Quotes & Sayings


We, and creation itself, actualize the possibilities of the God who sustains the world, towards becoming in the world in a fuller, more deeper way. - R.E. Slater

There is urgency in coming to see the world as a web of interrelated processes of which we are integral parts, so that all of our choices and actions have [consequential effects upon] the world around us. - Process Metaphysician Alfred North Whitehead

Kurt Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem says (i) all closed systems are unprovable within themselves and, that (ii) all open systems are rightly understood as incomplete. - R.E. Slater

The most true thing about you is what God has said to you in Christ, "You are My Beloved." - Tripp Fuller

The God among us is the God who refuses to be God without us, so great is God's Love. - Tripp Fuller

According to some Christian outlooks we were made for another world. Perhaps, rather, we were made for this world to recreate, reclaim, redeem, and renew unto God's future aspiration by the power of His Spirit. - R.E. Slater

Our eschatological ethos is to love. To stand with those who are oppressed. To stand against those who are oppressing. It is that simple. Love is our only calling and Christian Hope. - R.E. Slater

Secularization theory has been massively falsified. We don't live in an age of secularity. We live in an age of explosive, pervasive religiosity... an age of religious pluralism. - Peter L. Berger

Exploring the edge of life and faith in a post-everything world. - Todd Littleton

I don't need another reason to believe, your love is all around for me to see. – Anon

Thou art our need; and in giving us more of thyself thou givest us all. - Khalil Gibran, Prayer XXIII

Be careful what you pretend to be. You become what you pretend to be. - Kurt Vonnegut

Religious beliefs, far from being primary, are often shaped and adjusted by our social goals. - Jim Forest

We become who we are by what we believe and can justify. - R.E. Slater

People, even more than things, need to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. – Anon

Certainly, God's love has made fools of us all. - R.E. Slater

An apocalyptic Christian faith doesn't wait for Jesus to come, but for Jesus to become in our midst. - R.E. Slater

Christian belief in God begins with the cross and resurrection of Jesus, not with rational apologetics. - Eberhard Jüngel, Jürgen Moltmann

Our knowledge of God is through the 'I-Thou' encounter, not in finding God at the end of a syllogism or argument. There is a grave danger in any Christian treatment of God as an object. The God of Jesus Christ and Scripture is irreducibly subject and never made as an object, a force, a power, or a principle that can be manipulated. - Emil Brunner

“Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh” means "I will be that who I have yet to become." - God (Ex 3.14) or, conversely, “I AM who I AM Becoming.”

Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy. - Thomas Merton

The church is God's world-changing social experiment of bringing unlikes and differents to the Eucharist/Communion table to share life with one another as a new kind of family. When this happens, we show to the world what love, justice, peace, reconciliation, and life together is designed by God to be. The church is God's show-and-tell for the world to see how God wants us to live as a blended, global, polypluralistic family united with one will, by one Lord, and baptized by one Spirit. – Anon

The cross that is planted at the heart of the history of the world cannot be uprooted. - Jacques Ellul

The Unity in whose loving presence the universe unfolds is inside each person as a call to welcome the stranger, protect animals and the earth, respect the dignity of each person, think new thoughts, and help bring about ecological civilizations. - John Cobb & Farhan A. Shah

If you board the wrong train it is of no use running along the corridors of the train in the other direction. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

God's justice is restorative rather than punitive; His discipline is merciful rather than punishing; His power is made perfect in weakness; and His grace is sufficient for all. – Anon

Our little [biblical] systems have their day; they have their day and cease to be. They are but broken lights of Thee, and Thou, O God art more than they. - Alfred Lord Tennyson

We can’t control God; God is uncontrollable. God can’t control us; God’s love is uncontrolling! - Thomas Jay Oord

Life in perspective but always in process... as we are relational beings in process to one another, so life events are in process in relation to each event... as God is to Self, is to world, is to us... like Father, like sons and daughters, like events... life in process yet always in perspective. - R.E. Slater

To promote societal transition to sustainable ways of living and a global society founded on a shared ethical framework which includes respect and care for the community of life, ecological integrity, universal human rights, respect for diversity, economic justice, democracy, and a culture of peace. - The Earth Charter Mission Statement

Christian humanism is the belief that human freedom, individual conscience, and unencumbered rational inquiry are compatible with the practice of Christianity or even intrinsic in its doctrine. It represents a philosophical union of Christian faith and classical humanist principles. - Scott Postma

It is never wise to have a self-appointed religious institution determine a nation's moral code. The opportunities for moral compromise and failure are high; the moral codes and creeds assuredly racist, discriminatory, or subjectively and religiously defined; and the pronouncement of inhumanitarian political objectives quite predictable. - R.E. Slater

God's love must both center and define the Christian faith and all religious or human faiths seeking human and ecological balance in worlds of subtraction, harm, tragedy, and evil. - R.E. Slater

In Whitehead’s process ontology, we can think of the experiential ground of reality as an eternal pulse whereby what is objectively public in one moment becomes subjectively prehended in the next, and whereby the subject that emerges from its feelings then perishes into public expression as an object (or “superject”) aiming for novelty. There is a rhythm of Being between object and subject, not an ontological division. This rhythm powers the creative growth of the universe from one occasion of experience to the next. This is the Whiteheadian mantra: “The many become one and are increased by one.” - Matthew Segall

