An Outline
of the Faith

Concerning the Catechism

This catechism is primarily intended for use by parish priests, deacons, and lay catechists, to give an outline for instruction. It is a commentary on the creeds, but is not meant to be a complete statement of belief and practices; rather, it is a point of departure for the teacher, and it is cast in the traditional question and answer form for ease of reference.

The second use of this catechism is to provide a brief summary of the Church's teaching for an inquiring stranger who picks up a Prayer Book.

It may also be used to form a simple service; since the matter is arranged under headings, it is suitable for selective use, and the leader may introduce prayers and hymns as needed.

An Outline of the Faith
commonly called the Catechism

Human Nature

Q.   What are we by nature?
A.   We are part of God's creation, made in the image of God.

Q.   What does it mean to be created in the image of God?
A.   It means that we are free to make choices: to love, to create, to reason,
      and to live in harmony with creation and with God.

Q.   Why then do we live apart from God and out of harmony with creation?
A.   From the beginning, human beings have misused their freedom and
      made wrong choices.

Q.   Why do we not use our freedom as we should?
A.   Because we rebel against God, and we put ourselves in the place of
      God.

Q.   What help is there for us?
A.   Our help is in God.

Q.   How did God first help us?
A.   God first helped us by revealing himself and his will, through nature and
      history, through many seers and saints, and especially the prophets of
      Israel.

God the Father

Q.   What do we learn about God as creator from the revelation to Israel?
A.   We learn that there is one God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven
      and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

Q.   What does this mean?
A.   This means that the universe is good, that it is the work of a single
       loving God who creates, sustains, and directs it.

Q.   What does this mean about our place in the universe?
A.   It means that the world belongs to its creator; and that we are called to
      enjoy it and to care for it in accordance with God's purposes.

Q.   What does this mean about human life?
A.   It means that all people are worthy of respect and honor, because all
      are created in the image of God, and all can respond to the love of
      God.

Q.   How was this revelation handed down to us?
A.   This revelation was handed down to us through a community created
       by a covenant with God.

The Old Covenant

Q.   What is meant by a covenant with God?
A.   A covenant is a relationship initiated by God, to which a body of people
       responds in faith.

Q.   What is the Old Covenant?
A.   The Old Covenant is the one given by God to the Hebrew people.

Q.   What response did God require from the chosen people?
A.   God required the chosen people to be faithful; to love justice, to do
       mercy, and to walk humbly with their God.

Q.   Where is this Old Covenant to be found?
A.   The covenant with the Hebrew people is to be found in the books which
       we call the Old Testament.

Q.   Where in the Old Testament is God's will for us shown most clearly?
A.   God's will for us is shown most clearly in the Ten Commandments.

The Ten Commandments

Q.   What is our duty to our neighbors?
A.   Our duty to our neighbors is to love them as ourselves, and to do to
       other people as we wish them to do to us;

	V		To love, honor, and help our parents and family; to honor those in authority, and to meet their just demands;
	VI		To show respect for the life God has given us; to work and pray for peace; to bear no malice, prejudice, or hatred in our hearts; and to be kind to all the creatures of God;
	VII		To use our bodily desires as God intended;
	VIII		To be honest and fair in our dealings; to seek justice, freedom, and the necessities of life for all people; and to use our talents and possessions as ones who must answer for them to God;
	IX		To speak the truth, and not to mislead others by our silence;
	X		To resist temptations to envy, greed, and jealousy; to rejoice in other people's gifts and graces; and to do our duty for the love of God, who has called us into fellowship with him.

Q.   What is the purpose of the Ten Commandments?
A.   The Ten Commandments were given to define our relationship with
       God and our neighbors.

Q.   Since we do not fully obey them, are they useful at all?
A.   Since we do not filly obey them, we see more clearly our sin and our
       need for redemption.

Sin and Redemption

Q.   What is sin?
A.   Sin is the seeking of our own will instead of the will of God, thus
       distorting our relationship with God, with other people, and with all
       creation.

Q.   How does sin have power over us?
A.   Sin has power over us because we lose our liberty when our
       relationship with God is distorted.

Q.   What is redemption?
A.   Redemption is the act of God which sets us free from the power of evil,
       sin, and death.

Q.   How did God prepare us for redemption?
A.   God sent the prophets to call us back to himself, to show us our need
       for redemption, and to announce the coming of the Messiah.

Q.   What is meant by the Messiah?
A.   The Messiah is one sent by God to free us from the power of sin, so
       that with the help of God we may live in harmony with God, within
       ourselves, with our neighbors, and with all creation.

Q.   Who do we believe is the Messiah?
A.   The Messiah, or Christ, is Jesus of Nazareth, the only Son of God.

God the Son

Q.   What do we mean when we say that Jesus is the only Son of God?
A.   We mean that Jesus is the only perfect image of the Father, and shows
       us the nature of God.

