Divinity faculty members publish ‘Creator to Crown’ catechism for Baptist churches

Reflecting on millennia of biblical truth and centuries of church doctrine, two faculty members from the Liberty University John W. Rawlings School of Divinity, Dr. Adam McClendon and Dr. Chris Hulshof, recently published “Creator to Crown: A Christ-Centered Catechism,” an in-depth project devoted to establishing a core confession of faith for Baptist churches.

The catechism, which officially released June 1, was published through B&H Publishing Group, a division of Lifeway Christian Resources. The publication covers seven key aspects or “mile markers” of Christianity — Creator (God), Creation, Crisis (fall of humanity), (biblical) Covenants, Christ, Church, and (Jesus’ ultimate) Crown — with each section featuring hand-drawn illustrations and answers to some of Christianity’s toughest questions.

McClendon, who serves as associate dean for the Liberty University Theological Seminary, said the work provides an opportunity for Baptist believers to find common ground and unity through shared beliefs. He noted the original idea for the catechism stemmed from a concerted effort by Liberty faculty to help students effectively articulate the core tenets of Christianity.

“The idea, from a Liberty standpoint, was initially to give us a starting point to have a theological conversation with our students to make sure they knew the expected answer when they got to their capstone (course),” he said. “What grew very quickly though, before we even really had our first meeting and started the project, is that the need of the church was greater than Liberty’s need.”

Hulshof, an associate professor in the School of Divinity, said he remembers learning catechism truths as a child with his family at the dinner table. This experience instilled in him a respect and reverence for doctrine and provided him with a solid foundation of biblical truth when he attended Liberty himself as a student. Through “Creator to Crown,” Hulshof and McClendon seek to provide answers for believers of all ages and from all backgrounds of life.

“This is a very effective means of teaching in the home, in the school, and in the church,” Hulshof said. “None of the answers are so big you couldn’t use it with a 6-year-old, and none of the answers are so brief and simple you couldn’t use it in a Theology 300 level class.”

McClendon noted that Liberty’s unique positioning as a prominent Christian institution unaffiliated with a specific denominational creed lends support to the catechism’s appeal to a wide audience.

“For (Lifeway) to want to partner with something that is so closely tied to Liberty University is a big honor,” he said. “It’s a big deal. It also shows the importance of how Liberty is so influential in our evangelical world. We hold this beautiful position that brings everyone together. While so many denominational positions are divisive, Liberty is able to serve Christian education around core doctrinal values to pull people in.”

Although the catechism just released, aspects from “Creator to Crown” have already been implemented in foundational coursework at Liberty. McClendon also plans to incorporate the catechism into Sunday morning services at Bedrock Church Forest, where he serves as an elder, and give copies of the work to individuals after their baptism.