List of Christian creeds

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Christianity has through Church history produced a number of Christian creeds , confessions and statements of faith. The following lists are provided.

Contents

In many cases, individual churches will address further doctrinal questions in a set of bylaws. Smaller churches see this as a formality, while churches of a larger size build this to be a large document describing the practical functioning of the church.

Biblical creeds

Ecumenical and historic Christian creeds

CreedDateAccepted byOriginal nameNotesLink to text
Apostles' Creed 120–250Western Church Lat.: Symbolum Apostolorum or Symbolum ApostolicumProduct of the Roman Christians around AD 180, who developed an early form of the Apostles' Creed, possibly to critique Marcion. Wikisource-logo.svg " Apostles' Creed ".
Creed of Nicaea 325Ecumenical Church Greek: Σύμβολον τῆς Νικαίας or, τῆς πίστεως, Latin: Symbolum NicaenumProduct of the first ecumenical council in Nicaea which tried to solve the Arian controversy. [2] Wikisource-logo.svg " Creed of Nicaea ".
Nicene Creed (Nicaea-Constantinopolitan Creed) 381Ecumenical ChurchExpansion and revision of the 325 Creed of Nicaea (includes new section on Holy Spirit). It is the most widely accepted Christian creed.

It critiques apollinarism and a later addition, the Filioque clause, resulted in disagreement between Eastern Christianity and Western Christianity.

Wikisource-logo.svg " Nicene Creed ".
Chalcedonian Creed 451 Council of Chalcedon Latin: Concilium ChalcedonenseIn response to Nestorian teachings, the Chalcedonian formulation defines that Christ is "acknowledged in two natures", which "come together into one person and one hypostasis". Accepted by nearly all Christian denominations (except Oriental Orthodoxy, the Assyrian Church of the East, and much of Restorationism). Wikisource-logo.svg " Chalcedonian Creed ".
Athanasian Creed 500Western Christian denominations Lat.: Quicumque vultThe origin of this creed is uncertain, but it is widely used in various Christian denominations. Wikisource-logo.svg " Athanasian Creed ".

Creeds of the early church

Interdenominational creeds

Ecumenical creeds

Denominational creeds

Adventist

African Orthodox Church

Anabaptist/Mennonite

Anglican

Arminian

Assemblies of God

Baptist

Catholic

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Congregational

Eastern Orthodox

Huguenot

Lutheran

Methodist

Moravian

Pentecostal

Presbyterian

Puritan/Congregational

Quaker

Reformed

Salvation Army

United Church of Canada

United Church of Christ

Waldensian

Creeds of specific movements

Neo-Evangelical

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Creed</span> Statement of belief

A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community which summarize its core tenets.

The Protestant Church in the Netherlands is the largest Protestant denomination in the Netherlands, being both Calvinist and Lutheran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heidelberg Catechism</span> Christian Reformed confessional document

The Heidelberg Catechism (1563), one of the Three Forms of Unity, is a Reformed catechism taking the form of a series of questions and answers, for use in teaching Reformed Christian doctrine. It was published in 1563 in Heidelberg, Germany. Its original title translates to Catechism, or Christian Instruction, according to the Usages of the Churches and Schools of the Electoral Palatinate. Commissioned by the prince-elector of the Electoral Palatinate, it is sometimes referred to as the 'Palatinate Catechism.' It has been translated into many languages and is regarded as one of the most influential of the Reformed catechisms. Today, the Catechism is 'probably the most frequently read Reformed confessional text worldwide.'

<i>Book of Concord</i> Historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church

The Book of Concord (1580) or Concordia is the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church, consisting of ten credal documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism since the 16th century. They are also known as the symbolical books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

The Remonstrants is a Protestant movement that split from the Dutch Reformed Church in the early 17th century. The early Remonstrants supported Jacobus Arminius, and after his death, continued to maintain his original views called Arminianism against the proponents of Calvinism. Condemned by the synod of Dort (1618–1619), the Remonstrants remained a small minority in the Netherlands. In the middle of the 19th century, the Remonstrant Brotherhood was influenced by the liberal Dutch theological movement.

Confessional Lutheranism is a name used by Lutherans to designate those who believe in the doctrines taught in the Book of Concord of 1580 in their entirety. Confessional Lutherans maintain that faithfulness to the Book of Concord, which is a summary of the teachings found in Scripture, requires attention to how that faith is actually being preached, taught, and put into practice. Confessional Lutherans believe that this is a vital part of their identity as Lutherans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helvetic Confessions</span> 16th century Swiss reformed confessions of faith

The Helvetic Confessions are two documents expressing the common belief of Reformed churches, especially in Switzerland, whose primary author was the Swiss Reformed theologian Heinrich Bullinger. The First Helvetic Confession (1536) contributed to the confessional unity of the Protestant cantons of Switzerland against the Roman Catholic cantons, whereas the Second Helvetic Confession (1566) contributed to the confessional unity of Reformed churches across Europe, particularly due to the patronage it received from Frederick III, Elector Palatine, who had it translated into German.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reformed confessions of faith</span> Statements of faith for Calvinist churches

The reformed confessions of faith are the confessional documents of various Reformed churches. These express the doctrinal views of the churches adopting the confession. Confessions play a crucial part in the theological identity of reformed churches, either as standards to which ministers must subscribe, or more generally as accurate descriptions of their faith. Most confessions date to the 16th and 17th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification</span> 1999 text resulting from an extensive ecumenical dialogue

