What is the chief end of you?: A study for contemporary Christians: Westminster Shorter Catechism - Paperback

by Hui Sang Hwang (Author)

This book is translated from a famous self-study book of Westminster Shorter Catechism in South Korea. Many of the problems modern day churches have brought on themselves are caused by the fact that they don't have a universal curriculum from which they can nurture the converts and raise their children. Without a universal curriculum that most churches gladly agree on, some have chosen to focus on knowledge while others focus on life application. Needless to say, without a universal curriculum either the pastor's leadership style or theological background will come to dictate the church education and the congregation growth. It is a long-standing ancient problem. Churches in the past created numerous catechisms, their official curriculum, and used them to educate their parishioners. For example, in the 16th century, Elector Frederic III, sovereign of the Electoral Palatinate, commissioned the composition of a new catechism (which came to be known as the Heidelberg Catechism) to promote religious unity in his territory. Then he regulated for parents to teach their children, for teachers their students, and for pastors and catechizers their parishioners for religious unity. Another well-known catechism, Westminster Shorter Catechism, was created in the 17th century. Back then England was in the middle of the English Reformation. And it was none other than the prosecutions Presbyterians experienced under the reign of King James I and Charles I that made them acknowledge the need of a common confession of faith (a byproduct of catechisms), by which they expected to clarify from the right theology of the Reformation matters of church governance and matters of life. With such a purpose, they summoned the saints to Westminster Abby in July of 1643, and their meetings, over a period of six years, produced the confession of faith along with Larger and Shorter Catechisms. The Larger Catechism, made of 196 sets of questions and answers, was designed primarily for adults and prospective ministers while the Shorter Catechism, made of 107 sets, was for the new converts and children in church. And this book is about the latter, the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Then what benefits can we expect from this so call old-fashioned material? (1) Catechism based church education will bring a more balanced and systematic education to your church, for catechism itself maintains a great balance between theology and life application on the chief end of man (to glorify God and enjoy Him forever). And for this reason, (2) catechism based teaching is more likely to be followed in the practical life of the learners. When our life is examined under its chief end and its application is provided in detail, learners will be more likely to attempt to apply what they have learned in the catechism. (3) Lastly, it will enable the learners to effectively defend their faith and successfully avoid many heresies, for the essence of Christian faith is so clearly listed and elaborated in the catechism. From the above, believers will be made able to initiate and maintain a beautiful life as God's children, not as a duty but out of a willing heart.

Author Biography

Author Hui-sang Hwang came to be heart-stricken at the depressing reality of Korean churches while serving The Voice (a Christian magazine published in Korea) as its editor-in-chief. Missing the beauty and power of the gospel, too many Christians in Korea seemed shackled to countless restrictions of religion. Where can churches find an alternative? The answer was the sound and systematic teaching of catechism for him! Being captivated by the systematic structure and profound implications of the catechisms of the 16th and 17th centuries, he made himself an avid reader on the topics of doctrine, history, and theology and continued to teach young generations the Heidelberg and Westminster Larger/Shorter Catechisms in experimental and unique ways. Over the years of hard but rewarding work, he came to have complete conviction in its refreshing way of teaching and its effectiveness, which led him to write this book for a broader audience of Christian readers. The What is the chief end of you? series soon became a bestseller in Korea, selling more than 50,000 copies over its first five years. Soon after its publication What is the chief end of you? earned tremendous attention and popularity from Christian readers and became a success in motivating them into catechism studies. In 2013, Hwang came to write another book, Why you should teach Catechism right now, with the purpose of delivering encouragement to churches and pastors in teaching catechism. He also presently serves Korea Theological Seminary as an adjunct professor for a course titled Teaching Catechisms while continuing with research on the Westminster Assembly. His passion is to transform what he has come to learn regarding this particular time of blessing in church history into a body of knowledge that even beginners could enjoy and benefit from. This book is a part of such an effort. This translation finds its original work in Korean Edition of A special lecture on Westminster Shorter Catechism and is translated and edited to serve those in mission fields and Korean churches overseas.