The Heidelberg Catechism in America: A Snapshot from the History of Its Reception

Abstract

Three types of Calvinism are distinguished: evangelical, revivalistic, and rationalistic. John Williamson Nevin represents the first type, Charles Finney the second, and Charles Hodge the third. Nevin appealed to the Heidelberg Catechism in his respective controversies with both Finney and Hodge. For Nevin the Heidelberg Catechism was a moderating influence that could serve as a bulwark against the more extreme Calvinistic tendencies that he set out to combat. By focusing on Nevin, the essay offers a snapshot of how the Heidelberg Catechism functioned in Reformed immigrant communities in America.