The Small Catechism
The Small Catechism is a book written by Martin Luther , published in 1529. This is one of the earliest catechisms.
Worried drifts interpretation of Bible appeared in the bubbling of ideas born of the Reformation , Martin Luther had intended by this book, making it accessible to as many people as possible and as simply teaching the Word of God: such a head of the family should teach his own with ease, he repeats regularly throughout his book.
Summary |
Overview
The objective of this work is to present a summary of the Christian faith , condensed to serve as a benchmark, memento, which can easily remember, that you could easily teach, discuss, communicate, and that is understandable by all.
It secures the Christian faith in the Bible, regarded as the word of God, he presents it as a relationship with God, the only reason for living relationship that is recognized by the conscious practice of the sacraments in the church, and that the is served within the family and professional, at home and among its leaders.
This book is presented as a guide very simple bill, apparently given in the text by repeating patterns, length very short, in a style more like that of the primary school to great schools of theology by Example: What is the meaning of these words? (pattern repeated for each command, followed by just one sentence explanation for each). It is also punctuated by small maxims that could be hung in a kitchen (maybe they were when Luther lived), for example: If everyone learns his lesson, will be all right in the house.
Background
The year 1529, year of publication of the Small Catechism, is just when the new religion dares speak its name: Protestants.
It's been 8 years since Luther was excommunicated, 3 or 4 he chose to ally with friendly powers, against the Catholic church, and also, to his chagrin, against those he calls beggars and witches.
For Luther, these events are far from being an end in itself, its main concern is the salvation of souls, everything else is a means to honor God's action. The Small Catechism is one such means, particularly as regards the working classes.
The period is rich in works framing the new religion. The Large Catechism is the catechism of the pastors. The following year, the Augsburg Confession , Luther wrote with Philip Melanchthon build nothing less than Lutheranism, and on the way, allow many generations of Protestants to express their faith.
It remains to Martin Luther to live another 16 years. It will continue to be part of the religious and political action, and the definition of good or bad manners.
For the religious, it will soon be relayed by Calvin, who radicalized his ideas yet. And perhaps he will hear talk at the very end of his life, the Catholic Reformation ...
For manners, his thinking will prove to be a major factor to guide the working classes. His Small Catechism will participate fully, as his translation of the Bible in German, a language become that of the Germanic empire. To the manners of the elite, humanists will fight better than him for the course, which is across Europe, its members preferring fortunately life of a courtier than a warrior.
The concepts raised
Each chapter is often one or two ideas that Luther highlights, and we will present the review of this chapter, for example, examination of the 10 commandments, Luther emphasizes the notion of meaning, the rules of the home, he insists on the concept of homework.
We propose the concepts that seem key, and returning throughout the book.
Between Father's great love and terrible sins
Under the Small Catechism, it seems that life is stretched between, on one hand, God , and the other, Satan.
God is on the side of peace, love, happiness, goodness, the source of all good, all joy:
- I believe God created me and all other creatures. He gave me and I keep my body with its organs, my soul with its faculties, it gives me all the days liberally food, clothing, home, family and all things necessary for the maintenance of this life and it protects me in every danger, preserve me and deliver me from all evil and that without that I am worthy, by his sheer goodness and mercy father.
- (THE CHRISTIAN FAITH)
Satan or the devil (Luther put a capital letter to Satan, but it is not the devil), is evil, war, bewilderment:
- God does not attempt one, but we ask him to keep us and defend us, lest the devil, the world and our flesh can carry us through their lies and their enticements, to unbelief, despair, or some Another scandal and vice, and if the temptations we urge, we pray to make us win.
- (The Our Father)
For Luther, this design is not even debatable: it is human nature, it is the world around us. A man who would be indifferent just a man.
- First, he examines himself so to see if it is still made of flesh and blood ...
- Second, he looks around him so if he is still in the world ...
- Third, he thinks that the devil prowls around him night and day ...
- (MODEL OF AN EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE)
Fortunately, God acts on the entire space between himself and the devil. A person, whatever his situation, can always benefit from the love of the Father. Various elements, always induced by that love, allow a person to move towards the joy of eternal salvation. These elements can be baptism, obedience, prayer, etc..
This is the very subject of the Small Catechism, which describe how a person lives on the line God-Satan, and to alert people to the urgency of the matter. We will return to throughout the presentation.
The written Word of God
Luther refers constantly to the Bible. It also refers to the Apostles' Creed , a chapter on basics: the Christian faith. This shows that Luther, at least at the time of writing the Small Catechism, did not preclude the Christian tradition as referring to the fundamental faith, we are still far from a Sola Scriptura.
However, the Bible remains the major reference, at least in terms of quantity.
