CATECHUMEN, a technical term applied to a person re ceiving instruction in the Christian religion with a view to bap tism (Gr. icarrxobi.LEvos, one receiving instruction, from KaTrixEix, to teach orally). The catechumenate grew naturally out of Ju daism, which as a missionary religion had to instruct recruits. These were admitted by circumcision and baptism, women by baptism only. Second-century practice in Palestine is described in Yebamot 47 a.b. "They acquaint him with some of the lighter and some of the weightier commandments. . . . As they show him the penalty of breaking commandments, so they show him the reward of keeping them. . . . If he accepts, they circumcise him forthwith . . . when he is healed they at once baptize him." The ordeal was clearly much lighter for women. For this and other reasons there was a considerable body of potential proselytes on the fringe of Judaism. They were known as "God-fearers"; if they shrank from circumcision themselves they generally had the rite performed on their sons (G. F. Moore, Judaism, i. 323 ff.).
The Apostles are said to have instructed converts after baptism (Acts ii. 41, 42) ; the earliest teaching was presumably an explana tion of the Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament. On the Gentile mission Paul's strongest appeal was made to "The God f earers," who had been already won for monotheism and Jewish standards of morality, and for whom circumcision was no longer necessary. The word KarnxeIv applied to Christian instruction, presumably both before and after baptism, occurs in the New Testament in Luke i. 4 (of Theophilus), Acts xviii. 25 (of Apollos —the exact meaning is disputed ; see APOLLOS) and Gal. vi. 6 ("let him that is taught communicate with him that teaclieth in all good things") .
As the Gentile element in the Church preponderated, instruc tion became more definite. It was probably undertaken by the "teachers" (I Cor. xii. 28). The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, i.–vi. is a manual of ethical teaching. The Shepherd of Hermas was widely used (Eus. H. E. III. iii. 6.). Justin Martyr (Apol. i. 61) says converts are taught to pray for forgiveness before baptism.
In the 4th century, with the rise of heresy, detailed doctrinal teaching was given. Of those treatises which have survived, the most important are Cyril of Jerusalem's Catechetical Lectures, Gregory of Nyssa's Catechetical Oration, and Augustine's de Rudi bus Catechizandis. By this time the postponement of baptism had become general ; thus Constantine was not baptized till he was at the point of death. Accordingly a large proportion of Christians belonged to the catechumenate. Most of them were merely "ad herents" of the Church ; others were under definite instruction for baptism. The preparation, preceded probably by a period of pro bation, generally coincided with the 4o days of Lent, the baptism taking place on Easter Eve. The preparation consisted of (a) instruction in what must be renounced, (b) instruction in the faith, (c) exorcisms of evil spirits (see BAPTISM). All catechu mens attended the first part of the Eucharistic Service, known in the \Vest as Missa Catechumenorum, after which they were "dis missed." As infant baptism became general, the catechumenate decayed. The baptismal rites now used are clearly adaptations of rites intended for the reception of adult catechumens. In the mis sion field the catechumenate has been revived and primitive con ditions are repeated. Thus a polygamist will often be a life-long "adherent" debarred from baptism by marriage difficulties of his own making. (W. K. L. C.)