What is a Creed? What is a Credo?
Posted: Sunday, December 21, 2008
by Tex Norman
Our word creed comes from the word credo. The Latin derivations of the word credo is a blending of two Latin words cor meaning heart (we hear it echoed in the word coronary) and do meaning to give (we hear it echoed in our word donation). Thus, the word creed means something to which we give our heart. I find the derivations of the word delightful, but it contributes little to our understanding of the topic. Upon a close look into the origin of Christian creedal statements, we discover that the early Church wrote creeds not because they wanted a concise statement of their beliefs to which we give our hearts, but instead, creeds came into existence as a reaction to theological crisis. If we are to understand these statements of faith we must go back and try to understand what the authors meant by the words they used. In virtually every case, the language used in the creeds addressed perceived threats to orthodox faith.
I wanted to know what was behind the writing of these different creeds. I needed to know the purpose of these creedal statements held in awe by most mainline denominations. How did our creeds come to be written? How did the early Church understand these creeds at their inception? Do we mean the same things they meant when we say recite the creeds today? Is there some sort of creed need that compels us to create these statements of faith? Must we continue to cling to these ancient statements of faith? Should we revisit and revise these faith statements, or would we be better off relegating the creeds to the historical document storage bin?
I wanted to gather my thoughts and examine them. I am compelled to know what I believe, and why. I must articulate my own faith. I certainly see no value in mindlessly reciting a creed. I researched and wrote this as a way to discover what I believe, and perhaps, do some degree IF I believe. It is my hope that my search will be helpful to your faith journey, or at least to your life journey.
CREEDS: THE CHURCH'S REACTION TO CRISIS
The early Church wrote creedal statements in reaction to controversies and perceived heresies. The early Church Fathers wrote creeds in order to correct false doctrine and to redress theological errors. This understanding is important. The early church did not write the creed to encapsulate the beliefs of Christianity. Creeds are documents created to put down false teachings. Since a controversy has to have at least two sides, we can safely conclude that a creed articulates the views of the winners of their theological dispute.
I was raised by Black belt fundamentalists, so I knew nothing about any of the best-known creeds until I was in my 30's. Perhaps it is because of my delayed exposure to the creeds that I become so curious about them. I became aware of three creeds (The Apostle's Creed, The Nicene Creed, and the less used Athanasian Creed), but I was shocked to discover there were many other Christian creeds. Creed of Aquileia, the Creed of Ephesus, the Creed of Epiphanius, the Jerusalem Creed, the Creed of Rome, the Creed of Sirmium, and the Creed of Union to name only a few. The early Church had a creed need. The preponderance of creeds in the early Church makes four important points:
1. CREEDS DEFENDED THE CHURCH.
The development of creeds offered a way for the Church to defend itself against heresies that threatened the church.
2. CREEDS FORCED THE CHURCH TO MAKE IMPORTANT DECISIONS.
The process of writing a "creedal" statement forced the Church to come to consensus on controversial issues that threatened the unity of the Church.
3. BELIEVERS DID NOT SHARE THE SAME UNDERSTANDING OF THE CREEDS.
Because the creeds are reactionary statements, early church leaders argued over each word and phrase that is included in their creed statement. There were winners and losers for every phrase judged acceptable, or rejected. No creed is without its detractors. Even when there has been general acceptance of a creed, the interpretations of that creed have been varied and often contradictory.
4. CREEDS HAVE NEVER BEEN A SUMMERY OF CHRISTIAN BELIEF.
Every Sunday at a specific point in the liturgy, I hear these words: "Now let us stand and proclaim what we believe as stated in the Nicene Creed." The best we can say is that the Nicene Creed is that it contains some of what we believe. Conspicuously absent from the creed is any mention of the first and great commandment. There is nothing in the creed about the miracles or teachings of Jesus. There is nothing in the creeds about the importance of prayer. The best-known creeds barely mentioned scripture. In the Nicene Creed, the only scriptures mentioned are Old Testament prophesies of the coming Messiah. The Nicene Creed does not discussion of the nature and importance of grace. We can hardly call these faith statements our credo. The Nicene Creed is not something to which we give our hearts, when it is so obvious that we give are hearts to far more than what is covered in the creedal statement.
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