Without Love there is no Truth. And True Truth is always Loving. There is no dichotomy between these terms but only seamless integration. This is the premier centering focus of a Processual Theology of Love. - R.E. Slater

-----

Note: Generally I do not respond to commentary. I may read the comments but wish to reserve my time to write (or write from the comments I read). Instead, I'd like to see our community help one another and in the helping encourage and exhort each of us towards Christian love in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. - re slater

Sunday, January 2, 2022

James Cone, Father of Black Theology, Part 1


https://homebrewedchristianity.lpages.co/upsettingthepowers/

James Cone, Father of Black Theology
Part 1



DOES CHRISTIANITY MAKE A DIFFERENCE? AND IF
IT DOES, WHAT KIND OF DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?
- Adam Clark



BLACK THEOLOGY BECOMES THE SITE FOR THE
FUTURE OF FAITH IN AMERICA.
- Tripp Fuller



RACISM IS A PROFOUND CONTRADICTION OF THE GOSPEL.
NO ONE CAN BE A REPRESENTATIVE OF JESUS AND TREAT
OTHERS AS SUBHUMAN. THERE CAN BE NO COMPROMISE 
ON THIS POINT. ANY THEOLOGY WHICH DOES NOT FIGHT
WHITE SUPREMACY WITH ALL ITS INTELLECTUAL STRENGTH
CANCELS ITS CHRISTIAN IDENTITY.
- James Cone




Adam Clark and Tripp Fuller Present:

A 6 Week Online Pop-Up Learning Community

Launching January, 2022





6 Feature Sessions
Adam & Tripp will facilitate our feature sessions that include a mini-lecture, conversation, and Q&A as we dig into powerful curated readings.


6 Guest Interviews
Each week we will have a special guest theologian visit whose own work was shaped by the legacy of James Cone.


Online Community
Everyone will be invited to join the private online group to connect with other nerds and have access to everything in Audio/Video on the class resource page.

Black Theology & the Future of Faith
“Racism is a profound contradiction of the gospel. No one can be a representative of Jesus and treat others as subhuman. There can be no compromise on this point. Any theology that does not fight white supremacy with all its intellectual strength cancels its Christian identity.” - James Cone

Why the Legacy of James Cone Matters
White supremacy is America’s most cherished heresy. It is a theological error entailing the death and domination of black bodies. The White Church has not simply been silent and sidelined in the march toward liberation, but an ideological ally and institutional accomplice of supremacy culture. George Floyd’s last words as he was murdered by the State, “I can’t breathe,” ignited a collective gasp in which a larger multitude and diversity of citizenry had the scales fall off their eyes and found their lips and lungs reanimated to speak, “Black Lives Matter.”

For some, this is a new shout and for others, it is too familiar. If black lives matter to our life as a species and a church, then it is time to listen to the voices who have already been speaking and living this gospel proclamation. As James Cone, the Father of Black Theology said,
“There can be no Christian theology that is not identified unreservedly with those who are humiliated and abused. In fact, theology ceases to be a theology of the gospel when it fails to arise out of the community of the oppressed. For it is impossible to speak of the God of Israelite history, who is the God revealed in Jesus Christ, without recognizing that God is the God of and for those who labor and are overladen.”
We hope this online class in Black Theology is disrupting and revitalizing.



Sign Up Now


6 Session Class Themes

Each week during the class we will have a main session with Adam & Tripp exploring a central theme from the legacy of James Cone. These sessions will center on curated reading selections and include mini-lecture, textual deep dives, conversation and QnA with the group.
  • Why Black Theology Matters
  • Disciplinary Decadence: the Emergence of Black Theology
  • From Black Power to Black Lives Matter
  • Christ from the Underside
  • Women Hold Up Half the Sky
  • James Cone as World Teacher


Relevant Youtube Videos


Upsetting the Powers: the Legacy of James Cone
Dec 14, 2021



James Cone was right: Black Theology
& the moment with Adam Clark
Jul 7, 2020



Tripp Fuller on Progressive Christianity
Jul 30, 2019




* * * * * * * *



Adam Clark
Xavier University
Dr. Adam Clark is Associate Professor of Theology at Xavier University. He is committed to the idea that theological education in the twenty first century must function as a counter-story. One that equips us to read against the grain of the dominant culture and inspires one to live into the Ignatian dictum of going forth "to set the world on fire." To this end, Dr. Clark is intentional about pedagogical practices that raise critical consciousness by going beneath surface meanings, unmasking conventional wisdoms and reimagining the good. He currently serves as co-chair of Black Theology Group at the American Academy of Religion, actively publishes in the area of black theology and black religion and participates in social justice groups at Xavier and in the Cincinnati area. He earned his PhD at Union Theological Seminary in New York where he was mentored by James Cone.




