Theological Sources of the Heidelberg Catechism

Few documents in the history of the church have been so widely loved and so regularly used as the Heidelberg Catechism. Since its publication in 1563, it has served as a summary of the Christian faith unsurpassed in its warmth, clarity, and theological depth. But who gave it its distinctive character?

Zacharias Ursinus emerges as its primary author, but the Catechism was never the product of a single mind. Caspar Olevianus, Elector Frederick III, and others shaped the final document, drawing from a wide range of ancient and contemporary sources. The result is a confession thoroughly Reformed in its convictions yet catholic in its reach.

In this volume, Dr. Walker brings his research to bear on these questions, tracing the influences behind the greatest catechetical achievement ever.