Q.   What is the nature of God revealed in Jesus?
A.   God is love.

Q.   What do we mean when we say that Jesus was conceived by the
       power of the Holy Spirit and became incarnate from the Virgin Mary?
A.   We mean that by God's own act, his divine Son received our human
       nature from the Virgin Mary, his mother.

Q.   Why did he take our human nature?
A.   The divine Son became human, so that in him human beings might be
       adopted as children of God, and be made heirs of God's kingdom.

Q.   What is the great importance of Jesus' suffering and death?
A.   By his obedience, even to suffering and death, Jesus made the offering
       which we could not make; in him we are freed from the power of sin
       and reconciled to God.

Q.   What is the significance of Jesus' resurrection?
A.   By his resurrection, Jesus overcame death and opened for us the way
       of eternal life.

Q.   What do we mean when we say that he descended to the dead?
A.   We mean that he went to the departed and offered them also the
       benefits of redemption.

Q.   What do we mean when we say that he ascended into heaven and is
       seated at the right hand of the Father?
A.   We mean that Jesus took our human nature into heaven where he now
       reigns with the Father and intercedes for us.

Q.   How can we share in his victory over sin, suffering, and death?
A.   We share in his victory when we are baptized into the New Covenant
       and become living members of Christ.

The New Covenant

Q.   What is the New Covenant?
A.   The New Covenant is the new relationship with God given by Jesus
       Christ, the Messiah, to the apostles; and, through them, to all who
       believe in him.

Q.   What did the Messiah promise in the New Covenant?
A.   Christ promised to bring us into the kingdom of God and give life in all
       its fullness.

Q.   What response did Christ require?
A.   Christ commanded us to believe in him and to keep his
       commandments.

Q.   What are the commandments taught by Christ?
A.   Christ taught us the Summary of the Law and gave us the New
       Commandment.

Q.   What is the Summary of the Law?
A.   You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,
       and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And
       the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Q.   What is the New Commandment?
A.   The New Commandment is that we love one another as Christ loved
       us.

Q.   Where may we find what Christians believe about Christ?
A.   What Christians believe about Christ is found in the Scriptures and
       summed up in the creeds.

The Creeds

Q.   What is the Apostles' Creed?
A.   The Apostles' Creed is the ancient creed of Baptism; it is used in the
       Church's daily worship to recall our Baptismal Covenant.

Q.   What is the Nicene Creed?
A.   The Nicene Creed is the creed of the universal Church and is used at
       the Eucharist.

Q.   What, then, is the Athanasian Creed?
A.   The Athanasian Creed is an ancient document proclaiming the nature
       of the Incarnation and of God as Trinity.

Q.   What is the Trinity?
A.   The Trinity is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit

Q.   What is the Holy Spirit?
A.   The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity, God at work in the
       world and in the Church even now.

Q.   How is the Holy Spirit revealed in the Old Covenant?
A.   The Holy Spirit is revealed in the Old Covenant as the giver of life, the
       One who spoke through the prophets.

Q.   How is the Holy Spirit revealed in the New Covenant?
A.   The Holy Spirit is revealed as the Lord who leads us into all truth and
       enables us to grow in the likeness of Christ.

Q.   How do we recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives?
A.   We recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit when we confess Jesus
       Christ as Lord and are brought into love and harmony with God, with
       ourselves, with our neighbors, and with all creation.

Q.   How do we recognize the truths taught by the Holy Spirit?
A.   We recognize truths to be taught by the Holy Spirit when they are in
       accord with the Scriptures.

The Holy Scriptures

Q.   What are the Holy Scriptures?
A.   The Holy Scriptures, commonly called the Bible, are the books of the
       Old and New Testaments; other books, called the Apocrypha, are often
       included in the Bible.

Q.   What is the Old Testament?
A.   The Old Testament consists of books written by the people of the Old
       Covenant, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to show God at work
       in nature and history.

Q.   What is the New Testament?
A.   The New Testament consists of books written by the people of the New
       Covenant, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to set forth the life
       and teachings of Jesus and to proclaim the Good News of the
       Kingdom for all people.

Q.   What is the Apocrypha?
A.   The Apocrypha is a collection of additional books written by people of
       the Old Covenant, and used in the Christian Church.

Q.   Why do we call the Holy Scriptures the Word of God?
A.   We call them the Word of God because God inspired their human
       authors and because God still speaks to us through the Bible.

The Church

Q.   What is the Church?
A.   The Church is the community of the New Covenant.

Q.   How is the Church described in the Bible?
A.   The Church is described as the Body of which Jesus Christ is the Head
       and of which all baptized persons are members. It is called the People
       of God, the New Israel, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, and the pillar
       and ground of truth.

