A Reformed catechism of 129 questions and answers, published in 1563 and organized around guilt, grace, and gratitude.
Tagged: Catechisms Creeds and Confessions Reformation
Historical Context
The Heidelberg Catechism was commissioned by Elector Frederick III of the Palatinate and written chiefly by Zacharias Ursinus and Caspar Olevianus, and it was published in Heidelberg in 1563. Its 129 questions and answers are divided into 52 Lord's Days for preaching and teaching across a year, and its first answer — on the believer's only comfort in life and death — is widely known. It is one of the Three Forms of Unity of Dutch Reformed churches and a confessional standard of particular Reformed churches, not an ecumenical creed of the whole Church.
Use and Practice
The catechism is taught to children and new members, preached through in Sunday services in many Reformed congregations, and used in personal devotion. Its treatment of the Lord's Prayer appears in its final section, on prayer under the heading of thankfulness and gratitude.
References
- Creeds of Christendom, Vol. II (CCEL) Free / open access
- Ligonier Ministries Free / open access
Related Prayers and Creeds
- Belgic Confession — A 37-article Reformed confession written in 1561 by Guido de Brès for the churches of the Low Countries.
- Westminster Confession and Catechisms — The Presbyterian standards produced by the Westminster Assembly in the 1640s: a confession of faith and a Larger and Shorter Catechism.
- The Lord's Prayer (Our Father) — The prayer Jesus taught his disciples in Matthew 6 and Luke 11, shared by Christians of every tradition.
Related Across the Site
- Apostles' Creed Prayer or Creed — The ancient baptismal creed of the Western Church, summarizing belief in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- Athanasian Creed Prayer or Creed — A Latin creed, traditionally ascribed to Athanasius, that states the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation in precise detail.
- Augsburg Confession Prayer or Creed — The primary Lutheran confession of faith, presented to Emperor Charles V at Augsburg in 1530.
- Belgic Confession Prayer or Creed — A 37-article Reformed confession written in 1561 by Guido de Brès for the churches of the Low Countries.
- London Baptist Confession Prayer or Creed — The confession of Particular Baptist churches, first published in 1677 and formally adopted in London in 1689.
- Nicene Creed Prayer or Creed — The creed of the councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381), the central doctrinal confession shared by most Christians.
- Thirty-Nine Articles Prayer or Creed — The Church of England's defining doctrinal articles, finalized in 1571 and printed in the Book of Common Prayer.
- Westminster Confession and Catechisms Prayer or Creed — The Presbyterian standards produced by the Westminster Assembly in the 1640s: a confession of faith and a Larger and Shorter Catechism.