In general, Luther says something and points out a short excerpt from the Bible. Sometimes it only affirms the other times he does that quote.
This technique is intellectually very fragile, at least for our current way of judging a solid argument. More details on this point to review each chapter. Very often, the spirit of the original biblical text has little to do with the fact that Luther said. Very often, Luther cut, glue together the passages between them, whereas no doubt that, as long as it retains the spirit of the original texts, he can do. But in the context of an argument, it does not, at least not as sharply.
Moreover, because of the quantity and the fragmentation of these references, verification is simply an obstacle course: there are almost 50 different quotes and varied quantity gives a solid, almost legal, the text, but is not.
Admittedly, Luther often takes the trouble to give references and passages. This does not mean that the verification exercise is difficult for a text that aims to be accessible to the working classes. Only for the examination of the 10 commandments that takes a logical and complete transition of the Bible, and analysis as a whole, in correspondence with what he said.
If Luther gives the exact reference of many passages, it does not key in two places: either for the review of the 10 commandments, nor that of the holy scene.
However, these passages are found in the Bible in several places, each highlighting a specific context. Holy Scene is extremely sensitive to the faith of Christians. Already in his time, there are countless people who will die for a few lines or a few words, these passages there, from a great intellectual, popular faith certainly deserved more rigorously, or humility.
Luther may be he wanted to express these things in as much insurance as possible for poor people. And it is true that by giving only the appearance of rigor to the common people, it also gave them the belief they could access the rigor itself, on their own initiative, and what is 'they will. This is probably because Luther would sincerely give autonomy to all this, he considered it his primary duty.
In terms of choice of extracts, the vast majority is taken from the second will, and especially books relating to the construction of the first churches (the Epistles). It is likely that Luther saw some parallel with the news.
Unfortunately Luther takes no account of cultural and economic differences between the two phases. This will have dramatic consequences. For example, the passages quoted by Luther are very close to biblical passages where the authors speak of slavery, thereby appearing to justify it, then they only talk about what exists around them.
Thus, Chapter House rules, Luther quote Ephesians 6:5 as follows:
- Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling ...
However, the NIV translation is:
- Slaves, obey your masters here on earth with fear and trembling ...
If Luther uses these passages to justify his theology, why do not we would use to justify the triangular trade? The consequences, even if Luther did was probably not aware, will be dramatic for the African, and incidentally, for the honor of Protestantism.
This approach is also very fragile before the recopying simple error. For example, Luther cites Galatians 6:6:
- Let him who is taught the word share all good to do things with him who teaches.
However, the NIV translation is:
- Whoever receives the teaching of the Word makes a part of all his property to one who instructs.
We see, the difference is huge!
The result is a book to the appearance of great rigor, but that did not. It's a shame, because the ratio of the Luther Bible is real. The correspondence between the adventure of the early Christians, and that of the first Protestants, is very good. And it is likely that the character of Luther and St. Paul, Luther quotes extensively, as one of the main players in these early Christians, is also very illuminating. No doubt that the Bible does not leave as easily put into regulations intellectuals.
Temporal, thank God
The notions of time developed by Martin Luther are a very rich set. It gives the Small Catechism of valuable extension. The way he presented the Holy Scene for example, is remarkable.
Moreover, he does not like some kind of teacher who would make available its expertise, while retaining an expert role. It does for the reader himself can manipulate and appropriate the concepts it develops, although these are concepts that, without him, are extremely complex and sensitive.
The timing is a place to practice the grace of God can defeat Satan through. It is perfectly possible to see the results of the Grace of God - as you can see evil.
Roughly speaking, there are two kinds of temporality in the Small Catechism:
- Concepts related material, such as water (baptism), bread and wine (for the stage), on such materials by the symbolism that God gives them, all materials that become and carry meaning for men.
- Concepts related to the power of the strongest.
The difference between the two is that the first involves human consciousness, while the second is present, and according to the will of God, like it or not.
Thus, for water of baptism, Martin Luther wrote:
- This is not the water, certainly, which operates these great things, but it is the Word of God united with water, and faith that is based on the Word of God in the water.
- (THE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR)
We see that there are three actors: the water, which is nothing less than the Word of God, the Word of God, and faith. Here, faith is a process peculiar to man, by which it recognizes the role of supernatural water. If man does not recognize, it is in danger.
For what concerns the power of the strongest, Martin Luther demonstrates, using a few well-chosen quotations from the Bible, it is still hallowed by God:
- Be subject for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men, whether to the king as sovereign, either governments as sent by him to punish wrongdoers and to approve the righteous. 1 Peter 2:13,14.