Q.   How is the Church described in the creeds?
A.   The Church is described as one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.

Q.   Why is the Church described as one?
A.   The Church is one, because it is one Body, under one Head, our Lord
       Jesus Christ.

Q.   Why is the Church described as holy?
A.   The Church is holy, because the Holy Spirit dwells in it, consecrates its
       members, and guides them to do God's work.

Q.   Why is the Church described as catholic?
A.   The Church is catholic, because it proclaims the whole Faith to all
       people, to the end of time.

Q.   Why is the Church described as apostolic?
A.   The Church is apostolic, because it continues in the teaching and
       fellowship of the apostles and is sent to carry out Christ's mission to all
       people.

Q.   What is the mission of the Church?
A.   The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and
       each other in Christ.

Q.   How does the Church pursue its mission?
A.   The Church pursues its mission as it prays and worships, proclaims the
       Gospel, and promotes justice, peace, and love.

Q.   Through whom does the Church carry out its mission?
A.   The church carries out its mission through the ministry of all its
       members.

The Ministry

Q.   Who are the ministers of the Church?
A.   The ministers of the Church are lay persons, bishops, priests, and
       deacons.

Q.   What is the ministry of the laity?
A.   The ministry of lay persons is the represent Christ and his Church; to
       bear witness to him wherever they may be; and, according to the gifts
       given them, to carry on Christ's work of reconciliation in the world; and
       to take their place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church.

Q.   What is the ministry of a bishop?
A.   The minsitry of a bishop is to represent Christ and his Church,
       particularly as apostle, chief priest, and pastor of a diocese; to guard
       the faith, unity, and discipline of the whole Church; to proclaim the
       Word of God; to act in Christ's name for the reconciliation of the world
       and the building up of the Church; and to ordain others to continue
       Christ's ministry.

Q.   What is the ministry of a priest or presbyter?
A.   The ministry of a priest is to represent Christ and his Church,
       particularly as pastor to the people; to share with the bishop in the
       overseeing of the Church; to proclaim the Gospel; to administer the
       sacraments; and to bless and declare pardon in the name of God.

Q.   What is the ministry of a deacon?
A.   The ministry of a deacon is to represent Christ and his Church,
       particularly as a servant of those in need; and to assist bishops and
       priests in the proclamation of the Gospel and the administration of the
       sacraments.

Q.   What is the duty of all Christians?
A.   The duty of all Christians is to follow Christ; to come together week by
       week for corporate worship; and to work, pray, and give for the spread
       of the kingdom of God.

Prayer and Worship

Q.   What is prayer?
A.   Prayer is responding to God, by thought and by deeds, with or without
       words.

Q.   What is Christian Prayer?
A.   Christian prayer is response of God the Father, through Jesus Christ,
       in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Q.   What is adoration?
A.   Adoration is the lifting up of the heart and mind to God, asking nothing
       but to enjoy God's presence.

Q.   Why do we praise God?
A.   We praise God, not to obtain anything, but because God's Being
       draws praise from us.

Q.   For what do we offer thanksgiving?
A.   Thanksgiving is offered to God for all the blessings of this life, for our
       redemption, and for whatever draws us closer to God.

Q.   What is penitence?
A.   In penitence, we confess our sins and make restitution where possible,
       with the intention to amend our lives.

Q.   What is prayer of oblation?
A.   Oblation is an offering of ourselves, our lives and labors, in union with
       Christ, for the purposes of God.

Q.   What are intercession and petition?
A.   Intercession brings before god the needs of others; in petition, we
       present our own needs, that God's will may be done.

Q.   What is corporate worship?
A.   In corporate worship, we unite ourselves with others to acknowledge
       the holiness of God, to hear God's Word, to offer prayer, and to
       celebrate the sacraments.

The Sacraments

Q.   What are the sacraments?
A.   The sacraments are outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual
       grace, given by Christ as sure and certain means by which we receive
       that grace.

Q.   What is grace?
A.   Grace is God's favor toward us, unearned and undeserved; by grace
       God forgives our sins, enlightens our minds, stirs our hearts, and
       strengthens our wills.

Q.   What are the two great sacraments of the Gospel?
A.   The two great sacraments given by Christ to his Church are Holy
       Baptism and the Holy Eucharist.

Holy Baptism

Q.   What is Holy Baptism?
A.   Holy Baptism is the sacrament by which God adopts us as his children
       and makes us members of Christ's Body, the Church, and inheritors of
       the kingdom of God.

Q.   What is the outward and visible sign in Baptism?
A.   The outward and visible sign in Baptism is water, in which the person is
       baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
       Spirit.

Q.   What is the inward and spiritual grace in Baptism?
A.   The inward and spiritual grace in Baptism is union with Christ in his
       death and resurrection, birth into God's family the Church, forgiveness
       of sins, and new life in the Holy Spirit.

