10 Reasons to Memorize the Westminster Shorter Catechism

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Christians often talk about the importance of memorizing Scripture to hide God’s Word in our hearts. As I grew in my faith and became Reformed in my understanding of Scripture, I also began to see many reasons to memorize the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which gives a foundation of doctrine from the Scriptures.

What is the Westminster Shorter Catechism?

The Westminster Shorter Catechism is a concise and systematic summary of Christian doctrine and beliefs. It was written between 1643 and 1648 as part of the larger Westminster Standards, which include the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger Catechism. The Shorter Catechism is made up of 107 questions and answers designed to teach and explain key theological concepts to members of the Reformed tradition, particularly within Presbyterian churches.

The catechism covers a wide range of topics, including the nature of God, the purpose of humanity, the person and work of Jesus Christ, and principles of Christian living. It’s known for its clarity and precision in presenting these theological ideas. The format of questions and answers makes it a valuable tool for instructing individuals, especially children, in the fundamentals of the Christian faith.

Many in the Reformed and Presbyterian traditions have historically memorized the Westminster Shorter Catechism as a means of deepening their understanding of Christian doctrine and strengthening their faith. It continues to be studied and revered for its theological insights and remains an influential document in Reformed theology.

Why the Westminster Shorter Catechism?

As a Reformed Christian, I want my children to have a foundation of truth that starts in the grammar stage of learning, when their minds are like sponges and they can memorize easily. When they were toddlers, I started them on the Children’s Catechism with very simple questions, like “Who made you?” “God.” “What else did God make?” “All things.”

By the time we got to question 20 and realized that it would take us several years to learn all the way through question 150, my husband and I decided that if we were going to put all the time and effort into a catechism, we might as well go straight to the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Our children had proved they could memorize short answers, and we noticed that some of the questions and answers in the Children’s Catechism were similar to those in the Westminster Shorter Catechism but with different wording. We didn’t want this to become confusing in the long run – it’s hard to let go of the first way you memorize something. And we wanted a time-tested, comprehensive coverage of a systematic theology, which is why I would still recommend the Westminster Shorter Catechism over the New City Catechism (which came out after we were already using the Westminster Shorter Catechism.)

Here are 10 reasons to memorize the Westminster Shorter Catechism with our children while they are young:

1. Effective Teaching Tool: Providing the Rich Soil

Memorized catechism questions and answers can serve as a powerful teaching tool for parents, Sunday school teachers, and pastors, facilitating the transmission of essential Christian doctrine to the next generation. When our children are young, their minds easily memorize information, so the format of a catechism sets them up for success in acquiring this important knowledge. Catechizing is providing the rich soil from which the tree of faith can flourish.

2. Doctrinal Foundation: Establishing a Root System

One of the most compelling reasons to memorize the Westminster Shorter Catechism is that as Dr. J.I. Packer says, the teaching of catechisms is “the church’s ministry of grounding and growing God’s people in the Gospel and its implications for doctrine, devotion, duty and delight.”

If your child’s faith is to become a fruitful tree, then memorizing the Westminster Shorter Catechism is like establishing deep roots to support and feed the tree. Not only does the Westminster Shorter Catechism come from a rich historical heritage of the Reformed tradition, it more importantly provides a doctrinal root system which clearly and concisely articulates core Christian beliefs using Scripture, ensuring your child’s faith is rooted deep and strong.

The beauty and strength of the Westminster Shorter Catechism is that it answers all the big questions of faith. It is a systematic theology which even young children can memorize.

Rarely do we find one verse that summarizes a doctrine of the faith. Usually, we need to turn to many different verses to define a difficult doctrine, like “What is God?” But the Westminster Shorter Catechism gives short answers that are a combination of many verses to sum up a doctrine.

What is God?
God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.

Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 4

Thus, when we and our children memorize the Westminster Shorter Catechism, we have a foundation of the truth stored in our brains and hearts and ready to avail as the hard questions of life come up.

3. Spiritual Growth: Nourishing Young Souls

Another reason to memorize the Westminster Shorter Catechism is that it helps our children to grow spiritually. From the root system of truth, we want to see fresh shoots of understanding grow.

You see, catechism memorization isn’t just about words; it’s about nurturing our children’s souls. It’s like giving them daily food or spiritual nutrients so the shoots of their tree of faith can grow. While at first they may only be memorizing words, once they have them memorized, they will begin to think about and understand the meaning of the Christian principles. With guided discussions at home, parents can also help their children to better understand and apply the truths found in the catechism.

Also, as they meditate on the catechism’s questions and answers, your children’s relationship with God deepens. After all, faith feeds on God’s Word and the truth, and the Westminster Shorter Catechism is a summary of God’s Word and the truth.

Memorizing the Westminster Shorter Catechism will help your children grow into spiritual giants as these truths will still be in their heads as adults and in fact, will never perish.