Tripp Fuller
University of Edinburgh
Dr. Fuller is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Theology & Science at the University of Edinburgh. He recently released Divine Self-Investment: a Constructive Open and Relational Christology, the first book in the Studies in Open and Relational Theology series. For over 12 years Tripp has been doing the Homebrewed Christianity podcast (think on-demand internet radio) where he interviews different scholars about their work so you can get nerdy in traffic, on the treadmill, or doing the dishes. Last year it had over 3.5 million downloads. It also inspired a book series with Fortress Press called the Homebrewed Christianity Guides to... topics like God, Jesus, Spirit, Church History, etc. Tripp is a very committed and (some of his friends think overly ) engaged Lakers fan and takes Star Wars and Lord of the Rings very seriously.

Special Guests
As we explore our centering themes in our main sessions, we also have a second session each week with a special guest. Each of these guests will share about their own relationship with Cone, the way he shaped theology, and how some of his insights have continued to be expanded and developed in their work.

Serene Jones
President of Union Theological Seminary


Kelly Brown Douglas
Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School
at Union Theological Seminary


Gary Dorrien
Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics
at Union Theological Seminary


Andrea White
Associate Professor of Theology and Culture
at UnionTheological Seminary


Robert Ellsberg
Editor-in-Chief of Orbis Books


TBA
super awesome theologian



Friday, December 31, 2021

Process Theology and the Apostle's Creed - Part 1



Process Theology and the Apostle's Creed
Part 1


Hi. If you were wondering where the "process" part of this conversation is, it's coming. I have already laid out about ten parts to it but am waiting for permission to publish it. Short of that, I will write it up on my own on a much briefer scale. But before going any further we should look at the Apostle's Creed from a historical viewpoint which is laid out here very simply and plainly. Once a process viewpoint is applied to the creed one might readily understand how process theology might be applied to other creeds and confessions of the church.

For those of you who cannot wait, let me suggest any of the process posts already contained here at Relevancy22. They can be found to the right under the Topic list, as well as under the Index list which is part of the topic list, and all laid out alphabetically. Once process philosophy and theology is understood then simply work backwards as I and others are doing to reapply its constructions into, or onto, any systematic doctrine, dogma or teaching of the church.

Because process thought is relatively new to the church - even though Whitehead laid it out formally back in the 1910s and 20s - process thinkers have been applying process philosophy and theology through every area of life, science, literature, philosophy, and so forth. At its heart is the removal of classical Western philosophy approaches for a more organic looks at society and creation much like the quantum sciences are doing as they rethink classical mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology. So too with process thought. It is one of those areas which will grow beyond its author and tap into what is laying in plain sight all around us. It just takes time to work it out.

Below, please find an introduction to one of the church's most foundational creeds and confessions.

Peace, and Happy New Year,

R.E. Slater
January 2, 2021



The Apostles' Creed
Jun 15, 2020


I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again
to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of the saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.

Amen.



The Apostles' Creed [Full-Length Version]
Episode 1 - Faith Of Our Fathers
Dec 9, 2020


Session 1: Faith of Our Fathers, explores the origins of and the need for the creed as a defense against heresy, as well as the meaning and personal nature of belief.

Explore the vibrant, living expression of the heart of faith that links all believers to the church of the ages and the church around the world: the Apostles' Creed. In session 1: Faith of Our Fathers, discover the origins of and the need for the creed as a defense against heresy and the meaning and personal nature of belief. 

The Apostle's Creed is a Universal Creed for the Universal Church.  The amazing document is a vibrant, living expression of the heart of faith.  This 17-part series traces the origin of the Apostles’ Creed, placing it in its historical context. An international and interdenominational cast of notable theologians discuss each phrase of the Creed, emphasizing its relevance and application to our lives today.

Director: T.N. Mohan, Angela Burchett
Starring: Dr. Timothy George, Pastor Langdon Palmer



The Apostles' Creed [Full-Length Version]
Episode 2 - Blessed Trinity
Dec 9, 2020


Session 2: Focuses on Scriptural foundations for the Creed's understanding of the Triune God as revealed in the Old Testament and New Testament, and the relational unity within the Godhead.

The Apostle's Creed is a Universal Creed for the Universal Church.  The amazing document is a vibrant, living expression of the heart of faith.  This 17-part series traces the origin of the Apostles’ Creed, placing it in its historical context. An international and interdenominational cast of notable theologians discuss each phrase of the Creed, emphasizing its relevance and application to our lives today.

Director: T.N. Mohan, Angela Burchett
Starring: Dr. Timothy George, Pastor Langdon Palmer


Medieval Credo Apostolorum, dated ca. 1300 (Bibliothèque Mazarine ms. 0924 f. 150v). The sequence of attribution to the apostles is: 1. Peter, 2. Andrew, 4. John, 3. James, son of Zebedee, 5. Thomas, 6. James, son of Alphaeus, 7. Philip, 8. Bartholomew, 9. Matthew, 10. Simon the Zealot, 11. Jude Thaddaeus, 12. Matthias


THE APOSTLES' CREED

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It most likely originates in 5th-century Gaul, as a development of the Old Roman Symbol, the old Latin creed of the 4th century. It has been in liturgical use in the Latin rite since the 8th century, and by extension in the various modern branches of Western Christianity, including the modern liturgy and catechesis of the Catholic Church, Lutheranism, Anglicanism, Presbyterianism, the Moravian Church, Methodism, and Congregational churches.The Apostles' Creed (LatinSymbolum Apostolorum or Symbolum Apostolicum), sometimes titled the Apostolic Creed or the Symbol of the Apostles, is a Christian creed or "symbol of faith".

