Power of Faith – 450 Years of the Heidelberg Catechism

The year 2013 welcomes a major anniversary: 450 years of the Heidelberg Catechism. This Protestant confessional was written on behalf of Frederick III, Elector Palatine, and spread all over the world. Since then, the Heidelberg Catechism has shaped spiritual and political life and become a symbol of change and departure from the old in Europe, America, and Asia. The anniversary of this influential confessional is being marked by three exhibitions in 2013 (at the Palatinate Museum and State Palaces & Gardens Baden-Wurttemberg in Heidelberg, Germany, and the Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn, Netherlands). These follow a conference on the Heidelberg Catechism held by the Johannes A. Lasco Library in March 2011.

The year 2013 welcomes a major anniversary: 450 years of the Heidelberg Catechism. This Protestant confessional was written in Heidelberg in 1563 on behalf of Frederick III, Elector Palatine, and spread over the world when it was approved on the Synod of Dort in 1619. Since then, the Heidelberg Catechism has shaped the spiritual and political life and became a symbol of change and departure from the old in Europe, America, and Asia. To this day, the Heidelberg Catechism is one of the most influential catechisms of the Reformed Church and is in everyday use by more than 20 million people worldwide. The Palatinate Museum Heidelberg (KMH), State Palaces and Gardens Baden-Wurttemberg (SSG), the foundation Refo500, and the Johannes A Lasco Library (JALB) will celebrate the anniversary of the Heidelberg Catechism together with several events. The heart of the activities is a joint exhibition presented by KMH and SSG in two locations in Heidelberg , an exhibition at Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn, as well as this companion to the exhibition that is realized by Refo500. In addition, the Johannes A Lasco Library supported this project with a conference in March 2011; the conference papers are also included. In this volume, well-known specialists in the field present how the Heidelberg Catechism spread and influenced culture, education, and ecclesiastical life. Together with over 700 photographs depicting objects in the exhibition, as well as illustrating the contributions, Power of Faith: 450 Years of the Heidelberg Catechism is an incomparable testament to the history of the Heidelberg Catechism, as well as its continued use today – a fitting tribute to this important anniversary.

• Edited by Karla Apperloo-Boersma
• Edited by Herman J Selderhuis

"This volume stands as a significant contribution to the scholarly appraisal of the Heidelberg Catechism in its broader ecclesiastical and cultural context. As introduction, overview, resource, and stimulus to further investigations of the transmission of Christian teaching to the public, specifically in the case of the Heidelberg Catechism but more generally in the Western catechetical tradition, this voluume assumes an important place as a tool for research and instruction." -- Robert Kolb, Renaissance Quarterly, volume 66, issue 4 "Power of Faith is a magnificently produced volume of scholarly papers along with over 700 pictures to accompany exhibitions on the Heidelberg Catechism in Heidelberg, Germany and Apeldoorn, The Netherlands. ... This volume enables us to enter that past time and understand the power this catechism had and continues to have as a basic confessional statement of Reformed Christians. The magnificent pictures make this book a real treasure. ... [It's] is perfect as an addition to church library, a gift for a pastor, and for gaining a panoramic view of the catechism." -- Donald McKim, Presbyterian Outlook
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