Chelmsford Catechism

The Chelmsford Catechism was a religious publication compiled in 1657 by John Fiske, an early pastor of the Chelmsford Unitarian Church in Massachusetts. The only known copy of this catechism is housed at the New York Public Library.1

A catechism is a manual of religious instruction, typically presented in a question-and-answer format, used for teaching the young, converting others, and affirming one's faith. While oral question-and-answer instruction is common across many religions, written catechisms are primarily a product of Christianity. The term "catechism" was first used for written handbooks in the 16th century, gaining significant importance after the invention of printing and the Reformation.2