It is shorter than the full Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed adopted in 381, but it is still explicitly trinitarian in structure with sections affirming belief in God the FatherGod the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.[1] It does not address some Christological issues defined in the Nicene Creed. It thus says nothing explicitly about the divinity of either Jesus or the Holy Spirit. For this reason, it was held to predate the Nicene Creed in medieval Latin tradition.

The expression "Apostles' Creed" is first mentioned in a letter from the Synod of Milan dated AD 390, referring to a belief at the time that each of the Twelve Apostles contributed an article to the twelve articles of the creed.[2][3]

History

The ecclesiastical use of Latin symbolum for "creed"—in the sense of "a distinctive mark of Christians", from the sense of Greek σύμβολον, "a sign or token used for identification"—first occurs around the middle of the 3rd century, in the correspondence of St. Cyprian and St. Firmilian, the latter in particular speaking of the trinitarian formula as the "Symbol of the Trinity", and recognizing it as an integral part of the rite of baptism.[4] The term Symbolum Apostolicum appears for the first time in a letter, probably written by Ambrose, from a Council in Milan to Pope Siricius in about AD 390 "Let them give credit to the Symbol of the Apostles, which the Roman Church has always kept and preserved undefiled".[5][6] Ambrose's term is here referring to the Old Roman Creed, the immediate predecessor of what is now known as the "Apostle's Creed".[7][8] The narrative of this creed having been jointly created by the Apostles, with each of the twelve contributing one of twelve articles, was already current at that time.[6]

This illumination from a 13th-century manuscript shows the apostles writing the Creed, receiving inspiration from the Holy Spirit.

The Old Roman Creed had evolved from simpler texts based on Matthew 28:19,[6] part of the Great Commission, and it has been argued that this earlier text was already in written form by the late 2nd century (c. 180).[6][9][10]

While the individual statements of belief that are included in the Apostles' Creed – even those not found in the Old Roman Symbol – are found in various writings by IrenaeusTertullianNovatianMarcellusRufinusAmbroseAugustineNicetas, and Eusebius Gallus,[11] the earliest appearance of what we know as the Apostles' Creed was in the De singulis libris canonicis scarapsus ("Excerpt from Individual Canonical Books") of St. Pirminius (MignePatrologia Latina 89, 1029 ff.), written between 710 and 714.[12] Bettenson and Maunder state that it is first from Dicta Abbatis Pirminii de singulis libris canonicis scarapsus (idem quod excarpsus, excerpt), c. 750.[13]

The text of what is now known as the "Apostles' Creed" was most likely developed in southern Gaul around the midpoint of the 5th century.[14] A creed that is virtually identical to the current one is recorded by Faustus of Riez. It is possible that Faustus had the identical text, as the original text written by Faustus cannot be reconstructed with certainty. A version that is identical to the current one with the single exception of infera in place of inferos is recorded in the late 5th century. However, the Old Roman Creed remained the standard liturgical text of the Roman Church throughout the 4th to 7th centuries. It was replaced by the "Gallic" version of the Apostles' Creed only in the later 8th century, under Charlemagne, who imposed it throughout his dominions.[15][6]

The phrase "descendit ad inferos" ("he descended into hell") is not found in the Nicene Creed. It echoes Ephesians 4:9,[16] "κατέβη εἰς τὰ κατώτερα μέρη τῆς γῆς" ("he descended into the lower earthly regions").[17] This phrase first appeared in one of the two versions of Rufinus (d. 411), the Creed of Aquileia, and then did not appear again in any version of the creed until AD 650.[18] Similarly, the references to the communion of saints is found neither in the Old Roman Symbol nor in the Nicene Creed. The reference to God as "creator of heaven and earth" likewise is not in the Nicene Creed of 325, but it is present in the extended version of the Nicene Creed (the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed) of 381.

The Eastern Orthodox Church does not use the Apostles' Creed, not because of an objection to any of its articles, but because of its omissions necessary for the definition of Nicene Christianity. The Orthodox delegates at the Council of Florence (1431–1449) explicitly challenged the western tradition that attributed the Apostles' Creed to the Twelve Apostles. This tradition was also shown to be historically untenable by Lorenzo Valla.[19] The Roman Church does not state that text dates back to the Apostles themselves, the Roman catechism instead explaining that "the Apostles' Creed is so called because it is rightly considered to be a faithful summary of the apostles' faith."[20]

Text

The following gives the original Latin text, with the traditional division into twelve articles,[21][22] alongside an English translation. Underlined passages are those not present in the Old Roman Symbol as recorded by Tyrannius Rufinus.

1. Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem, Creatorem caeli et terrae,
I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth,
2. et in Iesum Christum, Filium Eius unicum, Dominum nostrum,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
3. qui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto, natus ex Maria Virgine,
who was conceived from the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary,
4. passus sub Pontio Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus,
who suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried,
5. descendit ad inferos, tertia die resurrexit a mortuis,
descended into hell, rose again from the dead on the third day,
6. ascendit ad caelos, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis,
ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty,
7. inde venturus est iudicare vivos et mortuos.
who will come again to judge the living and the dead.
8. Credo in Spiritum Sanctum,
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
9. sanctam Ecclesiam catholicamsanctorum communionem,
the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints,
10. remissionem peccatorum,
the forgiveness of sins,
11. carnis resurrectionem,
the resurrection of the body,
12. vitam aeternam. Amen.[23]
and the life everlasting. Amen.

There is also a received Greek text, which alongside the Latin is found in the Psalterium Græcum et Romanum, erroneously ascribed to Pope Gregory the Great. It was first edited by Archbishop Ussher in 1647, based on a manuscript preserved in the library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. The Latin text agrees with the "Creed of Pirminius" edited by Charles Abel Heurtley (De Fide Symbolo, 1900, p. 71). Four other Greek translations with slight variations were discovered by Carl Paul Caspari, and published in 1879 (Alte und neue Quellen zur Geschichte des Taufsymbols, vol. 3, pp. 11 sqq.).[24]

The tradition of assigning each article to one of the apostles specifically can be traced to the 6th century. In Western sacral art, Credo Apostolorum refers to the figurative representation of the twelve apostles each alongside one of the articles. This artistic tradition extends from the high medieval to the Baroque period.

The precise division of the text and the sequence of attribution to the apostles has never been entirely fixed. For example, Pelbartus Ladislaus of Temesvár, writing in the late 15th century, divides article 5 in two but combines articles 11 and 12 into one, with the following attributions: 1. Peter, 2. John, 3. James, son of Zebedee, 4. Andrew, 5a. Philip, 5b. Thomas, 6. Bartholomew, 7. Matthew, 8. James, son of Alphaeus, 9. Simon the Zealot, 10. Jude Thaddaeus, 11.–12. Matthias.[25]

Liturgical use in Western Christianity

The Apostles' Creed is used in its direct form or in interrogative forms by Western Christian communities in several of their liturgical rites, in particular those of baptism and the Eucharist.

Rite of Baptism

The Apostles' Creed, whose present form is similar to the baptismal creed used in Rome in the third and fourth centuries, actually developed from questions addressed to those seeking baptism.[26] The Catholic Church still today uses an interrogative form of it in the Rite of Baptism (for both children and adults). In the official English translation (ICEL, 1974) the minister of baptism asks:

Do you believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth?
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?
Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?

To each question, the catechumen, or, in the case of an infant, the parents and sponsor(s) (godparent(s)) in his or her place, answers "I do." Then the celebrant says:

This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And all respond: Amen.

The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand uses the Apostles' Creed in its baptism rite in spite of the reservations of some of its members regarding the phrase "born of the virgin Mary".[27]

The Episcopal Church in the United States of America uses the Apostles' Creed as part of a Baptismal Covenant for those who are to receive the Rite of Baptism. The Apostles' Creed is recited by candidates, sponsors and congregation, each section of the Creed being an answer to the celebrant's question, "Do you believe in God the Father (God the Son, God the Holy Spirit)?"[28] It is also used in an interrogative form at the Easter Vigil in The Renewal of Baptismal Vows.[29]

The Church of England likewise asks the candidates, sponsors and congregation to recite the Apostles' Creed in answer to similar interrogations, in which it avoids using the word "God" of the Son and the Holy Spirit, asking instead: "Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ?", and "Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit?" Moreover, "where there are strong pastoral reasons", it allows use of an alternative formula in which the interrogations, while speaking of "God the Son" and "God the Holy Spirit", are more elaborate but are not based on the Apostles' Creed, and the response in each case is: "I believe and trust in him."[30] The Book of Common Prayer may also be used, which in its rite of baptism has the minister recite the Apostles' Creed in interrogative form. asking the godparents or, in the case "of such as are of Riper Years", the candidate: "Dost thou believe in God the Father ..." The response is: "All this I stedfastly believe."[31]

Lutherans following the Lutheran Service Book (Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and the Lutheran Church–Canada), like Catholics and Anglicans, use the Apostles' Creed during the Sacrament of Baptism:

Do you believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth?
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, His only son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He will come to judge the living and the dead?
Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting?

Following each question, the candidate answers: "Yes, I believe". If the candidates are unable to answer for themselves, the sponsors are to answer the questions.[32]

For ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) Lutherans who use the Evangelical Lutheran Worship book, the Apostles' Creed appears during the Sacrament of Holy Baptism Rite on p. 229 of the hardcover pew edition.

Methodists use the Apostles' Creed as part of their baptismal rites in the form of an interrogatory addressed to the candidate(s) for baptism and the whole congregation as a way of professing the faith within the context of the Church's sacramental act. For infants, it is the professing of the faith by the parents, sponsors, and congregation on behalf of the candidate(s); for confirmands, it is the professing of the faith before and among the congregation. For the congregation, it is a reaffirmation of their professed faith.