Q.   What is required of us at Baptism?
A.   It is required that we renounce Satan, repent of our sins, and accept
       Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Q.   Why then are infants baptized?
A.   Infants are baptized so that they can share citizenship in the Covenant,
       membership in Christ, and redemption by God.

The Holy Eucharist

Q.   What is the Holy Eucharist?
A.   The Holy Eucharist is the sacrament commanded by Christ for the
       continual remembrance of his life, death, and resurrection, until his
       coming again.

Q.   Why is the Eucharist called a sacrifice?
A.   Because the Eucharist, the Church's sacrifice of praise and
       thanksgiving, is the way by which the sacrifice of Christ is made
       present, and in which he unites us to his one offering of himself.

Q.   By what other names is this service known?
A.   The Holy Eucharist is called the Lord's Supper, and Holy Communion;
       it is also known as the Divine Liturgy, the Mass, and the Great Offering.

Q.   What is the outward and visible sign in the Eucharist?
A.   The outward and visible sign in the Eucharist is bread and wine, give
       and received according to Christ's command.

Q.   What is the inward and spiritual grace given in the Eucharist?
A.   The inward and spiritual grace in the Holy Communion is the Body and
       Blood of Christ give to his people, and received by faith.

Q.   What is required of us when we come to the Eucharist?
A.   It is required that we should examine our lives, repent of our sins, and
       be in love and charity with all people.

Other Sacramental Rites

Q.   What other sacramental rites evolved in the Church under the guidance
       of the Holy Spirit?
A.   Other sacramental rites which evolved in the Church include
       confirmation, ordination, holy matrimony, reconciliation of a penitent,
       and unction.

Q.   How do they differ from the two sacraments of the Gospel?
A.   Although they are means of grace, they are not necessary for all
       persons in the same way that Baptism and the Eucharist are.

Q.   What is Confirmation?
A.   Confirmation is the rite in which we express a mature commitment to
       Christ, and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the
       laying on of hands by a bishop.

Q.   What is required of those to be confirmed?
A.   It is required of those to be confirmed that they have been baptized, are
       sufficiently instructed in the Christian Faith, are penitent for their sins,
       and are ready to affirm their confession of Jesus Christ as Savior and
       Lord.

Q.   What is Holy Matrimony?
A.   Holy Matrimony is Christian marriage, in which the woman and man
       enter into a life-long union, make their vows before God and the
       Church, and receive the grace and blessing of God to help them fulfill
       their vows.

Q.   What is Reconciliation of a Penitent?
A.   Reconciliation of a Penitent, or Penance, is the rite in which those who
       repent of their sins may confess them to God in the presence of a
       priest, and receive the assurance of pardon and the grace of
       absolution.

Q.   What is Unction of the Sick?
A.   Unction is the rite of anointing the sick with oil, or the laying on of
       hands, by which God's grace is given for the healing of spirit, mind, and
       body.

Q.   Is God's activity limited to these rites?
A.   God does not limit himself to these rites; they are patterns of countless
       ways by which God uses material things to reach out to us.

Q.   How are the sacraments related to our Christian hope?
A.   Sacraments sustain our present hope and anticipate its future
       fulfillment.

The Christian Hope

Q.   What is the Christian hope?
A.   The Christian hope is to live with confidence in newness and fullness of
       life, and to await the coming of Christ in glory, and the completion of
       God's purpose for the world.

Q.   What do we mean by the coming of Christ in glory?
A.   By the coming of Christ in glory, we mean that Christ will come, not in
       weakness but in power, and will make all things new.

Q.   What do we mean by heaven and hell?
A.   By heaven, we mean eternal life in our enjoyment of God; by hell, we
       mean eternal death in our rejection of God.

Q.   Why do we pray for the dead?
A.   We pray for them, because we still hold them in our love, and because
       we trust that in God's presence those who have chosen to serve him
       will grow in his love, until they see him as he is.

Q.   What do we mean by the last judgment?
A.   We believe that Christ will come in glory and judge the living and the
       dead.

Q.   What do we mean by the resurrection of the body?
A.   We mean that God will raise us from death in the fullness of our being,
       that we may live with Christ in the communion of the saints.

Q.   What is the communion of saints?
A.   The communion of saints is the whole family of God, the living and the
       dead, those whom we love and those whom we hurt, bound together in
       Christ by sacrament, prayer, and praise.

Q.   What do we mean by everlasting life?
A.   By everlasting life, we mean a new existence, in
       which we are united with all the people of God, in the joy of fully
       knowing and loving God and each other.

Q.   What, then, is our assurance as Christians?
A.   Our assurance as Christians is that nothing, not even death, shall
       separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
       Amen.