The "Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification" (JDDJ) is a document created and agreed to by the Catholic Church's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) and the Lutheran World Federation in 1999 as a result of Catholic–Lutheran dialogue. It states that the churches now share "a common understanding of our justification by God's grace through faith in Christ." To the parties involved, this substantially resolves much of the 500-year-old conflict over the nature of justification which was at the root of the Protestant Reformation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eucharistic theology</span> Branch of Christian theology

Eucharistic theology is a branch of Christian theology which treats doctrines concerning the Holy Eucharist, also commonly known as the Lord's Supper and Holy Communion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches</span> Christian denomination

The Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), formerly the Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches, was founded in 1998 as a body of churches that hold to Reformed theology. Member churches include those from Presbyterian, Reformed, and Reformed Baptist backgrounds. The CREC has over a hundred member churches in the United States, Canada, Japan, Russia, Hungary, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Belarus, Poland, Brazil, Jersey, and the Czech Republic. These are organised into nine presbyteries, named after figures in church history: Anselm, Athanasius, Augustine, Bucer, Hus, Knox, Kuyper, Tyndale, and Wycliffe.

The Three Forms of Unity is a collective name for the Belgic Confession, the Canons of Dort, and the Heidelberg Catechism, which reflect the doctrinal concerns of continental Calvinism and are accepted as official statements of doctrine by many Calvinist churches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Reformed Christianity</span>

Reformed Christianity originated with the Reformation in Switzerland when Huldrych Zwingli began preaching what would become the first form of the Reformed doctrine in Zürich in 1519.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Communion of Protestant Churches in Europe</span> Fellowship of Protestant churches

The Communion of Protestant Churches in Europe is a fellowship of over 100 Protestant churches which have signed the Leuenberg Agreement. Together they strive for realizing church communion, especially by cooperation in witness and service to the world. Prior to 2003 the CPCE was known as the "Leuenberg Church Fellowship".

Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that identifies primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched the Reformation in 1517. Lutheranism subsequently became the state religion of many parts of Northern Europe, starting with Prussia in 1525.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacrament</span> Christian rite recognized as of particular importance and significance

A sacrament is a Christian rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence, number and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol of the reality of God, as well as a channel for God's grace. Many denominations, including the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Anglican, Methodist, and Reformed, hold to the definition of sacrament formulated by Augustine of Hippo: an outward sign of an inward grace, that has been instituted by Jesus Christ. Sacraments signify God's grace in a way that is outwardly observable to the participant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ECO (denomination)</span> Protestant denomination

ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians is an evangelical Presbyterian denomination in the United States. As a Presbyterian church, ECO adheres to Reformed theology and Presbyterian polity. It was established in 2012 by former congregations and members of the Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA). Denominational disputes over theology—particularly ordination of practicing homosexuals as pastors and gay marriage—and bureaucracy led to the founding of ECO. In 2018, ECO has over 383 congregations, 103,425 covenant partners and over 500 pastors. ECO churches are egalitarian in beliefs and ordain women as pastors and elders.

The Spanish Evangelical Church is a united denomination; Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, Congregationalists participated in the merger. It was established in the wake of religious tolerance in Spain in 1869. The first General Assembly was in Seville in 1872, where the name of the Spanish Christian Church was adopted, later changed to the current name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Criticism of Protestantism</span> Overview of criticism of Protestantism

Criticism of Protestantism covers critiques and questions raised about Protestantism, the Christian denominations which arose out of the Protestant Reformation. While critics may praise some aspects of Protestantism which are not unique to the various forms of Protestantism, Protestantism is faced with criticism mainly from the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, although Protestant denominations have also engaged in self-critique and criticized one another. According to both the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodoxy, many major, foundational Protestant doctrines have been officially declared heretical.

References

  1. Pelikan, Jaroslav (2003). Credo : Historical and Theological Guide to Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 133. ISBN   0300109741.
  2. "The Council of Nicaea: Purposes and Themes". Archived from the original on 2008-08-07. Retrieved 2009-02-13.
  3. Covenant Christian Coalition (2015). "Covenant".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. "Denck, Hans (ca. 1500-1527) - GAMEO". gameo.org. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  5. "Concept of Cologne (Anabaptists, 1591) - Anabaptistwiki". anabaptistwiki.org. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  6. "Concept of Cologne (Anabaptists, 1591) - GAMEO". gameo.org. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  7. "The Anglican Catechism. A. D. 1549, 1662". biblehub.com. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  8. DeJong 1968, pp. 220-.
  9. "The Opinions of the Remonstrants (1618)" (PDF).
  10. "Mission, Vision, and Confession".
  11. "ELCA Constitution, Chapter 2" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-12-24. Retrieved 2015-12-08.
  12. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). "Scripture, Creeds, Confessions". Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
  13. Schmeling, Timothy. "Lutheran Orthodoxy Under Fire: An Exploratory Study Of The Syncretistic Controversy And The Consensus Repetitus Fidei Vere Lutheranae". Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary via Academia.
  14. Schaefer, Benjamin (17 October 2022). "Friendship or Fellowship". Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary: 17 via WLS Digital Library.
  15. Presbyterian Church in Canada. "Living Faith: A statement of Christian Belief".
  16. "The Confession of the Society of Friends, Commonly Called Quakers. A. D. 1675". biblehub.com. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  17. "Richmond Declaration".
  18. "Waldensian Confession". Archived from the original on 2014-05-12.

Bibliography