Introduction

Catechesis is the way the Church teaches the faith.

The word catechesis comes from a Greek word katecheo, which means, "with an echo." The way the faith is delivered from one generation to the next is by echoing the words back. In formal catechesis, the instructor (usually the pastor) speaks and the catechumens speak back to him.

This is the pattern that is found in Luther's Small Catechism with the primary texts of the Christian faith (Ten Commandments, Apostles' Creed, Lord's Prayer) broken down with the question, "What does this mean?" The catechumen learns the text by heart and echos it back, confessing the faith.