Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old-Fashioned Way

by J.I. Packer, Gary A. Parrett

Recovering an Ancient Practice for Modern Evangelicals

Historically, the church's ministry of grounding new believers in the essentials of the faith has been known as catechesis--systematic instruction in faith foundations, including what we believe, how we pray and worship, and how we conduct our lives. For most evangelicals today, however, this very idea is an alien concept. Packer and Parrett, concerned for the state of the church, seek to inspire a much needed evangelical course correction. This new book makes the case for a recovery of significant catechesis as a nonnegotiable practice, urging evangelical churches to undertake this biblical ministry for the sake of their spiritual health and vitality.

"Packer said that the greatest challenge for the twenty-first-century church was to recatechize and disciple believers. These contributions from two of our best Christian thinkers help us to do precisely that. It will help you to see how to make not just converts but, as Jesus tells us, disciples."―Chuck Colson, founder, Prison Fellowship

"More than a call to recover a neglected practice, Grounded in the Gospel provides concrete advice to us all for dedicating ourselves anew to rooting the next generation in the great truths of the faith."―Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Theology, Westminster Seminary California

"I want to prod parishes of all denominations to listen to Packer and Parrett's cries and constructive proposals to better equip new believers. This is an urgently needed book!" ―Marva J. Dawn, author of Is It a Lost Cause? and Talking the Walk; teaching fellow in spiritual theology, Regent College

"At last, a book that tells local churches how to fulfill all of the Great Commission! I highly recommend this book to pastors and church leaders who want to encourage Christian intelligence and maturity in their people."―Warren W. Wiersbe, author of the "BE" commentary series

"This book emphasizes two critical factors: learning is important, and catechesis is about the holistic development of the whole people of God. Christian learning needs to make a comeback in the church. This book will help."―Linda Cannell, academic dean, North Park Theological Seminary

J. I. Packer is Board of Governors' Professor of Theology at Regent College and an senior editor for Christianity Today. Best known for his bestselling classic Knowing God, Packer is the author or editor of more than fifty books.

Gary A. Parrett is professor of educational ministries and worship at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the coauthor of A Many Colored Kingdom and Teaching the Faith, Forming the Faithful.

Genres: Theology, Discipleship, Christian Living, Christian, Church, Spirituality, Christianity

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2010

About the author

What do J. I. Packer, Billy Graham and Richard John Neuhaus have in common? Each was recently named by TIME magazine as among the 25 most influential evangelicals in America.

Dr. Packer, the Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at Regent College, was hailed by TIME as “a doctrinal Solomon” among Protestants. “Mediating debates on everything from a particular Bible translation to the acceptability of free-flowing Pentecostal spirituality, Packer helps unify a community [evangelicalism] that could easily fall victim to its internal tensions.”

Knowing God, Dr. Packer’s seminal 1973 work, was lauded as a book which articulated shared beliefs for members of diverse denominations; the TIME profile quotes Michael Cromartie of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington as saying, “conservative Methodists and Presbyterians and Baptists could all look to [Knowing God] and say, ‘This sums it all up for us.’”

In a similar tribute to Dr. Packer almost ten years ago, American theologian Mark Noll wrote in Christianity Today that, “Packer’s ability to address immensely important subjects in crisp, succinct sentences is one of the reasons why, both as an author and speaker, he has played such an important role among American evangelicals for four decades.”

For over 25 years Regent College students have been privileged to study under Dr. Packer’s clear and lucid teaching, and our faculty, staff and students celebrate the international recognition he rightly receives as a leading Christian thinker and teacher.

(https://www.regent-college.edu/facult...)

Reviews

[Ryan Rindels]

Being raised Southern Baptist, the word catechesis was thrown into the bin with a number of other obscure and foreign terms only Catholics, Lutherans care about. Gary Parrett and J.I. Packer put an emphasis on teaching church members the fundamentals of the Gospel: the Trinity, the Lord's Prayer, the Ten commandments. As they assert, most evangelicals today are a mile wide but only an inch deep.

[Evan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually agree with the principle in theory--we must catechize our people. But this book is so broad on what it means by catchesis, that really it just means Christian education, from unbeliever to mature believer. And then there are like 100 different approaches that Packer and Parrett propose, and they just kinda put them all there as potential options. A lot of scattered thoughts and proposals, as well as a ton of repetition, leads me to be pretty grumpy about this book.

