Today, a group of us gathered for our first book club meeting reading Thomas Watson’s A Body of Divinity. We were a bit caffeine-challenged since the person we had counted on to bring the java was out of town (ahem). However, we still had a stimulating and informative overview of the Puritans, the Westminster Confession of Faith, what a Catechism is and why it’s important, the Congregationalists and the non-Conformists as well as an introduction to the author himself.
This book is surprisingly engaging and while I wouldn’t say, easy to read, it is much less challenging than I expected. In fact, it was very hard for me to put down last night after reading and re-reading the first chapter. I believe that Watson made a very good case for systematically studying and memorizing the catechism in his ‘preliminary discourse’. Christianity is plagued these days with bad theology and superficial displays of religious devotion. While emphasizing that Christianity is a ‘relationship’ not a ‘religion’, we have lost valuable instruction in the fundamental tenets of the Christian faith.
In my opinion, we are less and less prepared “to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you”. Catechism helps to fill our hearts and mouths with biblical words and scriptural basis not only for the hope that is in us, but for the foundation of what we believe and why: our theology. It prepares us for a more thorough examination of the doctrines that the catechism brings up.
As Watson states, it brings us to be ‘settled’ in the faith, not ‘fickle’ like chidren, ‘sometimes of one mind, sometimes of another”. I’m praying that our study will settle us, strengthen us and deepen our love for the Lord.
I’m looking forward to our future discussions and comments.
