On the historical origins of the Heidelberg Catechism

Reflection on the origins of the Heidelberg Catechism reveals it to be a document of understanding between Calvinistic-Reformed, Zwinglian and Lutheran-Philippistic tendencies within  Protestantism. One important reason for the success of the Heidelberg Catechism was the fact that each one of these...

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Main Author: C. Strohm
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of the Free State 2014-12-01
Series:Acta Theologica
Online Access:https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/2658
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author C. Strohm
author_facet C. Strohm
author_sort C. Strohm
collection DOAJ
description Reflection on the origins of the Heidelberg Catechism reveals it to be a document of understanding between Calvinistic-Reformed, Zwinglian and Lutheran-Philippistic tendencies within  Protestantism. One important reason for the success of the Heidelberg Catechism was the fact that each one of these groups appreciated the Catechism. At the same time it clearly distances itself from Tridentine Catholicism and from the Gnesio-Lutheran variant of Lutheranism. This occurs mainly in the doctrine of the Lord’s Supper. The repudiation of the mass as “condemnable idolatry” is a result of the orientation to the Reformation of John Calvin. Here papal religion was seen as superstition and a fundamental violation of the true worship of God as well as an infringement of God’s honour. The experience of persecution by the Papal church in France and the Netherlands aggravated the criticism.
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spelling doaj-art-ed0f54b4a2324bb0bcebbdff119c758f2025-02-11T09:56:33ZengUniversity of the Free StateActa Theologica1015-87582309-90892014-12-012010.38140/at.v0i20.2658On the historical origins of the Heidelberg CatechismC. Strohm0Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Germany Reflection on the origins of the Heidelberg Catechism reveals it to be a document of understanding between Calvinistic-Reformed, Zwinglian and Lutheran-Philippistic tendencies within  Protestantism. One important reason for the success of the Heidelberg Catechism was the fact that each one of these groups appreciated the Catechism. At the same time it clearly distances itself from Tridentine Catholicism and from the Gnesio-Lutheran variant of Lutheranism. This occurs mainly in the doctrine of the Lord’s Supper. The repudiation of the mass as “condemnable idolatry” is a result of the orientation to the Reformation of John Calvin. Here papal religion was seen as superstition and a fundamental violation of the true worship of God as well as an infringement of God’s honour. The experience of persecution by the Papal church in France and the Netherlands aggravated the criticism. https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/2658
spellingShingle C. Strohm
On the historical origins of the Heidelberg Catechism
Acta Theologica
title On the historical origins of the Heidelberg Catechism
title_full On the historical origins of the Heidelberg Catechism
title_fullStr On the historical origins of the Heidelberg Catechism
title_full_unstemmed On the historical origins of the Heidelberg Catechism
title_short On the historical origins of the Heidelberg Catechism
title_sort on the historical origins of the heidelberg catechism
url https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/2658
work_keys_str_mv AT cstrohm onthehistoricaloriginsoftheheidelbergcatechism