, the part relative to the sacraments being subjoined during the reign of James I.
The catechism of the Church of Scotland is that agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, with the assistance of commissioners from the Church of Scotland, and approved of by the General Assembly in the year 1648. What is called the Shorter Catechism is merely an abridgment of the Larger, and is the one in most common nse. The best-known catechism among English Protestant Dissenters was that of Dr. Watts; but the use of catechisms is far from usual amongst them.
Catechisms remained quite rare, until the format was adopted by the computer industry in the form of the FAQ (frequently asked questions).
 Research Catechism
FAQ is an abbreviation for Fair Average Quality
FAQ is an abbreviation for Frequently Asked Questions
Research FAQ
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The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
©1993 - 2009 The Probert Encyclopaedia
Southampton, United Kingdom
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