- (THE LAW OF THE HOUSE)
Thanks to this happy occasion, Luther does not arise any question about the various injustices that might arise in reality, and even less about the doubts that they could inspire the very existence of God.
But we remain far from notions of divine right. If God gives a kind of blank check to temporal powers, they do not make them the kinds of intermediaries.
The church, through the power of the keys is only likely to stand as an intermediate:
- What do you think about the Ministry of the Keys, in the words of institution?
- I believe that when the servants of Christ called the Holy Ministry act with us under the command of God according to His Word, it has as much validity, even in heaven, that if our Lord Jesus Christ himself was acting with us. This is especially true when excluding from the Christian community outrageous and unrepentant sinners, or loosened when absolution by those who repent and promise to mend their ways.
- (DEPARTMENT OF KEY)
However, even that power is a limit, because the confession of sins before the church only for our knowledge:
- What sins should we confess?
- Before God we must acknowledge all the sins, even those unknown to us - as we do in the Our Father. But before the confessor we declare that the sins of which we become aware that weigh on our conscience.
This shows that, for Martin Luther, among the unconscious, God, and so there is nothing. The unconscious is directly from God to all human beings. Casually, the Small Catechism is therefore a very strong denunciation of human powers, one major objective - and unconscious, too? - Is to govern the unconscious.
Maybe is this a secret of the vitality of the approach of Luther, where everyone can feel the edge of the unconscious, in an inviolable space, a direct relationship with God.
Thus, with very simple words, Martin Luther manages to spare their place in the material world, the powers that be, and the individual.
What I am, what I think
An individual is necessarily the great love between the father and sins appalling. He is active on that line in terms of awareness of this fact. Raise this awareness is an imperative for all Christians - and particularly the Head of Family, which this book is dedicated - because it is a kind of echo of God's love for all, because evil is an extremely serious danger for all.
Two passages, among others, may be cited as an example:
- 16. Why do we commemorate and announce his death?
- We must commemorate the death of Jesus:
- 1. So that we learn to believe that no creature could make satisfaction for our sins, except Jesus Christ, true God and true man;
- 2. So that we learn to look with terror and our sins to them as appalling;
- 3. So we find our joy and consolation in Him alone, and thus we are saved by that faith.
- (MODEL OF AN EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE)
We see here that man is overwhelmed by his condition, only one side sins are terrible, and the other, learning from our eyes gives us access to joy.
- 4 What does the Baptism in our lives as Christians?
- Baptism implies that the old man, who is in us, must be embedded in contrition and repentance of all days, he must die with all sins and lusts, and that every day, too, must be reborn in us a new man, who lives forever in righteousness and purity before God.
- (THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM)
Here the model shows a more passive man who, through his death and rebirth, repeated every day, reached the court.
So in the Small Catechism, Luther sees the individual as overwhelmed by her situation, but conscious.
And the book does not just say: it does too, since it is addressed, beyond the family head, directly to the student, the point is often put in its place. For a game to use personal pronouns, Luther makes the respective positions of men, of societies, of course, may be he thought the Beatitudes , a famous example of this.
Here is an example of practice Small Catechism:
- - What is confession?
- The confession consists of two things: First, one must confess his sins ...
- - What sins should we confess?
- Before God we must acknowledge the sins of all ...
- - What are these sins?
- Consider your vocation ...
- (DEPARTMENT OF KEY)
Here we see the transition from one to us, then to you, that gives strength to the issue of personal confession, and, indeed, places the individual in a personal universe.
The person is also included in a network of authority, rules, and functions only when Luther does not use personal pronouns to refer to them, but the name of their function:
- Duties of bishops, pastors and preachers
- It bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife, ...
- (THE LAW OF THE HOUSE)
For Luther, it seems that people have roles in society, they have received specific qualities or skills, from which they come before God. These functions let you move from a collection of individuals in a society where people live together in a common interest.
- Consider your calling, according to the Ten Commandments, depending on whether you are parent or child, master or servant; examines your behavior: if you have been disobedient, unfaithful or lazy, if you're offended or you stole something, or any damage caused by your negligence, your lack of order, or otherwise.
- (DEPARTMENT OF KEY)
If we re-wrote this positive suggestion, we would write that the purpose (quality) and the ten commandments (the rule), say what conduct by having its function, in order to respect everyone.
The concepts absent remarkable
Universal yes, non-Catholic
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Unrelated to the News
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Life of Jesus
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Description
From the relationship with God: the meaning
The Ten Commandments, the Christian faith, our father
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The report of the Church: the sacred
The sacrament of baptism, the Department of keys, the holy scene
... to do ...
From the relationship with oneself and others
How can a family head will teach his people to pray, the rules of the house, a model of self-examination
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Awareness of the book
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