하이델베르크 신앙교육서의 “자유로운 양심” 그리스도인의 정체성과 감사의 순종

This study examines the concept of “free conscience” in the Heidelberg Catechism as a central to understanding Christian selfidentity. The Heidelberg Catechism is not merely a doctrinal summary but a theological and practical response to the question, “Who am I?” Its tripartite structure of Misery-Deliverance-Gratitude defines the believer’s identity in God’s redemptive history. In particular, Q&A 32 articulates that Christians, by participating in Christ’s threefold office, are called to live as prophets who testify, priests who offer themselves in gratitude, and kings who resist sin and the devil through a free conscience. This article analyzes (1) the theological characteristics of Christian selfunderstanding in Q&A 1 and 32, (2) the manifestation of good works through vocational responsibility, moral discernment by the law, and the free exercise of will, and (3) the role of prayer and the church in shaping, protecting, and nurturing conscience. In doing so, it critically addresses the reduction of freedom to mere autonomy and choice in modern discourse and presents the HC’s Christ-centered notion of freedom as a viable theological alternative.