Do you believe in God?
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
Do you believe in Jesus Christ?
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.[33]

Eucharistic Rite

Since the 2002 edition, the Apostles' Creed is included in the Roman Missal as an alternative, with the indication, "Instead of the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, especially during Lent and Easter time, the baptismal Symbol of the Roman Church, known as the Apostles' Creed, may be used."[34] Previously the Nicene Creed was the only profession of faith that the Missal gave for use at Mass, except in Masses for children; but in some countries use of the Apostles' Creed was already permitted.

Liturgy of the Hours

The Apostles' Creed is used in Anglican services of Matins and Evening Prayer (Evensong). It is invoked after the recitation or singing of the Canticles, and is the only part of the services in which the congregation traditionally turns to face the altar, if they are seated transversely in the quire.

The Episcopal Church (United States) uses the Apostles' Creed in Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer.[35]

Before the 1955 simplification of the rubrics of the Roman Breviary by Pope Pius XII, the Apostles' Creed was recited at the beginning of matins and prime, at the end of compline, and in some preces (a series of versicles and responses preceded by Kyrie, eleison ("Lord, have mercy") and the Our Father) of prime and compline[36] on certain days during Advent and Lent.

Liturgical English translations

Ecumenical (interdenominational) versions

15th-century Flemish tapestry illustrating the first four articles of the Creed

International Consultation on English Texts

The International Consultation on English Texts (ICET), a first inter-church ecumenical group that undertook the writing of texts for use by English-speaking Christians in common, published Prayers We Have in Common (Fortress Press, 1970,1971,1975). Its version of the Apostles' Creed was adopted by several churches.[37][38]

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of the saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. 
Amen.

English Language Liturgical Consultation

The English Language Liturgical Consultation (ELLC), a successor body to the International Consultation on English Texts (ICET), published in 1988 a revised translation of the Apostles' Creed. It avoided the word "his" in relation to God and spoke of Jesus Christ as "God's only Son" instead of "his only Son". In the fourth line, it replaced the personal pronoun "he" with the relative "who", and changed the punctuation, so as no longer to present the Creed as a series of separate statements. In the same line it removed the words "the power of". It explained its rationale for making these changes and for preserving other controverted expressions in the 1988 publication Praying Together, with which it presented its new version:[39]

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Roman Catholic Church

The initial (1970) English official translation of the Roman Missal of the Roman Catholic Church adopted the ICET version, as did catechetical texts such as the Catechism of the Catholic Church.[37][38]

In 2008 the Catholic Church published a new English translation of the texts of the Mass of the Roman Rite, use of which came into force at the end of 2011. It included the following translation of the Apostles' Creed:[40][41]

I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended into hell;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.

Church of England

In the Church of England there are currently two authorized forms of the creed: that of the Book of Common Prayer (1662) and that of Common Worship (2000).

Lutheran Church

Evangelical Lutheran Worship

The publication Evangelical Lutheran Worship published by Augsburg Fortress, is the primary worship resource for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. It presents the official ELCA version, footnoting the phrase "he descended to the dead" to indicate an alternative reading: "or ‘he descended into hell,’ another translation of this text in widespread use".

The text is as follows:[49]

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
     creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,
     who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
     born of the virgin Mary,
     suffered under Pontius Pilate,
     was crucified, died, and was buried;
     he descended to the dead.*
     On the third day he rose again;
     he ascended into heaven,
     he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
     and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
     the holy catholic church,
     the communion of saints,
     the forgiveness of sins,
     the resurrection of the body,
     and the life everlasting. Amen.

Church of Denmark

The Church of Denmark still uses the phrase "We renounce the devil and all his doings and all his beings" as the beginning of this creed, before the line "We believe in God etc." This is mostly due to the influence of the Danish pastor Grundtvig. See Den apostolske trosbekendelse.

United Methodist Church

The United Methodists in the USA commonly incorporate the Apostles' Creed into their worship services. The version which is most often used is located at No. 881 in the United Methodist Hymnal, one of their most popular hymnals and one with a heritage to brothers John Wesley and Charles Wesley, founders of Methodism.[50][51] It is notable for omitting the line "he descended into hell", but is otherwise very similar to the Book of Common Prayer version. The 1989 Hymnal has both the traditional version and the 1988 ecumenical version,[52] which includes "he descended to the dead."

The Apostles' Creed as found in The Methodist Hymnal of 1939 also omits the line "he descended..."[53] The Methodist Hymnal of 1966 has the same version of the creed, but with a note at the bottom of the page stating, "Traditional use of this creed includes these words: 'He descended into hell.'"[54]

However, when the Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in the United States in 1784, John Wesley sent the new American Church a Sunday Service which included the phrase "he descended into hell" in the text of The Apostles' Creed.[55] It is clear that Wesley intended American Methodists to use the phrase in the recitation of the Creed.

The United Methodist Hymnal of 1989 also contains (at #882) what it terms the "Ecumenical Version" of this creed which is the ecumenically accepted modern translation of the International Committee on English Texts (1975) as amended by the subsequent successor body, the English Language Liturgical Consultation (1987).[56] This form of the Apostles' Creed can be found incorporated into the Eucharistic and Baptismal Liturgies in the Hymnal and in The United Methodist Book of Worship, and hence it is growing in popularity and use. The word "catholic" is intentionally left lowercase in the sense that the word catholic applies to the universal and ecumenical Christian church.


