Church leaders celebrated the first release of the Shorter Catechism (Revised Edition).
At the station of CCC&TSPM on September 8, Rev. Wu Wei, president of the China Christian Council, hosted the launch ceremony, while Rev. Xu Xiaohong, chairman of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, delivered a speech, reported CCC&TSPM.
Pastor Xu stated that the Shorter Catechism is the most widely read book in the Church of China concerning basic beliefs, which holds great significance for the faith and spiritual cultivation of believers, especially newcomers. As the Shorter Catechism (Revised Edition) has added a considerable amount of content that is more in line with today's era and clarified some of the less explicit content from the previous edition, believers, especially newcomers, can have a comprehensive understanding of their faith, he added.
Pastor Wu mentioned that the catechism pamphlet had added new content and provided deeper explanations for some of the previous questions. He hoped that this book could assist catechumens and new believers in pursuing and growing on the true path.
First published in 1983, the pamphlet is compiled in a question-and-answer format, explaining the core beliefs of Christianity. Over the past 40 years, it has played a role in maintaining the purity of faith in the church of China, improving the quality of believers, and resisting heretical doctrine. In this revised edition, while maintaining the basic principles, characteristics, and content, the number of questions has been expanded from the original 100 to 120. It has added questions and answers related to the challenges faced by seekers and believers in today's context and made necessary revisions to the original entries to better suit the needs of the times.
- Translated by Abigail Wu