Catechesis is a form of exercise or training, by which seekers come to know the expansive beauty of Christian theology, spirituality, and practice.
In the early church (ca. 2nd-3rd centuries AD), those interested in “becoming Christians” underwent a two to three-year process of “dramatic theological, spiritual, and social transformation,” which entailed comprehensive instruction in the basics of Christian belief and practice.
This process, which came to be known as catechesis, “was remarkably effective in helping converts make the difficult transition from a pagan way of life to a Christian one,” entailing complete “detachment from the dominion of darkness and the embrace of a radically new existence in the world.”
Combining classical models of Greco-Roman education with what the New Testament calls paradosis (i.e., the transmission of a certain body of truth from one generation to another; 1 Cor. 11:2; 2 Thess. 2:15), early Christian catechesis involved several notable features: (1) a rigorous examination of participants’ personal lives; (2) formal doctrinal and biblical instruction; and (3) the temporary assumption of an ascetic lifestyle (one characterized by radical self-denial), sometimes in the context of a small-group of believers gathered around a single teacher.
While this process was not highly regulated or systematic from the very beginning, over time and across different regions, it evolved into what scholars now call the catechumenate: the process or period of time devoted to the instruction of catechumens (i.e., those undergoing catechetical instruction).
In his book, Making Disciples: Catechesis in History, Theology, and Practice (Eerdmans, 2025; from which I have already quoted above), Alex Fogleman helpfully traces the origin and development of Christian catechesis, as an aid for American evangelical Christians today.
This book exists because Fogleman and others “sense something deeply amiss in the church today” (1). As noted in the foreword (written by Hans Boersma), “Western civilization increasingly unmoors itself from [God’s] heavenly city.” This happens not by accident but through the support of a “massive catechetical endeavor” (that is: a secular one), including various forms of digital and print media, which shape the hearts and minds of millions by misdirecting their affections and desires.
According to Boersma, Fogleman’s book stands as a “welcome countercatechesis,” for Christians feeling “unmoored” and “destabilized” (intellectually and spiritually) in the church today. His book thus addresses American Christians who find themselves “inundated with algorithmically calculated messages that shape [their] beliefs and desires in powerful ways.”
“Churches that lack a robust countercatechesis are unable to provide any real alternative” to such secular forces. Fogleman, therefore, has written this book to help churches recover an ancient practice that holds immense promise for American Christians living today (i.e., catechesis).
Catechesis has played a crucial role in my life as a follower of Jesus Christ.
Baptized as an infant in the Roman Catholic Church, I was quickly enrolled in catechism, a term which can refer both to a “text used in catechesis” and, in my case, to a “formal catechesis course.”
While my memory of this experience is rather fuzzy, it was in catechism that I learned the basic contours of Christianity, memorizing core readings such as the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostles’ Creed, the Ten Commandments, etc. In my case, this process gradually led to my “First Communion,” which could only take place after several years of catechetical instruction.
Several years later, my family switched churches and I received my very own English Bible. Reading that book from cover-to-cover (as an early teenager) presented another opportunity for catechesis, in a way. Without the church fathers, the early creeds, and the medieval and early modern theologians, however, independent reading of my English Bible hardly constituted catechesis in the historic sense of the term.
After graduating high school then, I enrolled at Moody Bible Institute, where I completed 120 credit hours in theology, history, and Biblical studies over four academic years. During this time, I was formed theologically, spiritually, and socially, in a way that surpassed personal, daily Bible study.
As a lifelong student of Scripture and theology, catechesis is near and dear to my heart. Such a process, however –which was the path by which seekers “became Christians” in the ancient church– should be valued by all Christians, especially those trending “evangelical.”
Writing on the history of catechesis in 18th-19th century America, Fogleman discusses the rise of evangelicalism, which took place during the First Great Awakening (ca. 1740-1770):
“Led by intelligent and passionate young ministers like Jonathan Edwards, John and Charles Wesley, and George Whitefield, early evangelicalism brought together strands of English Puritanism, German pietism, and late medieval spirituality to create a potent recipe for proclaiming the ancient faith in the modern world.”
