Process Theology and the Many Creeds
of the Christian Church
PART 1
by R.E. Slater
I haven't explored any of the Christian Creeds of the Church here at Relevancy22 and thought it might be a good place to begin by listing out many of the more popular dogmas.
Needless to say these are all set in a non-Process context, that is, many, if not most, of the church's creeds are set in a Westernized (Greek) context using Platonic, or neo-Platonic philosophical thought.
For a Process Theologian this would be of particular note when examining the biblical text and attempting to separate the church's Greek mindset from the the older Semitic mindset which more closely parallels Process Philosophy than they would Platonism with its idea of "eternal substances".
It is also of note that process philosophy and theology have only become available the past 100 years through Whiteheadian process scholars. And though it may capture more of the ancient mindset in terms of organic thinking than the Westernized ideas of God and Love of Greek Platonism, still Semitic philosophies never formalized any of their process ideas as had the ancient Chinese philosophers when examining the world's flow-and-rhythm within a Buddhistic sense.
As a Baptist raised first within a fundamental tradition (Dispensationalism) and later within a conservative evangelical context which leaned into Reformed theology (Covenantalism) I've had a long lifetime attempting to consider how-and-where my biblical Christianity has been taking me in my thoughts about God, Jesus, the Spirit, redemption, atonement, love, hate, judgment, justice, and Christian hope.
After some 56 years of faithfulness to my Christian heritage I have more recently these past 10 years been led by the Lord into a long, dark wilderness where He tore down and built up a new foundation granting erasure of borderlands and openness of discussion to His presence, being, and telling in the bible and through today's societal cultures.
The Lord first began by removing the unhelpfulness of Calvinism in my spiritual life to replace it with Arminianism. Next, this led to a more contemporary form of Open and Relational Theology all of which is now being rebuilt on Process thought's organic structures as versus Platonic forms of thought (as seen explicitly in the church's creeds of the past 2000 years).
As Newtonian physics has been replaced with quantum physics (classicism v organism) so too is the world moving from "time in place" thinking to "time through event" forms of thinking. Platonic forms of substance are now being recast as fluid organic relationships working in network with both the part and the whole of the cosmic creation of God. The history of "the past" has become "a living history we have inherited". Events are no longer static forms of content but dynamic states of being-ness moving towards, or becoming, other states of being-ness.
Hence, unless Christian Creeds become something more than words on documents which people forget, ignore, or choose to consign to older traditions, such Creeds no longer have import. But if Christian "Truths" (a Platonic concept) are translated into attitudes and behaviors of Christ-likeness (you know, the Sermon on the Mount's, Beatitudes, or the Corinthian Gifts of the Spirit of kindness, humility, etc) then the Christian faith becomes an organic dynamic of the Spirit of God translating itself into the societal structures and communities of humanity.
Process theology then is a look at the Christian traditions by deconstructing, then reconstructing those traditions to be more useful than they have become. The ideas may not change but how they are communicated into today's organic societies will require plasticity, fluidity, and relevant, contemporary context which Jesus told us comes through the lives of men and women living their faith outwards in dynamic contexts of love and embrace.
R.E. Slater
December 27, 2021
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List of Christian creeds
Christianity has through Church history produced a number of Christian creeds, confessions and statements of faith. The following lists are provided.
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
- Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 12:3)
- Pre-New Testament Creeds in the New Testament (1 Timothy 2:5, Phil 2:6-11, 1 Timothy 3:16)[1]
- Christ died, was raised, then list of eyewitnesses to the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-10)
Ecumenical and historic Christian creeds
| Creed | Date | Accepted by | Original name | Notes | Link to text | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apostles' Creed | 120–250 | Western Church | Lat.: Symbolum Apostolorum or Symbolum Apostolicum | Product of the Roman Christians around A.D.180, who developed an early form of the Apostles' Creed, possibly to critique Marcion. |  "Apostles' Creed". | |
| Creed of Nicaea | 325 | Ecumenical Church | Greek: Σύμβολον τῆς Νικαίας or, τῆς πίστεως, Latin: Symbolum Nicaenum | Product of the first ecumenical council in Nicaea which tried to solve the Arian controversy.[2] | "Creed of Nicaea". | |
| Nicene Creed (Nicaea-Constantinopolitan Creed) | 381 | Ecumenical Church | Expansion 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. | "Nicene Creed". | ||
| Chalcedonian Creed | 451 | Council of Chalcedon | Latin: Concilium Chalcedonense | In 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). | "Chalcedonian Creed". | |
| Athanasian Creed | 500 | Western Christian denominations | Lat.: Quicumque vult | The origin of this creed is uncertain, but it is widely used in various Christian denominations. | "Athanasian Creed". |
Creeds of the early church
- The Didache (50–100)
- The Creed of Aristides of Athens (130)
- The Old Roman Symbol or Old Roman Creed (c. 215)
- The Creed of Cyprian of Carthage (250)
- The Deir Balyzeh Papyrus (200–350)
- The Creeds of Arius and Euzoius (320/327)
- The Creed of Alexander of Alexandria (321–324)
- The First Synod of Antioch (325)
- The Second Dedication of Antioch (341)
- The Baptismal Creed of Jerusalem (350)
- The Apostolic Constitutions (350–380)
Interdenominational creeds
- Barmen Declaration of Faith, Confessing Church (1934)
- World Evangelical Alliance Statement of Faith (1951)
- National Association of Evangelicals Statement of Faith (1943)
- Anglican-Lutheran Pullach Report (1972)
- Brief Statement of Faith (1983)
- Common Christological Declarations Between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East (1994)
Ecumenical creeds
- The Call to Unity, Lausanne (1927)
- The Scheme of Union of the Church of South India (1929/1942)
- The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, Edinburgh (1937)
- Affirmation of Union, Edinburgh (1937)
- The Constitution of the Church in South India (1947)
- Message of the First Assembly of the World Council of Churches (1948)
- The Unity We Have and Seek (1952)
- A Message from the Second Assembly of the World Council of Churches (1954)
- The Unity of the Church, St. Andrews (1960)
- The Church's Unity, World Council of Churches, New Delhi (1961)
- The Holy Spirit and the Catholicity of the Church, Uppsala (1968)
- What Unity Requires, Nairobi (1975)
- Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry, Lima (1982)
- Uniatism, Method of Union of the Past, and the Present Search for Full Communion (1993)
- The Covenant (2015)[3]
Denominational creeds
Adventist
- Pillars of Adventism (1848)
- Adventist Baptismal Vow (1941)
- 28 Fundamental Beliefs (Adventist) (1980)
Anabaptist/Mennonite
- Hans Denck's confession Before the Council of Nuremberg (1525)[4]
- The Schleitheim Confession (1527)
- The Mennonite Concept of Cologne (1591)[5][6]
- The Dordrecht Confession (1632)
Anglican
- The Anglican Catechism (1549/1662)[7]
- Thirty-Nine Articles (1563)
- Lambeth Articles (1595)
- Affirmation of St. Louis (1977)
Arminian
- Five Articles of Remonstrance (1610)
- The Opinions of the Remonstrants (1618)[8][9]
- Remonstrant Confession (1621)
Assemblies of God
Baptist
- Thomas Helwys Confession of Faith (1611)
- Baptist Confession of Faith (1644)
- Baptist Confession of Faith (1677/1689)
- The Orthodox Creed of the General Baptists (1678)
- The Philadelphia Confession (1688)
- New Hampshire Confession of Faith (1833)
- The Free-will Baptist Confession (1868)
- Abstract Principles for Southern Baptist Seminary (1858)
- The Doctrinal Basis of the New Zealand Baptist Union (1882)
- Doctrinal Basis of the Baptist Union of Victoria, Australia (1888)
- The Statement of the Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland (1888)
- The Statement of Faith of the American Baptist Association (1905)
- Johann Kargel's Confession (1913)
- Baptist Faith and Message, Southern Baptist Convention (1925)
- The Doctrinal Statement of the North American Baptist Association (1950)
- Baptist Faith and Message, Southern Baptist Convention (1964)
- Baptist Affirmation of Faith, Strict Baptist Assembly (1966)
- Romanian Baptist Confession (1974)
- The Statement of Beliefs of the North American Baptist Conference (1982)
- Baptist Faith and Message, Southern Baptist Convention (2000)
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
- Mission, Vision and Confession[10]
- Christian Church: The Design for the Christian Church (1968)
Congregational
- The Cambridge Platform (1648)
- Savoy Declaration (1658)
- The Declaration of the Congregational Union of England (1833)
- The Declaration of the Boston National Council (1865)
- The Declaration of the Oberlin National Council (1871)
- The "Commission" Creed of the Congregational Church (1883/1913)
Eastern Orthodox
- Doctrine of the African Orthodox Church (1921)
Huguenot
Lutheran
- The Ninety-Five Theses (1517)
- Augsburg Confession (1520)[11][12]
- Augsburg Confession (1530)
- Apology of the Augsburg Confession (1530 Lutheran Response to Confutatio Augustana)
- Smalcald Articles (1537)
- Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope (1537)
- Formula of Concord (1577)
- Book of Concord (1580)
- Saxon Visitation Articles (1592)
- The Reaffirmed Consensus of the Trinity Lutheran Faith (1655)
Methodist
- Minutes of Some Late Conversations (1744)
- The Scripture Way of Salvation (1765)
- Articles of Religion (1784)
- Confession of Faith, United Methodist Church (1968)
- Soldier's Covenant of the Salvation Army, a church created by former Methodists
Pentecostal
- Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths (1916)
- Indian Pentecostal Church of God: Statement of Faith
Presbyterian
- Scots Confession (1560)
- Westminster Confession of Faith (1646)
- The Confession of the Waldenses (1655)
- The Confession of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church (1814/1883)
- The Confession of the Free Evangelical Church of Geneva (1848)
- The Confession of the Free Italian Church (1870)
- The Auburn Declaration (1837)
- Auburn Affirmation (PCUSA) (1924)
- Book of Confessions (PCUSA)[part 1; Second Edition 1970]
- The Creed of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Chile (1983)
- Living Faith: A statement of Christian Belief, Presbyterian Church in Canada[13] (1984)
Puritan/Congregational
- Cambridge Platform (1648)
Quaker
- The Confession of the Society of Friends (1675)[14]
- Richmond Declaration[15] (1887)
Reformed
- The Sixty-seven Articles of Ulrigh Zwingli (1523)
- The Evangelical Counsel of Ansbach (1524)
- Ten Conclusions of Berne (1528)
- First Helvetic Confession (1536)
- The Consensus of Geneva (1552)
- First Scotch Confession (1560)
- Craig's Catechism (1581)
- Second Helvetic Confession (1586)
- Gallican Confession (1559)
- Belgic Confession (1561)
- Heidelberg Catechism (1563)
- The Hungarian Confession (1570)
- Second Scotch Confession (1580)
- Irish Articles (1615)
- Canons of Dordt (1618–19)
- Westminster Confession of Faith 1646
- Savoy Declaration 1658
- Helvetic Consensus (1675)
- Second London Confession of Faith (1677/1689)
- Walcheren Articles (1693)
- Belhar Confession, Dutch Reformed Mission Church (1986)
- Cambridge Declaration (1996)
Catholic
- The Edict of Michael Cerularius and of the Synod of Constantinople of 1054 (1054)
- The Dictatus Papae of Pope Gregory VII (1075)
- Council of Florence
- Confutatio Augustana (1530)
- Tridentine Creed - Profession of Faith of Pius IV (1564)
- Anti-Modernist Oath - Pius X
- Maasai Creed, Holy Ghost Fathers (1960)
- Vatican II Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (1964)
- Credo of the People of God Profession of Faith of Paul VI (1968)
- Common Declaration of Pope John Paul II and [Armenian] Catholicos Karekin I (1996)
- Ad Tuendam Fidem of Pope John Paul II (1998)
Salvation Army
United Church of Canada
- A New Creed (1968)
United Church of Christ
Waldensian
- Waldensian Confession (1655) [16]
Creeds of specific movements
Neo-Evangelical
- Doctrinal Statement of the Evangelical Theological Society (1949, 1990)
- Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy (1978)
- Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics (1982)
- Danvers Statement (1988)
See also
References
- ^ Pelikan, Jaroslav (2003). Credo. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 133. ISBN 0300109741.
- ^ "The Council of Nicaea: Purposes and Themes". Archived from the original on 2008-08-07. Retrieved 2009-02-13.
- ^ Covenant Christian Coalition (2015). "Covenant".
- ^ "Denck, Hans (ca. 1500-1527) - GAMEO". gameo.org. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
- ^ "Concept of Cologne (Anabaptists, 1591) - Anabaptistwiki". anabaptistwiki.org. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
- ^ "Concept of Cologne (Anabaptists, 1591) - GAMEO". gameo.org. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
- ^ "The Anglican Catechism. A. D. 1549, 1662". biblehub.com. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
- ^ DeJong 1968, pp. 220-.
- ^ "The Opinions of the Remonstrants (1618)" (PDF).
- ^ "Mission, Vision, and Confession".
- ^ "ELCA Constitution, Chapter 2" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-12-24. Retrieved 2015-12-08.
- ^ Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). "Scripture, Creeds, Confessions". Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
- ^ Presbyterian Church in Canada. "Living Faith: A statement of Christian Belief".
- ^ "The Confession of the Society of Friends, Commonly Called Quakers. A. D. 1675". biblehub.com. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
- ^ "Richmond Declaration".
- ^ "Waldensian Confession". Archived from the original on 2014-05-12.
Bibliography
- Kelly, John N. D. (2006) [1972]. Early Christian Creeds (3rd ed.). London-New York: Continuum. ISBN 9780826492166.
- Ritter, Adolf Martin (1965). Das Konzil von Konstantinopel und sein Symbol: Studien zur Geschichte und Theologie des II. Ökumenischen Konzils. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. ISBN 9783666551185.
- DeJong, Peter (1968). "The Opinions of the Remonstrants (1618)". Crisis in the Reformed Churches: Essays in Commemoration of the Great Synod of Dordt, 1618-1619 (PDF). Grand Rapids: Reformed Fellowship.
