Christianity has always been a "creedal" religion in that it has
always been theological. It was rooted in the theological tradition
of ancient Israel, which was unifi ed by its historical credos and
declaratory affi rmations of faith. No pre-theological era has been
discovered in the New Testament or in the history of the Christian
community. From the beginning Christianity has been theological,
involving men in theological refl ection and calling them to
declarations of faith. A non-theological Christianity has simply
never endured, although such has been attempted, for instance, by
individual seers in the sixteenth century and also by collaborators
with totalitarian ideologies in the twentieth century.
The creeds presented here range from the ancient faith of the
Hebrews and the creed-like formulas of the New Testament to the
Barmen declaration of 1934 (framed by the Christians in Germany who
faced the threat of Nazism) and the Batak Creed of 1951 (in which
Indonesian Christians gave authentic expression to their religious
belief in the idiom of their own culture. All the creeds are in
some sense "offi cial," and every major division of Christendom is
represented, including the Younger Churches. The volume ends with
the messages of the most important assemblies dealing with the
Ecumenical Movement.
This single volume, containing all the major theological affi
rmations of the Christian community, is a source book for the study
of Christian theology. It comprises a record of the Church's
interpretation of the Bible in the past and an authoritative guide
to its interpretation on the present. Indeed, it is a guide to an
understanding of the Christian interpretation of life.
"John H. Leith" was Pemberton Professor of Theology at Union
Theology Seminary. He was a member of numerous societies including
The Synod of the Mid-Atlantic, New Hope Presbytery and the American
Society of Church History. He is the author of numerous books
including "The Best of Times and the Worst of Times for Religion,
Especially Christian Faith, John Calvin's Doctrine of the Christian
Life," and "An Introduction to the Reformed Tradition."
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