Additionally, its written from the perspective of broad evangelicalism/broad Anglicanism, and does not leave many good words about the Westminster Standards, criticizing its defense of infant baptism (really?), its lack of use of the Apostles' Creed (really x2?) which was heavily debated in the Assembly because of the phrase "he descended into hell", and what they deem to be its non-ecumenicity. But the book just feels way to ecumenical and eclectic, drawing often upon Roman Catholic tradition and practices, and trying to justify Packer's involvement in Evangelicals and Catholic Together, as well as trying to justify to evangelicals that Roman Catholics should be considered Christians upon default.

All in all too broad, too ecumenical that it hampers itself, not enough refinement. It could be half its length. I wonder how much actual collaboration between the two authors was done.

And this is coming from the guy who live J. I. Packer, and who wrote Packer's Wikipedia article. So...

[Gus Crotty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book countering the lack of churches being what a church is in the modern age. The lack of and existence of non-biblical church practices and catechisms is sad to see so frequently in today’s world. This book gives great reasoning and practical guide for how to recover what has been lost with time and a changing age

I think almost every book I’ve read recently is something that I will need to reread later as it becomes more applicable. Still good things to learn though!

[Venkatesh G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a call to the Evangelical Church to return to the ancient practice of catechising Christians systematically. The authors -- JI Packer and Gary Parrett -- argue that catechesis is a biblical idea (chapter 2) which has fallen by the wayside because of various historical factors (chapter 3).

The fourth chapter is worth the price of the book. The authors inform the readers about the framework on which ancient catechisms were built. The framework includes the Apostles' Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer. Packer and Parrett make a good case that modern-day churches should not lightly exchange this framework for other frameworks which are one-dimensional (like the stories model of the Sunday-School movement). The writers make the case that the historic model (Creed, Prayer, and Decalogue) address the whole person (head, heart, and hand). They also helpfully relate the historic model to Jesus's words in John 14:6, with the Truth corresponding to the Creed, the Way corresponding to the Ten Commandments, and the Life corresponding to the Lord's Prayer. This chapter is the bed-rock of the book and is well worth reading several times.

The rest of the book builds on upon the foundation laid by chapter 4. Chapter 5 argues for keeping the gospel as the main focus in all catechetical endeavours. There is also a brief -- and I think necessary -- critique of the New Perspectives on Paul (NPP). Chapter 6 unpacks the Truth-Way-Life model (Creed-Commandments-Lord's Prayer) and helpfully relates this model to the gospel (which the authors call the "plumb line"). Chapter 7-9 are more practical in nature and give many suggestions on how to develop and implement a catechetical curriculum. Chapter 10 is a summary of the whole book.

After reading the book, I realized how postmodern the Evangelical Church is (including the one where I serve). The Church lives and moves and has her being in the postmodern world, which has great contempt for history. Evangelical churches would be well served if their pastors and leaders take time to read this book, mull over its contents, and implement some (if not all) of its suggestions. By doing so, we would be well on our way to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:28)

[Thomas Fromke · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a very good book, but the best chapters were 4-6. The other chapters were informative, but they weren’t fantastic. All in all, I think this is a good book for people in ministry who need help formulating how to catechize well and what areas to focus on. I definitely think I will be returning to this book asa resource later in my ministry to remind myself of those categories, and to better refine how I teach Christians about their own faith so that Phil 1:9, “that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,” may ring true of us all.

[Andrew Klynsmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Packer and Parrett give a thorough treatment of the necessity and helpfulness and blessing that a renewed whole of life catechetical ministry in the church would be. And they stir us up to pursue that end.

I read this in conjunction with The Benedict Option, and am deeply convinced that a renewed catechesis will be essential for mature and steadfast faith in Christ among God's people in the troublesome days that seem to lie ahead.

[Jordan Shirkman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ABCs of parenting/the Christian life are actually Always be catechizing.

[Parker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wholeheartedly concur with the authors' concerns, ethos, and by-and-large with their methods. But this book was redundant and it said the same things over and over.

[Aaron Green · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is the perfect example of the hoarder that wants to clean but gets too overwhelmed by the mess to actually do anything. It is just piles upon piles of 'maybe try this'. It's arguing for catechesis but it's not abundantly clear what catechesis is. I'm told it's different from discipleship, but discipleship is an aspect of it. It is essentially trying to get at the most effective way to make disciples, but it's literally telling you every which way that can be done. If I'm a minister trying to figure this out (which I am), I will most likely still do what I've been doing (which I will) because it's not abundantly clear what they're encouraging you to do besides just walk people through their Bible in an intentional way. I think teaching people the Creeds and doctrines is important, but I also think that comes quite naturally as you walk people through the Scriptures in an intentional manner.

