Catechisms Written for Mothers, Schoolmistresses and Children, 1575-1750

As works designed for mothers to instruct their children within the home, early modern mother-directed catechisms, like traditional catechisms, use the question-and-answer format to present the basic tenets of the Protestant faith. But such catechisms differ from traditional ones in how they represent the mother-child relationship. Because catechisms discuss fine questions of theology, and because they present a non-contentious image of maternal authority, many literary critics and cultural hist