Martin Luther's Larger and Shorter Catechisms date to 1529. The Shorter Catechism evolved from a collection of Luther's explanations of the Christian faith. The term catechism comes from the Greek word kata-echo, which simply means "to repeat back." Dating back to the fourth century, Latin-speaking Christians used the word catechism to describe the basic instruction given to new Christians.
By the Middle Ages the term catechism had come to mean the three things that all Christians should know: the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, and the Lord's Prayer. The Larger Catechism was complied from sermons that he delivered in 1528 and was completed with revisions in 1529. The Larger Catechism has additions and revisions not contained in the Smaller Catechism. This is a great tool to better understand the basis for the "Protestant Reformation."