I believe in God the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and the life everlasting. Amen.[57]

Musical settings

Musical settings of the Symbolum Apostolorum as a motet are rare. The French composer Le Brung published one Latin setting in 1540, and the Spanish composer Fernando de las Infantas published two in 1578.

Martin Luther wrote the hymn "Wir glauben all an einen Gott" (translated into English as "We all believe in one God") in 1524 as a paraphrase of the Apostles' Creed.

In 1957, William P. Latham wrote "Credo (Metrical Version of the Apostle’s Creed)" in an SATB arrangement suitable for boys' and men's voices.

In 1979 John Michael Talbot, a Third Order Franciscan, composed and recorded "Creed" on his album, The Lord's Supper.[58]

In 1986 Graham Kendrick published the popular "We believe in God the Father", closely based on the Apostles' Creed.

The song "Creed" on Petra's 1990 album Beyond Belief is loosely based on the Apostles' Creed.[59]

GIA Publications published a hymn text in 1991 directly based on the Apostles' Creed, called "I Believe in God Almighty." It has been sung to hymn tunes from Wales, the Netherlands, and Ireland.[60]

Rich Mullins and Beaker also composed a musical setting titled "Creed", released on Mullins' 1993 album A Liturgy, a Legacy, & a Ragamuffin Band.[61] Notably, Mullins' version replaces "one holy catholic church" with "one holy church".

Integrity Music under the Hosanna! Music series, produced a live worship acoustic album in 1993, ‘Be Magnified’,[62] which featured Randy Rothwell as worship leader, had an upbeat enthusiastic hymn called “The Apostle’s Creed”, written by Randy Rothwell Burbank.

In 2014 Hillsong released a version of the Apostles' Creed under the title "This I Believe (The Creed)" on their album No Other Name.

Keith & Kristyn Getty released an expression of the Apostles' Creed under the title "We Believe (Apostle's Creed)" on their 2016 album Facing a Task Unfinished.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ In a suggested revision of 1923, this line has "of the Holy Ghost".[45] The Scottish Book of Common Prayer (1637) has "which was conceived of the holy Ghost".[46] This goes back to the 1559 Book of Common Prayer, which has "whiche was conceived of the holy Ghost".[47]

References

  1. ^ Bayes, Jonathan F. (September 9, 2010). The Apostles' Creed: Truth with Passion. Wipf and Stock Publishers. ISBN 978-1-60899-539-4.
  2. ^ Rogers, Jack (1985), Presbyterian Creeds, Westminster John Knox Press, pp. 62–63, ISBN 978-0-66425496-4.
  3. ^ Orr, James. "The Apostles' Creed"International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Reformed. Archived from the original on June 22, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  4. ^ Thurston, Herbert. The Apostles' Creed in the Catholic Encyclopedia, editions of 1907Catholic Encyclopedia (year 1913), Vol.1. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018..
  5. ^ Ambrose of Milan. "Letter 42:5". Tertullian.org. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  6. Jump up to:a b c d e "Apostles' Creed", Dictionary of the Christian Church, Oxford University Press, 2005, p. 90, ISBN 978-0192802903.
  7. ^ Day, Gardiner Mumford (1963), The Apostles' Creed: an interpretation for today, Scribner, p. 33.
  8. ^ McGiffert, Arthur Cushman (2008), The Apostles' Creed: Its Origin, Its Purpose, and Its Historical Interpretation, p. 42, ISBN 978-0559851995.
  9. ^ Bettenson, Henry, ed. (1963), Documents of the Christian Church (2nd ed.), London, p. 23.
  10. ^ Lynch, Joseph (1992), The Medieval Church, London and NY: Longman, p. 7.
  11. ^ Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical notes, II. The History of Creeds, Christian Classics Ethereal Library, July 13, 2005, retrieved May 19, 2011
  12. ^ Kelly, JND (1972), Early Christian Creeds (third ed.), London: Longman, Green & Co, pp. 398–434.
  13. ^ Bettenson, Henry; Maunder, Chris (1999), Documents of the Christian Church (3 ed.), New York: Oxford University Press, p. 26.
  14. ^ "Origin of the Creed"Catholic Encyclopedia, New advent.
  15. ^ Clemens Blume, Das Apostolische Glaubensbekenntniß (1893), 186f.
  16. ^ Ephesians 4:9
  17. ^ Trillhaas, Wolfgang, "Creeds, Lutheran Attitude Toward", in Bodensieck, Julius (ed.), The Encyclopedia of the Lutheran ChurchA–E, Minneapolis: Augsburg, p. 629.
  18. ^ Grudem, Wayne A (2004), Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, Leicester, ENG; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan, p. 586. Cf. Rufinus"Commentary on the Apostles' Creed"newadvent.org, retrieved October 1, 2016
  19. ^ Dorothea Sattler: Apostolisches Glaubensbekenntnis. I. Dogmen- und Theologiegeschichte. In: Walter Kasper (ed.): Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche. 3rd ed., vol. 1, Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 1993, c. 878f.
  20. ^ Patristic Bible Commentary, Catechism of the Catholic Church on the Apostles' Creed, citing St. Ambrose, Expl. symb. 7: PL 17, 1196.
  21. ^ "English translation of the Apostles' Creed"The Catechism of the Catholic Church. Vatican. March 25, 1997. Retrieved April 26, 2013.
  22. ^ "Part I, Section II"English translation of the Apostles' Creed. Vatican. Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  23. ^ "Symbolum Fidei" [Faith symbol]. Catechismus Catholicae Ecclesiae (in Latin). Vatican. June 25, 1992. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
  24. ^ Bird, Michael F. (July 5, 2016). What Christians ought to believe: an introduction to Christian doctrine through the Apostles' Creed. New York City: HarperCollins. p. 185. ISBN 978-0-310-52093-1.
    Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical notes, Volume II. The History of Creeds, CCEL, February 19, 2009, retrieved September 29, 2016 .
  25. ^ Sermones Pomerii de sanctis II. Pars aestivalis. Sermo XXVII.: Item in divisionis apostolorum festo. Hagenau 1499.
  26. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica: "Apostles' Creed"
  27. ^ Knox Church Dunedin: "Why use the Apostles’ Creed in a baptism?"
  28. ^ "Holy Baptism," The (Online) Book of Common Prayer (revised 2007 ed.). The Episcopal Church. 1979. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  29. ^ The Book of Common Prayer (1979). New York: Church Publishing. pp. 292-293.
  30. ^ Common Worship: "Holy Baptism"
  31. ^ Book of Common Prayer: "The Ministration of Public Baptism to Infants"; "The Order of Baptism for those of Riper Years"
  32. ^ The Commission on Worship of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (2006). Lutheran Service Book. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House. pp. 268–271. ISBN 978-0-7586-1217-5.
  33. ^ "Baptismal Covenant I", The United Methodist Hymnal, p. 35.
  34. ^ Roman Missal, Liturgy Training Publications, 2011, ISBN 9781568549910, retrieved February 2, 2019.
  35. ^ The Book of Common Prayer (1979). New York: Church Publishing. p. 66 (Evening Prayer, Rite I, traditional), p. 120 (Evening Prayer, Rite II, ICET).
  36. ^ "Compendium of the Reforms of the Roman Breviary, 1568 - 1961: Part 9.1 - the Simplified Rubrics of 1955".
  37. Jump up to:a b "The Apostles' Creed" (PDF). Cardinal Newman Catechist Consultants. 2008. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
  38. Jump up to:a b Vanden Bosch, James (December 1989). "Revised But Not Standard"Reformed Worship (14). Retrieved June 2, 2019.
  39. ^ "Praying Together" (PDF). English Language Liturgical Consultation. 1988. p. 22. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
  40. ^ Order of Mass (PDF), International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc., 2010, p. 10, retrieved June 16, 2019
  41. ^ New English translations of Ordo Missae to be set to music (PDF)Catholic Church in Australia, April 13, 2010, p. 5, retrieved June 16, 2019.
  42. ^ "The Book of Common Prayer (original text)" (PDF). Vulcan hammer. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 16, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  43. ^ "The Order for Morning Prayer". Anglican. Archived from the original on April 19, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  44. ^ "The Order for Evening Prayer". Anglican. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  45. ^ A Suggested Prayer Book, Being the text of the English Rite altered and enlarged in accordance with the Prayer Book Revision proposals made by the English Church Union (PDF). 1923. p. 13. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 24, 2015.
  46. ^ "The Order of Confirmation"The Book of Common Prayer for Scotland. 1637. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015.
  47. ^ "Confirmacion"The Book of Common Prayer. 1559. Archived from the original on May 16, 2015.
  48. ^ "Creeds and Authorized Affirmations of Faith". Church of England. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  49. ^ "The Apostles' Creed" (PDF).
  50. ^ "Contemporary Evangelical Perspectives". Catalyst resources. Archived from the original on May 18, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  51. ^ "Contemporary Evangelical Perspectives". Catalyst resources. Archived from the original on May 18, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  52. ^ "Apostle's Creed Traditional and Ecumenical Versions". The United Methodist Church. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  53. ^ The Methodist Hymnal (1939). Nashville: The Methodist Publishing House. p. 512.
  54. ^ The United Methodist Hymnal (1966). Nashville: The Methodist Publishing House. #738.
  55. ^ Wesley, John (1784). "The Sunday Service of the Methodists in North America with other Occasional Services," p. 12.
  56. ^ Hickman, Hoyt, ed. (1989), "The Worship Resources", United Methodist Hymnal, p. 200.
  57. ^ The United Methodist Hymnal Book of United Methodist Worship ©1989 The United Methodist Publishing House
  58. ^ Smith, Michael G (February 1, 1985), "Troubador of the Kingdom", Christianity Today, p. 88.
  59. ^ Powell, Mark Allan (2002), Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music, Hendrickson, p. 696ISBN 1565636791
  60. ^ "I believe in God almighty"Hymnary.
  61. ^ Powell, Mark Allan (2002), Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music, Hendrickson, p. 615ISBN 1565636791
  62. ^ Rothwell, Randy. (1993), Be magnified : featuring Randy Rothwell., Hosanna! Music, OCLC 271477619

Further reading

External links