Written in the first century, the Didache [DID-uh-kay] is the first known Christian catechesis and the earliest known Christian writing outside of Scripture. The name of the work, Didache, is appropriate for such a catechesis because it comes from the Greek word for "teaching" and indicates that this writing contains the teaching of the Apostles and, as such, it is the teaching of the Church.
Today, the most comprehensive catechesis is the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Didache Series presents the life and doctrine of the Catholic Church in the context of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the teachings of Vatican II as witnessed by the pontificates of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. The series also draws from Sacred Scripture, the lives of the Saints, and the Doctors and Fathers of the Church.
The Didache Series has been published since 2003 at the invitation of Francis Cardinal George of the Archdiocese of Chicago, who requested a series of "texts that would set out clearly and adequately the teaching of the Catholic Church." Each textbook of the Didache Series has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church by the USCCB.
The Didache Series is comprised of three separate sub-series:
The Didache Series: Complete Course
The
Didache Complete Course is comprised of four books, each designed to be covered in the course of one academic year. At the request of many schools, Midwest Theological Forum will continue to offer this series in addition to the new
Didache Semester Course prepared in accordance with the USCCB Curriculum Framework.