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The Teaching of Christ: A Catholic Catechism for Adults
Comprehensive 30-lesson program exploring our Faith and its relevance to modern life. From the Sacred Scriptures to the rich heritage of the Church as expressed in the Catechism and the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, this program provides a sound basis for adult and convert education.
588 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
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About the author
Donald Wuerl
43 books11 followersDonald William Wuerl (born November 12, 1940) is an American cardinal of the Catholic Church. He is the sixth Archbishop of Washington, serving since 2006. He previously served as Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle (1986–87) and Bishop of Pittsburgh (1988–2006). He was elevated to the cardinalate by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 17, 2025
AN "ORTHODOX" (POST-VATICAN II, PRE-1993 CATECHISM) CATECHISM FOR CATHOLICS
The Introduction to this 1976 book states, "This is a Catholic Catechism for adults. It is a catechism in the sense that it is a comprehensive summary of doctrine. It is Catholic in that the doctrine it presents is the teaching of the Catholic Church... A contemporary catechism must take into account the wealth of the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, the renovation in the liturgy and concern for Scripture, the fresh emphases on ecumenism and the social requirements of the Gospel...
"A catechism must present fully and in a carefully authenticated way the teaching of the Church itself... A catechism is not the place for purely personal theological opinions or for taking sides in the debates of scholars on questions which have no decisive solution in the authentic teaching of the faith... The difficulties involved in writing an adequate catechism may seem greater than ever in times like our own marked by so much spiritual confusion. But such times as these also need more urgently a full and balanced account of the faith, an account that is accurate, clear, comprehensive, up to date, and in language readily understandable in the world today." (Pg. 18)
The book states, "A number of important religious truths are taught in the Genesis accounts of creation, but there is nothing in those accounts that rightly understood could ever justify fears of a conflict or confrontation between faith and science. The Bible, to be sure, does not teach evolution; neither does it say anything to oppose scientific theories about bodily evolution. It simply is not concerned with the kinds of questions the scientist deals with." (Pg. 58)
It says, "The books of the New Testament record a gradual development in the disciples' recognition of who Jesus was and is. They reflect the Church's development in Christological insight, its continuing growth in understanding the mystery of His person." (Pg. 96) It points out, "By the end of the second century, extraordinary and miraculous charisms had largely disappeared from the Christian communities.... after the second century such signs were not so common as they had been in the early days of the Church... In its infant days the Church was given these helps in learning to walk by faith. But when a visible family of faith had become rooted in the world, then the Church itself with its marks of unity, faith, and love became the principal sign of God's presence." (Pg. 171)
About abortion, it says, "The victims of abortion are clearly innocent and particularly helpless. Though the reasons that prompt people to kill the unborn are not always negligible, the insufficiency of the reasons is usually clear. A desire to escape burdens... is understandable, but it clearly is not reasonable to kill for that... It sometimes happens that two lives seem to be at stake, the life of a mother and the life of her unborn child. How is one to act in such situations?... if, for example, the saving of the life of the mother-to-be, independently of her pregnant condition, should have as an accessory consequence, in no way desired or intended, but inevitable, the death of the fetus, such an act could no longer be called a DIRECT attempt on an innocent life. Under these conditions the operation can be lawful... It is aimed entirely at saving life, and is in no way directed against innocent life. The death of the unborn is neither desired nor intended." (Pg. 321-322)
They also not, "Excluded from Christian behavior, then, will be all acts that are performed with the purpose of directly preventing conception. Similarly excluded will be all forms of direct sterilization for this purpose." (Pg. 330)
It argues, "women have never been ordained priests or bishops in the Church. Even the Blessed Virgin, whose role in the Church is more sublime than that of any other human person, was not called to any priestly office... it is clear that no Catholic, male or female, ever has a RIGHT to orders. For the sacrament of orders is not a gift required for one's spiritual growth or personal fulfillment. The sacrament of orders is not intended as a means of enriching the recipient, but for the good of the community." (Pg. 448-449)
They admit, "Some apparent marriages that 'fail' were in fact never true marriages. No real marriage covenant was established if one or both of the partners failed to give, or was incapable of giving, free consent; or if one or both did not intend ... a bond of faithful love at least in principle open to offspring. If for any reason an apparent marriage was not a genuine marriage from the start, it may be possible to obtain from the Church an official acknowledgement of that fact, that is, an annulment, or, more exactly, a decree of nullity... Should it be determined that one had not been validly married, genuine marriage with another partner would not be excluded." (Pg. 512-513)
They observe, "The word 'purgatory' is not in the Bible, nor is the doctrine explicitly taught there. But the ancient belief in purgatory is deeply grounded in what Scripture explicitly teaches about divine judgment, on the need for holiness to enter the vision of God, and on the reality of divine temporal punishment for sins which have been forgiven... Very much aware of the bonds that link us with those who have died in Christ, the Church never ceases to remember and pray for the departed." (Pg. 527-528)
They add, "'limbo' ... has been used to designate a place or state that some persons in exceptional circumstances would come to after death. Infants who die without being baptized are guilty of no personal sin; neither, however, have they received the saving grace of sacramental baptism... The Church has never made any official pronouncement on the reality or nature of limbo; but it does teach that baptism in some form is necessary for salvation. Many contemporary scholars have suggested that God will provide for the eternal salvation of these persons... God remains infinitely merciful, but the gifts of grace are entirely gratuitous, and we are not certain that the mercy He shows them will include the gift of supernatural beatitude." (Pg. 529)
They also note, "A refusal to believe in hell is a refusal to take God seriously, and also a refusal to take seriously man and his freedom and his responsibility to do good." (Pg. 530)
Although now superseded by the Catechism of the Catholic Church, this book is still popular for its clear presentation of "orthodox" Catholic doctrines.
