CATECHISM IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH FROM ITS ORIGINS TO THE MIDDLE AGES

Abstract

The article discusses the peculiarities of the formation of the catechism, which is a guide that contained the main provisions of the Christian doctrine, set out in an accessible form, often in the form of questions and answers, to encourage new Christians before baptism or for the general education of believers. It is noted that catechisms differ from symbols (confessions) of faith primarily in that they are an oral form of instruction, while a symbol is a written form of confession. In the early Christian era, the main reason for providing the basics of the Christian doctrine was the preparation of adults for baptism. Those who were preparing to receive baptism and partake of the Holy Gifts in the sacrament of the Eucharist needed to gain an idea of ​​the meaning of these sacraments. In addition, it was envisaged to familiarize oneself with the Apostles' Creed or another Creed as the most important statement of the foundations of Christian doctrine, the Lord's Prayer ("Our Father") as an expression of the essence of Christian spirituality, and the Ten Commandments as the main moral guidance for Christians. The confessional distinction of catechism is indicated. The catechism of the Catholic Church is distinguished by the fact that it is not written in a question-and-answer format. Instead, the Catholic catechism is a brief summary of the official teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, including the creed, sacraments, commandments, and prayers. As for the Orthodox catechism, it is an instruction in the Orthodox Christian faith, which is given to a Christian in his devotion to God and the salvation of his soul. It is worth noting that the process of catechization has never been an auxiliary phenomenon in conversion to faith: it has always remained the main task of the Church, aimed at the devotion of the individual to God and the formation of a Christian identity.