# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1935_S252
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

240 Proceedings of Thirty-Sixth Regular Convention,

8. Synod rightly deplored the publication of unofficial eatechisms
in our midst (Proceedings, 1926, p. 163), but it cannot fail to see in
this practise an honest dissatisfaction with Schwan for certain groups
and classes of pupils. Furthermore, it must be recognized that some
100,000 of our own children and from 30,000 to 40,000 mission-chil-
dren not attending parochial schools or Saturday- and summer-schools
receive practically no formal Catechism instruction before entering
the preparatory classes for confirmation, due to a large extent, we
believe, to the unsuitableness of the Synodical Catechism for these
children or the institutions that teach them. It is even true that
Catechism instruction in the early grades of our parochial schools
up to Grade 4 is unsatisfactory in some cases. In the upper grades
and in one-room schools as well as in confirmation instruction,
Schwan is to our knowledge used as the basic book,

4. If Synod deems it advisable to abide by its restrictive resolu-
tion of 1932 concerning the present Catechism, if the deplorable prac-
tise of publishing unofficial catechisms is to be curbed, and if the tens
of thousands of Lutheran and mission-children in our midst, for
whom the present Synodical Catechism is thought to be too difficult
or advanced, are to be adequately served, we believe it appropriate, if
not necessary, for Synod to issue a more elementary beginners’ book
in the formal study of the Catechism.

5. Such a book might be known as a Beginners’ Catechism and
form an intermediate book between Luther’s text proper and the
present Synodical Catechism (revised); and it should distinguish
itself from Schwan as follows: —

a. It should be simpler in language.

b. It should offer more detailed explanations and applications of
the Christian doctrine, but not enter upon any of the deeper doctrinal
questions.

ce. It should be a simple explanation and application of Luther’s
text; not merely what has commonly been called Worterklaerung (ex-
planation of the words) and yet not digressing too much from the text
proper. It should constitute, as Luther says, the first attempt to
“teach the sense also, that they may know what it means.”

6. Your Board of Christian Education would therefore recom-
mend the following official text-books for Catechism instruction: —

a. A Beginners’ Catechism for lower grades up to 4 (possibly 5)
of our schools, for all beginners in the study of Catechism in the
Sunday-schools and other agencies and for such other purposes as
it might well serve.

b. The Synodical Catechism for Grades 5 to 8 (or 9) of our
schools, confirmation instruction, and other suitable purposes.