In the early 1560s Frederick III (1516-76), Elector Palatine desired that his subjects be led to a 'devout knowledge and fear of the Almighty and his holy Word of salvation'. He commissioned a group of theologians and ministers to compose a catechetical summary of biblical truth that could be committed to memory and be an encouragement to personal faith and growth in Christ. The final version was approved by the Synod in Heidelberg (1563), the city lending its name to the catechism.
The Heidelberg Catechism follows the pattern of the Epistle to the Romans. It opens with the question 'What...
In the early 1560s Frederick III (1516-76), Elector Palatine desired that his subjects be led to a 'devout knowledge and fear of the Almighty and his ...