ABSTRACT
A tumultuous century before Luther challenged the right of the Church to distribute and sell indulgences for the forgiveness of sins, Hussite reformers had broached the fundamental issue of the Church's authority. Catechisms, in their varied forms, function as a window on to the theological and religious emphases of religious communities. The life Christians should lead is described in terms of love, ethical behaviour and good deeds. In the Hussite catechism of 1522 there are several divergences from, or repudiations of, Catholic teachings. Since this catechism came to the attention of Luther in 1520 and then again in 1522, it is important to explore what elements of the catechism might have been antithetical to Luther's own doctrines. By the time this Hussite catechism was composed, the Hussite Revolution had come to an end and the Bohemian Church was engaged in the process of institutionalization and constructing a postrevolutionary identity.
