Luther's Catechism

A Summary of the Christian Faith

The Six Chief Parts

Martin Luther wrote his two catechisms over 470 years ago. They are still two of the best summaries of the Christian faith ever written. The Small Catechism was intended to be a tool for the “head of the household” to help him teach his family the basics of the Christian faith. Less well-known is Luther’s Large Catechism. It is not in a question and answer format like the Small Catechism. Instead it is based on a series of sermons Luther preached. Below are links to the six chief parts of the catechism. If you follow the links, you will find Luther’s explanations from the Small Catechism and additional articles that discuss the biblical truths found in the catechisms (The quotations from the Large Catechism are from Getting into Luther’s Large Catechism, by F. Samuel Janzow, CPH 1978).

• The Commandments
• The Creed
• The Lord’s Prayer
• Baptism
• The Office of the Keys and Confession
• The Sacrament of the Altar