In Luther's time, many people didn't understand the Gospel. Luther wrote these works in 1529, to be used by clergy, educators and laity to expand knowledge of basic Christian teachings and to spread the Divine Word.

The Small Catechism - uses a question-and-answer style to teach the basics of Christian doctrine: the 10 Commandments, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

The Large Catechism - contains more advanced, complex instruction. It was designed to help pastors and teachers educate themselves and to teach the Small Catechism to others.

Luther's theories of learning urged:

• Use of uniform texts to avoid confusion
• Memorization of the Creeds, Commandments and prayers
• Daily reading and study of Scripture