[Connor Curtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The whole purpose of this book is to make a case that church is today need to utilize the catechisms in instructing their congregations. I thought that most of the arguments were very good from both the Old and New Testament that this is an effective way for churches to teach their congregations. I especially liked the chapter about applying the catechisms to modern context. That being said this book was super long and very dry at parts. The historical aspect was interesting at the beginning, but became a real slog I feel like this book could’ve communicatedall that it wanted to in about half of its length one thing that I did really appreciate about it is that it recognized other forms of teaching and books such as pilgrim’s progress as a way to categorize people without it being just question and answer responses.

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Look, it’s the end of the semester and I could write my normal “too life anyone to read” review.
I’m not going to do that because I’m burnt out and have a paper I need to work on as it is.

So, in short, a cohort of mine said that the problem with this book is that the authors didn’t share the same “goal” in mind when writing the book. At the time, I didn’t agree with him until I read the second half of the book. Not to mention how unnecessarily repetitive this book became as it developed.

Furthermore, I found certain parts to be slightly contradictory. Not blatantly, but the ethos of certain section seemed to go against the ethos of others.

2/5 Would I recommend this book to anyone? No.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ate this book too fast. Only after a few days of digesting and mulling over the principles am I fully struck with the impact of what Packer has put together. In short, the authors lay out a framework for how to "onboard" folks into the church, which creates lasting relationships and foundational knowledge. While some of the
book is academic and verbose, the content is electrifying and inspirational in that we are provided a historical, biblical way to perpetuate solid teaching in turbulent times.

[David Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well needed remedy for todays church

This is a well needed book for the life and witness of our church. So often modern discipleship can lack the roots and direction that is needed to enable faith to thrive in our modern context and thus Packer and Parrett advocate going back to the practice of the early church and many generations since and reintroduce catechising. They do so both practically and warmth; enabling church leaders to develop a catechising culture which avoids some of the pitfalls of previous generations.

[Travis Breedveld · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy this book; it's discussion or history and the call to educate the church. I may not have fully understood the conversation around Sunday school but that might be because my Sunday school classes as a child were not like what he is describing. Also, the chapter that spoke on the dividing lines, I agreed with the call the be fair of others and that we need to be gentle and humble, at times felt a little too ecumenical. But that might be me, and my suspicion about ecumenism

[Micah Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started off enjoying this book. That enjoyment dissipated as I continued in reading it. I agree with the thesis of the book, but that does not mean that the execution was well done. The two authors felt kind of strange at least the way they handled it. It felt awkward and like the two men were not really of one mind. Most importantly, as with many modern "helpful" books, this work simply could've been an essay.

[Timothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Packer and Parrett advocate for structured teaching in the church (apart from sermons).
Some parts felt overly long and complicated e.g. their drawing on history and trying to connect different methods used in the past in a three-fold way.

One shortfall I felt was it was not mentioned or discussed how these series should relate to sermons or what role sermons play in systematic teaching.

[Sharon Zink · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is like a textbook for starting a catechism program in a church. I'm sure it is a valuable book for the right people. It was written at my instructional level of reading, and I did not enjoy it. But I kept going.

[Mandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book written for pastors about how to catechize the church. I found it hard to get through at times but made myself read it. It was a good concept. Boring though if you have no leadership position in a church and no power to implement these things.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book that lays out the need for a modern-day catechism and how to implement one in a church. Really anything by J.I. Packer is amazing, and this book is no different.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the 💣!

[David Marten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid basic of catechesis.

[Caleb Blevins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book. Full of biblical, historical and practical calls to restore the catechism to its necessary place in modern, evangelical churches.

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Catechesis is very important. But this book bludgeons you to death with that statement. There is a lot of good in this book! But it is too repetitive.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really well done book about the historical use of catechism in the Church to introduce people to the Christian faith and also using it as part of the process of membership for new converts.
For me, catechizing is a fairly new idea. And, I think it's a great idea. This book was really helpful for me as it showed the historical uses of catechism as well as the different forms of catechism.
Catechizing is not just a group of questions and answers. The Apostle's creed, explaining the Lord's supper, call to worship and other things are all things that a catechizing church can do. These are all ways of explaining and reviewing the truths of the Christian faith. This book helped me to see that my church uses liturgy and catechism. I didn't realize it before, but I really appreciate it. I need those reminders.
Another premise of the book was that the use of catechism should be revived for today, in church and at home. When I was growing up, I knew some of what I believed, but not why I believed it. So, now I want to use some form of catechism in my home to help my family and I was encouraged by some information in the appendices that offered guidance in that direction (some hymns and a list of resources).
I started to read this book because I wanted to be encouraged in my faith. It wasn't quite what I thought it would be, but the job of encouragement was done. I highly recommend this book. It's good for background and for motivation.

