Was ist das? Martin Luther's catechism and pedagogical methods in the contemporary theological classroom

Abstract

Martin Luther is primarily known as a pastor and theologian of the 16th century Reformation. However, he was also a pedagogue passionate about educational reforms that united the spiritual life with the daily lived life. Believing that education served the purpose of equipping students for a life in service of one's neighbor, Luther took a practical and spiritual approach to critically engage content and even left space for teachers to differentiate based on their students' needs. This article provides a close look at the pedagogy and curriculum Luther outlines in the introduction to his Small Catechism and seeks to provide a creative adaptation to the contemporary theological/religious classroom. In the hopes that Luther's method can be of help in a variety of settings and spiritual traditions, the primary teaching method is driven by inquiry and the catechetical question “what is this?”