He goes on: “Above all, [such] evangelicals emphasized the true conversion of the heart. Amid a prevailing culture of nominal belief, [these] early evangelicals stressed the need for a profound Spirit-filled transformation. It was not enough to attend church services and receive the sacraments. Without a genuine conversion of the heart, such a person was little more than what Wesley called a “half Christian.”
“Caught between” ancient sentiments and modern contexts, evangelicals were of “two minds” about the practice of catechesis.
Some, like John Wesley and John Newton, commended it as an historic, time-honored practice. Others, however, seemed to resist, worrying about the apparent lifelessness of rote memorization and recitation, in contrast to a religion of the heart.
One of the most important developments of this period was what’s known as the “Sunday School Movement.” This endeavor, which aimed to teach reading and literacy to children, mainly served to help them read and understand Christian Scripture.
At first, many Sunday School teachers used formal catechisms in their teaching, but over time these were eclipsed by the use of Bible stories alone. Fogleman thus concludes: “Ironically, it seems that the rise of Sunday schools is part of the reason that catechesis went out of fashion” among evangelical churches.
The core aim of the early Sunday School movement –i.e., to promote an “evangelical” form of Christianity by exposing children to an array of Bible stories and lessons– still characterizes much Christian instruction in American evangelical churches today. Especially among Baptists, you might find expository preaching, Bible studies and Bible-based classes, but rarely will you find catechesis.
Reading one’s Bible for personal devotion, listening to expository sermons, and attending Bible studies, are great endeavors, but can they alone form believers theologically, spiritually, and socially in a way that moves them from a life of idolatry to a life of healthy worship? In the early church, those who underwent catechesis sought “detachment from the dominion of darkness” and “the embrace of a radically new existence in the world.”
Can a “true conversion of the heart” manifested in a profound “Spirit-filled” experience, alone facilitate the kind of transformation necessary to form real disciples? Is such interest in Scripture alone enough to form people spiritually, theologically, and socially, as early catechesis did?
American evangelicals crave “Biblical” preaching, content, conversation, etc., but when it comes to deep theological reflection, via creeds, the church fathers, and formal catechisms, some evangelicals “shut down.”
“If it isn’t Scripture, why bother?”
Well, to that I might respond, “Ask the countless ancient Christians who underwent the process of catechesis. Without them, Christianity would not have made it to the generation standing here today.
I am not suggesting that Scripture is insufficient. What I am proposing is that evangelical Christians should avail themselves of the timeless resources at our disposal, which help us see how faithful Christians throughout history understood and lived out Scripture themselves.
Scripture does not come pre-interpreted. It is the duty of Spirit-filled followers of Christ to engage the Scriptures together discerning their meaning and function in accordance with the Gospel and historic Christian orthodoxy.
Thanks to the labor of numerous ancient, medieval, and early modern Christian writers, we have thousands of works in various languages, to help guide us in our interpretive task.
Catechesis then is of vital importance, to form us comprehensively “in what Christians believe, hope, and love,” so we can interpret God’s word responsibly, transmitting the Gospel to the next generation.
Such a process, like any educational or professional program, requires investment, commitment, and endurance.
It’s not as easy as praying the sinner’s prayer, signing a certificate of conversion, or submitting to the water of baptism.
Catechesis is a form of exercise or training, by which seekers come to know the expansive beauty of Christian theology, spirituality, and practice.
While the early Sunday School movement led to a diminished interest in catechesis among evangelicals, I see no reason why we cannot reclaim “Sunday School” as the venue in which catechesis can take place.
Patient, comprehensive reflection on the basic tenets of Christian faith and practice, would help evangelicals connect their “modern” religion (“of the heart”) to the faith of countless Christians who came before them.
Such instruction would facilitate the full transition from darkness to light, idolatry to worship, which characterizes the dynamic we call “Christian conversion.”
It would combat the secular catechesis which seeks to shape our beliefs and desires through various media. And it would result in churches full of theologically, spiritually, and socially mature believers well-poised to serve Christ in this world.
Jonah Bissell
Teaching Pastor
*Starting on Sunday, January 4, 2026, I will be offering a post-service Sunday School class (starting at 11:00AM and meeting in the church library) in which we will read through select portions of a formal Christian catechism. If you are interested in joining this study (even off-and-on), feel free to reach out (jonah@freeportbaptist.org) or simply show up when you can!