Sources

The Heidelberg Catechism

Citation Formats

General Reference

Divinity Atlas. "The Heidelberg Catechism." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://divinity.interactivelion.com/sources/the-heidelberg-catechism.

APA Style

Divinity Atlas. (n.d.). The Heidelberg Catechism. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://divinity.interactivelion.com/sources/the-heidelberg-catechism

BibTeX

@misc{divinityatlas-the-heidelberg-catechism,
  author = {Divinity Atlas},
  title = {The Heidelberg Catechism},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://divinity.interactivelion.com/sources/the-heidelberg-catechism},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

The Heidelberg Catechism is a primary Reformed confessional text, adopted in the Palatinate in 1563 under Elector Frederick III, and this record states an honest uncertainty about its authorship rather than a settled attribution: the joint authorship of Zacharias Ursinus and Caspar Olevianus is the traditional attribution, and it is questioned by modern scholarship, a real scholarly dispute this record carries rather than smooths over. As a primary text it is authoritative for what this catechism itself states, including its questions on the Lord's Supper setting out the spiritual presence position, checkable directly against the text, not for how every Reformed body that has since adopted it currently interprets a given question. Use it to establish the Palatinate Reformed position of 1563 on a named doctrine.

Facts

Assessment

Reliability Tier

The Reformed catechism of the Palatinate, adopted in 1563; its questions on the Lord's Supper set out the spiritual presence position, and the joint authorship traditionally attributed to Zacharias Ursinus and Caspar Olevianus is questioned by modern scholarship.

Notes

The Reformed catechism of the Palatinate, adopted 1563. Its questions on the Lord's Supper set out the spiritual-presence position. The joint authorship of Ursinus and Olevianus is the traditional attribution and is questioned by modern scholarship.

Citation

Author

Zacharias Ursinus and Caspar Olevianus (traditional attribution)

Publisher

Elector Frederick III of the Palatinate, Heidelberg

Publication Year

1563

URL

https://www.crcna.org/welcome/beliefs/confessions/heidelberg-catechism

Source Type

primary-text

Claims Backed By This Source (49 claims)

This source backs 49 claims across the atlas. As facts: 17 well-attested. As cited relationships: 11 holds, 1 critiqued Here, 6 rejected Here. Plus 14 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.

Disposition By Topic

Denominations, 14 claims: 5 well-attested, 1 holds, 6 rejected Here, 2 general references.
Doctrines, 13 claims: 1 well-attested, 6 holds, 6 general references.
Sources, 8 claims: 8 well-attested.
Beliefs & Restrictions, 5 claims: 2 well-attested, 1 holds, 2 general references.
Practices, 4 claims: 1 holds, 1 critiqued Here, 2 general references.
Creeds & Confessions, 3 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 holds, 1 general references.
Prayers, 2 claims: 1 holds, 1 general references.