I saw a book with this title the other day. Just to be clear up front, this article is not a review of the book itself which may well be a useful addition to your family library. I’ve not read the book itself so cannot comment on its content but I do have a few issues with the title and also with the genre.
In a nutshell, the title is badly misplaced unless, and only unless it’s an attempt at a snazzy title for a copy of the Bible. We need to tread carefully when it comes to titles whether for books or blogs that fall into hyperbolism, especially when we start making exhaustive claims. A human book simply cannot claim that kind of exhaustiveness.
What does your child need to know about God? Well the Bible answers that question with these words:
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God[a] may be competent, equipped for every good work.
So, the best thing you can do with your child is read the Bible to them.
From what I can tell, the book is a child’s catechism. Catechism is a method of teaching people truth in a memorable manner through a series of questions and answers. Perhaps the most famous example is the Westminster Shorter Catechism which begins with the question and answer:
- Q: “What is the chief end of man?”
- A: “To glorify God and enjoy him forever.”
There is certainly benefit to this approach as it helps people to memorise things and to recall them. I’m not against catechism. It seems to have been particularly popular around the time of the Reformation and has continued in Presbyterian traditions. However, in recent years it has become increasingly in vogue again almost to the point where you are looked down on in some circles if you are not catechising.
So, it is worth observing here two things. First that catechising is not without its limits and risks. The big danger being that we simply encourage people to memorise statements so that faith is boiled down to a set of propositions. The risk is that a person can think that they know all that they need to know, that they have graduated and indeed that their identity in Christ is based on their ability to regurgitate the statements. This leads to the ability to remember and recall but not necessarily to understand and experience.
Secondly, this isn’t the only method of teaching people the faith nor is it necessarily the most effective. It may be helpful for some but others may actually find other ways of learning more helpful. I was never catechised as a child. It wasn’t a method we used. However, Bible stories were read to me and in time I was encouraged to read Scripture. I attended church where I heard those stories again. We would also memorise verses and passages, especially Psalms. Scripture was applied as my mum and dad prayed it with us and as they explained it to us. The result is that I was immersed in and saturated with God’s Word. I am not sure that catechism would have had that impact on me.
The problem arises when we take something that Scripture does ask us to do (we are told to teach God’s word to our children and their children after) and then identifying one way of doing this but then turning that into the command. The result is legalism as we impose something that Scripture does not. A further risk is that this legalism can lead to a form of superstition. We believe that doing things according to a particular form will guarantee blessing.
Here is the thing, just because you catechise your kids does not mean that they will grow up to be godly and follow Jesus. It is the grace filled worked of the Holy Spirit that is needed for that.
So, feel free to catechise your kids, even get hold of this book and see if it is helpful. However, don’t just rely on catechising, feel free not to use it. Most of all, don’t make assumptions about what it means for your children to know everything they need to know.
Faithroots 