A modern catechism of 52 questions and answers on the essentials of Christian belief, with Scripture, prayers, and commentary.
New City Catechism, developed by Timothy Keller and The Gospel Coalition, adapts the great Reformation catechisms into 52 memorable questions and answers on the core doctrines of the Christian faith. Its logic is simple and time-tested: you cannot defend what you have not first internalized, and the app is built to help you actually learn and retain sound doctrine. Each of the 52 questions pairs a question and answer with a supporting Scripture, a short prayer, a commentary video or written meditation, and, for children, a kid-friendly song, so the same content works for a five-year-old and a fifty-year-old alike.
The execution is excellent. The app is genuinely beautiful, calm, and uncluttered, with both a shorter children's answer and a fuller adult answer, plus an interactive two-person mode that makes it easy to catechize a child or a friend. It is free, doctrinally careful, and warmly ecumenical within historic Protestant orthodoxy. The honest caveat is one of category: this is catechesis and discipleship, not apologetics in the debate-and-defense sense. You will emerge grounded in what Christians believe and why, but you will not find rebuttals to atheism, arguments for the resurrection, or engagement with skeptics here.
Understood on its own terms, it is close to ideal. As the foundation beneath your apologetics, a firm grasp of the doctrines you are defending, it is hard to imagine a more thoughtful, more accessible, or better-designed free tool. Families, new believers, and anyone wanting to shore up their doctrinal footing should install it happily, then reach for a dedicated apologetics resource when the goal shifts from knowing the faith to defending it.
Core doctrines distilled into a memorable, year-long question set.
A fuller adult answer and a simpler children's version for every question.
Short teaching videos and written meditations unpack each answer.
Kid-friendly songs help children memorize the catechism with joy.
A two-person mode makes it easy to catechize a child or friend together.
Each question pairs with a supporting verse and a short prayer.
Families, new believers, and anyone wanting a beautiful, trustworthy tool to memorize and internalize core Christian doctrine.
You want to answer skeptics, engage objections, or study arguments for God and the resurrection.
| New City Catechism | GotQuestions | Reasonable Faith | Stand to Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our score | 8.0 | 8.6 | 8.8 | 8.4 |
| Price | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Primary purpose | Catechesis | Reference answers | Scholarly defense | Conversation skills |
| Best format | Q&A + songs | Written answers | Debate & courses | Podcast & training |
| Design & UX | Excellent | Basic | Functional | Very good |
It was developed by Timothy Keller and The Gospel Coalition, adapting historic Reformation catechisms.
There are 52, one for each week of the year, covering the core doctrines of the faith.
It is catechesis, teaching what Christians believe, which is the foundation for apologetics rather than defense against skeptics.
Yes. Each question has a simpler child's answer and kid-friendly songs, alongside a fuller adult answer.
No. The app and all of its content are completely free with no ads.