Westminster Shorter Catechism

E28651

The Westminster Shorter Catechism is a 17th-century Reformed Protestant teaching tool, structured as a series of questions and answers that summarize core Christian doctrines for instruction, especially of children and new believers.

All labels observed (3)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf 17th-century religious text
Christian catechism
Reformed confessional document
associatedWith Westminster Confession of Faith
Westminster Larger Catechism
author Westminster Assembly
commissionedBy Parliament of England
surface form: English Parliament
contains exposition of the Lord’s Prayer
exposition of the Ten Commandments
summary of the Apostles’ Creed
dateWritten 1647
doctrineEmphasis authority of Scripture
covenant theology
justification by faith alone
sovereignty of God
genre doctrinal summary
historicalContext English Civil War era
influenced Reformed catechetical instruction worldwide
influencedBy Genevan Reformed theology
Heidelberg Catechism
intendedAudience children
lay church members
new converts
inUseSince 17th century
language English
numberOfQuestions 107
openingAnswer Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
openingQuestion What is the chief end of man?
placeOfOrigin England
Scotland
purpose catechesis of children
catechesis of new believers
instruction in Christian doctrine
religiousTradition Presbyterian
surface form: Presbyterianism

Reformed Protestantism
status subordinate standard in many Presbyterian denominations
structure question and answer format
subject Christ the Redeemer
God and His decrees
application of redemption
creation and providence
fall of man and sin
means of grace
moral law
prayer
theologicalTradition Calvinism
usedBy Presbyterian
surface form: Presbyterian churches

Reformed churches

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (20)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Westminster Confession of Faith hasCatechism Westminster Shorter Catechism
Presbyterian hasKeyConfession Westminster Shorter Catechism
Westminster Assembly produced Westminster Shorter Catechism
Westminster Larger Catechism relatedWork Westminster Shorter Catechism
Free Church of Scotland confessionalStandard Westminster Shorter Catechism
Presbyterian Church in America followsConfession Westminster Shorter Catechism
Orthodox Presbyterian Church confessionalStandard Westminster Shorter Catechism
Directory for Public Worship relatedDocument Westminster Shorter Catechism
Christian catechism hasNotableExample Westminster Shorter Catechism
Reformed Presbyterian Church confessionalStandard Westminster Shorter Catechism
Synod of New York and Philadelphia usedCatechism Westminster Shorter Catechism
PCA confessionalStandard Westminster Shorter Catechism
subject surface form: Presbyterian Church in America
United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. confessionalStandard Westminster Shorter Catechism
Committee on Christian Education confessionalBasis Westminster Shorter Catechism
OPC usesCatechism Westminster Shorter Catechism
Book of Confessions hasPart Westminster Shorter Catechism
this entity surface form: The Shorter Catechism
Scottish Protestant churches confessionalBasis Westminster Shorter Catechism
this entity surface form: Shorter Catechism
Reformed Presbyterian Theological Hall confessionalStandard Westminster Shorter Catechism