The Introduction to this 1976 book states, "This is a Catholic Catechism for adults. It is a catechism in the sense that it is a comprehensive summary of doctrine. It is Catholic in that the doctrine it presents is the teaching of the Catholic Church... A contemporary catechism must take into account the wealth of the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, the renovation in the liturgy and concern for Scripture, the fresh emphases on ecumenism and the social requirements of the Gospel...
"A catechism must present fully and in a carefully authenticated way the teaching of the Church itself... A catechism is not the place for purely personal theological opinions or for taking sides in the debates of scholars on questions which have no decisive solution in the authentic teaching of the faith... The difficulties involved in writing an adequate catechism may seem greater than ever in times like our own marked by so much spiritual confusion. But such times as these also need more urgently a full and balanced account of the faith, an account that is accurate, clear, comprehensive, up to date, and in language readily understandable in the world today." (Pg. 18)
The book states, "A number of important religious truths are taught in the Genesis accounts of creation, but there is nothing in those accounts that rightly understood could ever justify fears of a conflict or confrontation between faith and science. The Bible, to be sure, does not teach evolution; neither does it say anything to oppose scientific theories about bodily evolution. It simply is not concerned with the kinds of questions the scientist deals with." (Pg. 58)
It says, "The books of the New Testament record a gradual development in the disciples' recognition of who Jesus was and is. They reflect the Church's development in Christological insight, its continuing growth in understanding the mystery of His person." (Pg. 96) It points out, "By the end of the second century, extraordinary and miraculous charisms had largely disappeared from the Christian communities.... after the second century such signs were not so common as they had been in the early days of the Church... In its infant days the Church was given these helps in learning to walk by faith. But when a visible family of faith had become rooted in the world, then the Church itself with its marks of unity, faith, and love became the principal sign of God's presence." (Pg. 171)
About abortion, it says, "The victims of abortion are clearly innocent and particularly helpless. Though the reasons that prompt people to kill the unborn are not always negligible, the insufficiency of the reasons is usually clear. A desire to escape burdens... is understandable, but it clearly is not reasonable to kill for that... It sometimes happens that two lives seem to be at stake, the life of a mother and the life of her unborn child. How is one to act in such situations?... if, for example, the saving of the life of the mother-to-be, independently of her pregnant condition, should have as an accessory consequence, in no way desired or intended, but inevitable, the death of the fetus, such an act could no longer be called a DIRECT attempt on an innocent life. Under these conditions the operation can be lawful... It is aimed entirely at saving life, and is in no way directed against innocent life. The death of the unborn is neither desired nor intended." (Pg. 321-322)
They also not, "Excluded from Christian behavior, then, will be all acts that are performed with the purpose of directly preventing conception. Similarly excluded will be all forms of direct sterilization for this purpose." (Pg. 330)
It argues, "women have never been ordained priests or bishops in the Church. Even the Blessed Virgin, whose role in the Church is more sublime than that of any other human person, was not called to any priestly office... it is clear that no Catholic, male or female, ever has a RIGHT to orders. For the sacrament of orders is not a gift required for one's spiritual growth or personal fulfillment. The sacrament of orders is not intended as a means of enriching the recipient, but for the good of the community." (Pg. 448-449)
They admit, "Some apparent marriages that 'fail' were in fact never true marriages. No real marriage covenant was established if one or both of the partners failed to give, or was incapable of giving, free consent; or if one or both did not intend ... a bond of faithful love at least in principle open to offspring. If for any reason an apparent marriage was not a genuine marriage from the start, it may be possible to obtain from the Church an official acknowledgement of that fact, that is, an annulment, or, more exactly, a decree of nullity... Should it be determined that one had not been validly married, genuine marriage with another partner would not be excluded." (Pg. 512-513)
They observe, "The word 'purgatory' is not in the Bible, nor is the doctrine explicitly taught there. But the ancient belief in purgatory is deeply grounded in what Scripture explicitly teaches about divine judgment, on the need for holiness to enter the vision of God, and on the reality of divine temporal punishment for sins which have been forgiven... Very much aware of the bonds that link us with those who have died in Christ, the Church never ceases to remember and pray for the departed." (Pg. 527-528)
They add, "'limbo' ... has been used to designate a place or state that some persons in exceptional circumstances would come to after death. Infants who die without being baptized are guilty of no personal sin; neither, however, have they received the saving grace of sacramental baptism... The Church has never made any official pronouncement on the reality or nature of limbo; but it does teach that baptism in some form is necessary for salvation. Many contemporary scholars have suggested that God will provide for the eternal salvation of these persons... God remains infinitely merciful, but the gifts of grace are entirely gratuitous, and we are not certain that the mercy He shows them will include the gift of supernatural beatitude." (Pg. 529)
They also note, "A refusal to believe in hell is a refusal to take God seriously, and also a refusal to take seriously man and his freedom and his responsibility to do good." (Pg. 530)
Although now superseded by the Catechism of the Catholic Church, this book is still popular for its clear presentation of "orthodox" Catholic doctrines.
Want to read
December 14, 2009Recommended by James Schall in Another Sort of Learning, Chapter 19, as one of Sixteen Books on Belief and Disbelief.
Read
January 29, 2017A good catechism but it reads like a textbook and I could not make myself finish it! :/
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews