Luther’s Large Catechism: The Next Step after Confirmation

  • Duration: 4 Monthly 60-min. Discussions
  • Schedule: Fall 2026
  • Price: $400 first child + $300 per sibling
Videoconference Live Sessions
  • Tuesdays, 10:15–11:15 a.m. CT
  • August 25–December 15 (15 sessions, plus breaks on Oct. 13 and Nov. 24 and a catch-up session as needed on Dec. 22)
Objective

To grow deeper in the Christian faith through study of Holy Scripture following the outline in Luther’s Large Catechism, which Luther intended as a continuation of the Small Catechism that today’s confirmation students typically study.

Required Books
  • Ryan MacPherson, Studying Luther‘s Large Catechism: A Workbook for Christian Discipleship (ISBN: 978-0983568117)
  • Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions—A Reader’s Edition of the Book of Concord (ISBN: 978-0758613431) or another edition of the Book of Concord (containing Luther’s Large Catechism)
Outline

The following topics will be spaced over 15 weeks.

  1. The Ten Commandments
  2. The Apostles Creed
  3. The Lord’s Prayer
  4. Holy Baptism
  5. The Lord’s Supper
  6. Confession and Absolution
  7. Concluding Applications
Instructor

Dr. Ryan MacPherson holds a PhD in history and philosophy of science from the University of Notre Dame. After serving for twenty years as a professor at Bethany Lutheran College, he served as the founding academic dean of Luther Classical College for three years. He is author of Rediscovering the American Republic, a two-volume anthology of primary sources in American history, as well as several other books on topics ranging from theology to politics to bioethics. Dr. MacPherson has testified in court in defense of a homeschool father and for the protection of traditional American civics curricula, contributed to legal briefs submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in defense of marriage and the rule of law, appeared regularly on a variety of radio shows, and taught seminars for pastors and educators in Canada, Denmark, and Ecuador.

Our Unique Approach

  • Supporting families in lifelong learning
  • Offering interactive live sessions through small-audience videoconferencing
  • Teaching according to the classical pursuit of goodness, truth, and beauty
  • Cultivating the values of Western civilization: natural law, cardinal and theological virtues, Socratic questioning, syllogistic reasoning
  • Promoting the ideals of America’s founding: representative government and the rule of law for protecting people’s God-given rights to life, liberty, and property
  • Standing on the foundation of the historic Christian faith as taught in Holy Scripture and confessed in the ecumenical creeds and Augsburg Confession
  • Training homeschool students in specified subjects, with the parent ensuring that the child stays on pace (“Did you finish your reading for tomorrow’s videonconference live session?”) while Lifelong Lyceum handles the details of instruction and assessment
 

Final Call for Fall 2026 Registration

For our Natural Childbirth Class, registration is available now by clicking here.

For all other courses, please browse our catalog of offerings and click here to pre-register. (Lifelong Lyceum will reserve your seat as availability permits and send you an invoice to complete your registration.)

 Pre-Register Now 

Testimonials

My high school student was well equipped and deeply edified by Marie MacPherson’s seminars on the Greek tragedies. She guided students with rigorous and thoughtful discernment into meaningful life application and strong scriptural integration. Her teaching cultivated intellectual inquiry, historical perspective, and spiritual reflection. My son benefited tremendously from the fruitful contemplation she fostered throughout the course.

—Kate, Ohio

Dr. Ryan MacPherson does an excellent job using the Socratic method to lead his students toward goodness, truth, and beauty. I have gained a wealth of knowledge from his teaching.

—Douglas, Montana