4. Biblical Literacy: Intertwining the Branches

Since Scriptural references are provided for each answer of the catechism, memorizing the Westminster Shorter Catechism in conjunction with looking at the Scriptural proofs (and even memorizing the proof Scriptures) will deepen children’s understanding of the Bible’s interconnectedness.

Essentially, your child becomes a Bible detective, equipped with a magnifying glass called the Westminster Shorter Catechism. This catechism helps them intertwine the branches between theological ideas and specific Bible verses in their tree of faith, allowing them to further grow in the richness of God’s Word and grace.

Increasing biblical literacy is a compelling reason to memorize the Westminster Shorter Catechism.

5. Aid in Apologetics: Shielding and Defending the Tree

A fifth reason to memorize the Westminster Shorter Catechism is that in a world where questions and doubts often abound, our children need the tools to stand strong in their faith or the protective bark of knowledge. Memorizing the Westminster Shorter Catechism equips them to shield and defend their faith, just as a tree’s bark shields it from harm. It equips them to explain and defend their beliefs confidently, ensuring they’re ready for any faith-related conversation.

Thus, your children will have a grounded faith. They will have confidence in their beliefs during challenging times. They will stand in resilience against doubts and skepticism.

6. Family Discipleship: Nurturing the Grove

As homeschooling parents, we know that homeschooling isn’t just about academics; it’s about building a family culture rooted in faith. So another reason to memorize (and discuss) the Westminster Shorter Catechism is that this time of study can become a meaningful family activity. The Westminster Shorter Catechism can become the family’s shared soil in a grove of trees, where parents and children nurture their trees together, cultivating deep family roots, reinforcing biblical values, feeding on the same nourishment, and bearing fruit together.

7. Church Membership: Becoming Part of the Orchard

Beyond the family relationship, the church body is also a family or an orchard of trees standing together in the faith. So memorizing the Westminster Shorter Catechism connects our children to an orchard or larger faith family who “speak the same language” or understand the same basic faith tenets. Children will have a solid understanding of church doctrine and be able to make a true profession of faith, another significant reason to memorize the Westminster Shorter Catechism.

Memorizing the catechism also prepares your children for a more active role in their church community as they will be able to participate in theological discussions and teachings.

8. Life Application: Bearing Fruit in Faith

The Westminster Shorter Catechism isn’t just about head knowledge; it’s about heart transformation. With the catechism memorized, children will have ready access in their minds to the truth of Scripture found in the catechism. With this truth as a moral and ethical framework, our children will be able to grapple with real-life issues, make godly choices, practice virtuous decision-making, and live out their faith in tangible ways. Knowing the Westminster Shorter Catechism will enable our children to bear fruit in their lives.

As B.B. Warfield said, “Did anyone ever know a really devout man who regretted having been taught the Shorter Catechism – even with tears – in his youth? How its forms of sound words come reverberating back into the memory, in moments of trial and suffering, of doubt and temptation, giving direction to religious aspirations, firmness to hesitating thought, guidance to stumbling feet: and adding to our religious meditations an ever-increasing richness and depth.”

9. Mental Discipline: Strengthening the Tree’s Structure

Memorization exercises the branches of the mind, making them stronger and more flexible, much like a tree’s limbs. These cognitive skills enhance memory, concentration, and discipline, providing stability for other aspects of life and education and making your child a more effective learner.

Learn more about the benefits of memorization here.

10. Eternal Perspective: Gazing at the Canopy Above

The last compelling reason to memorize the Westminster Shorter Catechism is that it gives us and our children an eternal perspective. The Westminster Shorter Catechism isn’t just about today; it’s about eternity. It encourages your child to gaze upward, toward the eternal canopy of hope in Christ, and the enduring truths that shape our faith.

Indeed, William Beveridge, a theologian from the 19th century, summed it up well in these words near the end of his life: “The older I grow – and I now stand upon the brink of eternity – the more comes back to me the first sentence in the Catechism which I learned when a child, and the fuller and deeper its meaning becomes: What is the chief end of man? [Man’s chief end is] to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”

Reasons to Memorize the Westminster Shorter Catechism:

In summary, making the Westminster Shorter Catechism a focus in the devotional life of our family discipleship is like nurturing a flourishing tree of faith within your child’s heart. It provides rich soil, cultivates a deep root system in Christian doctrine, and nourishes our children’s souls in the truth. As the branches of understanding grow, they bear the fruit of a robust relationship with God and practical, faith-filled living. Like the bark that shields the tree from harm, the catechism equips our children with the tools of apologetics and spiritual discipline as well as prepares our children for active participation in the larger orchard of the faith community. Ultimately, it directs their gaze to the eternal canopy above, where the hope of salvation through Christ and the enduring truths of our faith stand tall.

So, go and prepare the soil to grow the tree of your child’s faith, and watch as your child’s faith tree flourishes, providing shade, nourishment, and spiritual strength for a lifetime.

For further stories of how the Westminster Shorter Catechism has impacted the lives of those who have memorized it, read Is the Shorter Catechism Worthwhile? by Benjamin B. Warfield.

Resources for studying the Westminster Shorter Catechism:

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