One of the most influential of the Reformed catechisms is the Heidelberg Catechism (also known as the Palatinate Catechism). Combining the best of Lutheran and Reformed teaching, and counteracting the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, it is an instructional manual on the basics of the Protestant Christian faith. The Heidelberg Catechism is divided into 52 sections (called Lord’s Days), and includes 129 questions on the faith, divided into three parts: The Misery of Man; The Redemption of Man; and The Gratitude Due from Man.
This work examines key aspects of the development of the Heidelberg Catechism, including historical background, socio-political origins, purpose, authorship, sources, and theology. The book includes the first ever English translations of two major sources of the Heidelberg Catechism—Ursinus’ Smaller and Larger Catechisms—and a bibliography of research on the document since 1900. Students of the Reformed tradition and the Protestant Reformation will value this resource.
