Nearly every church seems to have a statement of faith or position statement articulating commonly held theological beliefs. In many cases, not every member of the church will completely agree with—or even be aware of—this document.
There are a few documents much older and much less specific, articulating the most basic assertions of the Christian faith—common ground shared by almost every denomination. They are the creeds, and they are often recited or confessed during more traditional worship services as an act of worship.
The Nicene Creed
Originally written in 325 and later revised in 381, the Nicene creed is the oldest of the documents. The fourth century is also the time period when disputes over which New Testament books should be included in the Bible were settled. It was originally written to affirm the doctrine of the Trinity and is often used in conjunction with the Eucharist.
The Apostles’ Creed
There is much debate over the exact origin of the Apostles' Creed, but it is often associated with the Church of Gaul, and thought to have surfaced in the late fourth or early fifth century. It is frequently memorized and used in conjunction with baptism.
The Athanasian Creed
Ascribed (probably erroneously) to St. Athanasius, a fourth century archbishop, this creed affirms the doctrine of Trinity before going on to specifically exclude a number of heresies that arose during the middle ages. This creed is seldom used during worship, except on St. Athanasius Day or Trinity Sunday in some denominations.
Creeds and Theology
The creeds developed in response to the early Church’s need to define what was and was not proper Christian belief. Questions about the teachings of the Bible needed to be settled. How could there be only one God if Jesus is Lord and the Father sent Him? And what about the Holy Spirit? Is Jesus God or man?
The church faced a great deal of persecution from within—Christians killing Christians over theological issues. Heretics, real and imagined, died side by side in these troubled years on account of their beliefs. Thus the Church has paid a dear price for what today is generally considered ‘correct’ belief.
‘Catholic’ Faith
On a final note, it is worth mentioning that the word ‘catholic’ (with a small ‘c’) in these creeds refers not to the Roman Catholic Church, but to the universal church. It recognises that Christ came not to establish a large number of denominations, but one Church—that the minor theological and geographical differences that separate us into sects are trivial in comparison to the common Faith that unites us. It recognises that Christians who have died or have not yet been born are still our brothers and sisters in Christ.
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