Adult Catechism Fall 2026
This parish study series is independently prepared for local catechetical use. It is based on topics addressed in An Orthodox Catechism by Fr. Josiah Trenham, published by Patristic Nectar Publications. Through guided teaching, Scripture, and reflection, participants will examine who God is, what it means to be human, the reality of sin and salvation, the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Church, repentance, and Christian hope. Whether you are new to Orthodoxy or seeking a deeper understanding of the faith, this course offers a clear and practical path toward worship, spiritual growth, and life in Christ.
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Course Content
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Session 1: The True God
Catechesis begins with God because every Christian teaching about creation, humanity, salvation, morality, worship, and eternal life depends on who God is. The first and most basic religious question is not merely whether people are “spiritual,” but whether they know and worship the true God.
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Session 2: The Human Being
The Christian answer begins with God the Creator. Human beings are not accidents of matter, self-created individuals, or merely highly developed animals. A human person is a created being, made by God, possessing both a material body and an immaterial soul.
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Session 3: Sin
Sin is any thought, desire, word, action, or settled disposition that turns a person away from God and contradicts His will. At its deepest level, sin is a rupture of communion: it is failure to love God with the whole person and to love one’s neighbor rightly.
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Session 4: Jesus Christ, the Son of God
The Christian faith stands or falls on the identity of Jesus Christ. Jesus is not merely a remarkable teacher, moral reformer, prophet, miracle-worker, or spiritual example. The Church confesses that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son and Word of God, truly God before all ages, who truly became man for the salvation of the world.
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Session 5: Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World
To call Jesus Christ Savior means that He rescues humanity from sin, death, corruption, demonic bondage, alienation from God, and the disfigurement of human nature. Christ saves not by changing God from hostile to loving, but because the loving God acts in His Son to heal and restore fallen humanity.
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