Catechiste

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who instructs others in religious doctrine, often serving as a teacher in a church setting
2. Someone who provides education about faith and beliefs, especially to children or new adherents
3. An individual engaged in the process of religious teaching, typically within a community or educational institution

Etymology: The Greek verb "katēchein" meant to din something into someone by repeated sounding, from "kata" (down) and "ēchein" (to sound), the same root that gives "echo." Early Christian writers used it for instruction in the faith, so the "katēchistēs" was someone who taught by spoken repetition rather than by text. The noun passed through Late Latin "catechista" into French as "catechiste," the form English borrowed. The spelling was later regularized to "catechist," and the older form now survives mainly in older texts. The sense narrowed from general oral teaching to the job of preparing converts and children for baptism or confirmation through question-and-answer instruction, which is why "catechism" names the handbook of those questions.

Synonyms: catechist, teacher, instructor, religious teacher, tutor