[John]

Recovering an Ancient Practice for Modern Evangelicals

Historically, the church's ministry of grounding new believers in the essentials of the faith has been known as catechesis--systematic instruction in faith foundations, including what we believe, how we pray and worship, and how we conduct our lives. For most evangelicals today, however, this very idea is an alien concept. Packer and Parrett, concerned for the state of the church, seek to inspire a much needed evangelical course correction. This new book makes the case for a recovery of significant catechesis as a nonnegotiable practice, urging evangelical churches to undertake this biblical

"Nothing could be more practical than the urgently needed wisdom that Packer and Parrett provide in this book. More than a call to recover a neglected practice, Grounded in the Gospel provides concrete advice to us all for dedicating ourselves anew to rooting the next generation in the great truths of the faith."
--Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Theology, Westminster Seminary California

Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old-Fashioned Way Available at Monergism Books

[Nile · Rating 3 out of 5]

What is catechesis?
It is more than memorizing a list of question and answers that were written 500 years ago. It entails the full range of instruction and training for everyone from those interested in the faith, to the new believer, to the newly baptized, to the continuing maturation of church members.

This book helped to broaden my scope from the catechism itself to see a more holistic view of training believers in the truth, life, and the way; engaging their heads, hearts, and hands. This must be done with concrete lines drawn around doctrines in the Christian consensus and evangelical essentials, while maintaining unity with the wider Church in spite of differences in Denominational distinctions and congregational commitments. Our church members need to know what they believe, why they believe it, and how it should affect their life.

This book seems to be written more for the pastor who needs to consider how he is teaching his flock, but as a layperson, I still found it very helpful to understand what I need for the vision in my own life and the lives of my family. I am called to pastor my little flock at home and intend to do that with the Gospel at the center.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is an apathy and shallowness in today’s North American church that needs to be addressed. Throughout history, periods of revival and growth in the church were always preceded by a focus on teaching doctrine and the authors contend that this is the need today as well. Packer and Parrett present a strong case for the recovery of catechesis in the church based on several historical accounts and outline what catechesis should and could look like in today’s churches.

The authors contend that the Gospel must be the centerpiece of any catechetical program to be truly effective. They expand on this idea by arguing that living the Gospel is a combination of a sound understanding of doctrine and godly living in equal proportions. I found this emphasis on balance refreshing as one aspect is often put forward at the expense of the other.

[Josh Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In their book on catechesis, Packer and Parrett challenge their lower church evangelical audience to renew the practice of catechesis for forming believers.
Packer and Parrett charge that much of the contemporary evangelical church suffers from a lack of depth. They believe that intentional and ongoing practices for catechesis is vital to the church's vitality. Before looking laterally at other contemporary churches or ministries, Packer and Parrett point church leaders to the wisdom of the past. They argue that the idea of catechesis is Biblical, while holding the particular semantics loosely. For a model of catechesis, Packer and Parrett are integrationists; they review models from early, reformation, and Puritan churches in an attempt to discern core elements common to the traditions. The authors also incorporate

[Bryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I borrowed this from my pastor and read it to see what I thought. The first two-thirds of the book breakdown the ideas of catechism and how it currently looks in the Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant churches. The history, background materials, and comparison charts are a wonderful read for those not knowledgeable; but as a whole, it reads more like a seminary textbook instead being intended for the average layman. The last third of the book would be most beneficial to Pastors and lay leaders looking to build "new members" classes and redeveloping the Sunday School program. The major idea being the creation of the three tiered program of classes that identify new believers, growth and discipleship of followers, and the mentoring of believers and leaders of the church.

[Paul Kurtz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because I heard the authors interviewed in an episode of the White Horse Inn radio program (WHI-986, Feb. 28, 2010). I thought their thesis - that the church is strongest when it places an emphasis on catechesis - was intriguing. The book did not disappoint. According to the historical evidence presented in the book, it does appear that the church has been strongest when its catechetical efforts have also been strong. And as the emphasis on catechesis wanes, so does the overall strength of the church.

Considering the lack of doctrinal depth and biblical knowledge of many in the Protestant churches I have been associated with, I think this is a message that Protestants need to both hear and apply in their individual congregations.