Creed

A creed is a special statement that tells us what a group of people believe in. It is often used by religious communities to share their most important ideas.

Many Christian groups use creeds to explain their faith. One well-known creed is the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, while others use the Apostles' Creed or the Athanasian Creed. Not all Christian groups use these exact creeds, and some choose not to use any at all.

The idea of a creed is not just for Christianity. Other religions also have similar statements. For example, in Islam, there is a concept called ʿaqīdah, which means "bond" or "tie," and it serves a purpose like a creed. These statements help people understand and share the main beliefs of their faith.

History

The earliest known statement of belief in Christianity, "Jesus is Lord", comes from the writings of Paul the Apostle. One of the most important Christian statements of belief is the Nicene Creed. It was first created in AD 325 at the First Council of Nicaea to explain that Jesus is divine. It was updated in AD 381 at the First Council of Constantinople to describe the idea of the Trinity.

Another early statement of belief is the Apostles' Creed. It is popular in western Christianity and is often used during church services. In Islamic theology, the idea closest to a statement of belief is called ʿaqīdah (عقيدة).

Terminology

A creed is a short statement that people say together during church services. The word comes from the Latin credo, meaning "I believe". It is used for important beliefs, like the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. Some churches call their beliefs "confessions of faith". In some Christian groups, they use words like "doctrinal statement" to describe their beliefs.

Christianity

The first set of beliefs in Christianity was the Nicene Creed made by the Early Church in the year 325. It helped explain the main ideas of the Christian faith and protect believers from wrong teachings. Many Christian denominations from Protestantism and Evangelical Christianity made their own statements of belief to help churches share the same ideas.

Many Christian denominations did not list every detail in their statements, allowing different opinions on less important topics. Some churches also change their statements when needed. For example, Baptist "statements of belief" often include a phrase like this from the First London Baptist Confession:

Also we confess that we now know but in part and that are ignorant of many things which we desire to and seek to know: and if any shall do us that friendly part to show us from the Word of God that we see not, we shall have cause to be thankful to God and to them.

Christians without creeds

Some Christian groups do not use creeds. This idea is called "non-creedalism."^{[citation needed]}

Anabaptism, which began in the 1500s during the Radical Reformation, led to groups like the Amish, Hutterites, Mennonites, and others that believe in following the Bible without extra creeds. The Religious Society of Friends, also known as the Quakers, started in the 1600s and also does not use formal creeds, believing that written words or church buildings cannot replace personal connections with God.

Other groups, like the Restoration Movement, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Churches of Christ, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church, also choose not to use traditional creeds. Jehovah's Witnesses focus on following Jesus' teachings instead of repeating creeds.

Within some parts of the Latter Day Saint movement, mainstream creeds are not used, but they do have Articles of Faith written by Joseph Smith in an 1842 letter to John Wentworth, the editor of the Chicago Democrat. These are part of the important books of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, along with the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine & Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.

Christian creeds

Main article: List of Christian creeds

Several important beliefs started in Christianity, including:

• 1 Corinthians 15:3–7 includes an early belief about Jesus' death and coming back to life.
• The Old Roman Creed is an older, shorter version of the Apostles' Creed.
• The Apostles' Creed is used in Western Christianity for important church services and teachings.
• The Nicene Creed came from the First Council of Nicaea in 325, which decided what Christians believed.
• The Chalcedonian Creed was made at the Council of Chalcedon in 451, explaining that Jesus has two natures.
• The Athanasian Creed focuses on beliefs about the three parts of God.
• The Tridentine Creed was created in 1565 to explain the teachings of the Council of Trent.
• The Maasai Creed was made in 1960 by the Maasai people with help from Christian teachers.
• The Credo of the People of God was published by Pope Paul VI in 1968, restating the old beliefs with some updates.

Christian confessions of faith

Protestant groups often have longer statements of belief, called confessions of faith. Some examples include:

• The Sixty-seven Articles by Zwingli in 1523
• The Schleitheim Confession of the Anabaptist Swiss Brethren in 1527
• The Augsburg Confession of 1530 by Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon
• The Tetrapolitan Confession of the German Reformed Church in 1530
• The Smalcald Articles by Martin Luther in 1537
• The Guanabara Confession of Faith in 1558
• The Gallic Confession in 1559
• The Scots Confession by John Knox in 1560
• The Belgic Confession by Guido de Bres in 1561
• The Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England in 1562
• The Formula of Concord and its Epitome in 1577
• The Helwys Confession in 1611
• The Irish Articles in 1615
• The Remonstrant Confession in 1621
• The Dordrecht Confession of Faith of Dutch Mennonites in 1632
• The First London Confession of Particular Baptists in 1644
• The Westminster Confession of Faith in 1647
• The Savoy Declaration of 1658
• The Standard Confession of General Baptists in 1660
• A Catechism and Confession of Faith in 1673 by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
• The Orthodox Creed of General Baptists in 1679
• The Second London Confession for Particular and Reformed Baptists in 1689
• The Confession of Faith of the Calvinistic Methodists of Wales in 1823
• The New Hampshire Confession of Baptists in 1833
• The Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral of the Anglican Communion in 1870
• The Richmond Declaration in 1887
• The Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths in 1916
• The Confession of Faith of the United Methodist Church, adopted in 1968

In Islam (aqīdah)

Main articles: ʿAqīdah and Iman (concept)

In Islam, the idea closest to a creed is called ʿaqīdah. One of the earliest creeds was called Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar, written by Abū Ḥanīfa. Later, two famous creeds were Fiqh Akbar II, linked to al-Ash'ari, and Fiqh Akbar III, linked to Ash-Shafi'i.

Iman means faith in Islam. It is based on belief in six important ideas:

1. Belief in God
2. Belief in the Angels
3. Belief in Divine Books
4. Belief in the Prophets
5. Belief in the Day of Judgement
6. Belief in God's plan

Similarly in other Religions like Jewish Shema Yisrael

See also: Jewish principles of faith

Judaism does not have strict rules about what to believe. A well-known Jewish teacher once said that Judaism has never had a formal creed. In 1976, some rabbis explained that Judaism pays more attention to actions than to specific beliefs. One important Jewish teacher made a list of 13 main beliefs that many Jews share.

Religions without creeds

Some religions do not use creeds. In 1894, the American Unitarian Association decided not to use a creed. Later, they merged with the Universalist Church of America to form the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Instead of a creed, the UUA follows principles like seeking truth and meaning freely. They draw inspiration from many sources, including Christianity, Judaism, Humanism, and Earth-centered traditions.