Editing Christianity (section)

=== Creeds ===
{{Main|Christian creed|List of Christian creeds}}
{{stack|{{Wikisource|Apostles' Creed}}
{{Wikisource|Nicene Creed}}}}
[[File:Nicaea icon.jpg|thumb|An [[Eastern Christianity|Eastern Christian]] icon depicting [[Constantine I and Christianity|Emperor Constantine]] and the Fathers of the [[First Council of Nicaea]] (325) as holding the Niceno–Constantinopolitan Creed of 381]]

Concise doctrinal statements or confessions of religious beliefs are known as [[creeds]]. They began as baptismal formulae and were later expanded during the [[Christology|Christological]] controversies of the 4th and 5th centuries to become statements of faith. "[[Jesus is Lord]]" is the earliest creed of Christianity and continues to be used, as with the [[World Council of Churches]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tayviah |first=Frederick K. D. |title=Why Do Bad Things Keep on Happening? |year=1995 |publisher=CSS Publishing |isbn=978-1-55673-979-8 |page=29}}</ref>

The [[Apostles' Creed]] is the most widely accepted statement of the articles of Christian faith. It is used by a number of [[List of Christian denominations|Christian denominations]] for both [[liturgy|liturgical]] and [[catechesis|catechetical]] purposes, most visibly by liturgical churches of [[Western Christian]] tradition, including the [[Latin Church]] of the [[Catholic Church]], [[Lutheranism]], [[Anglicanism]], and [[Western Rite Orthodoxy]]. It is also used by [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterians]], [[Methodism|Methodists]], and [[Congregational church|Congregationalists]].

This particular creed was developed between the 2nd and 9th centuries. Its central doctrines are those of the [[Trinity]] and [[God in Christianity|God]] the [[Creator deity|Creator]]. Each of the doctrines found in this creed can be traced to statements current in the [[Apostolic Age|apostolic period]]. The creed was apparently used as a summary of Christian doctrine for baptismal candidates in the churches of Rome.<ref>Pelikan/Hotchkiss, ''Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition''.</ref> Its points include:

* Belief in [[God the Father]], [[Jesus Christ]] as the [[God the Son|Son of God]],<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Christianity &#124; Definition, Origin, History, Beliefs, Symbols, Types, & Facts &#124; Britannica |entry=Christianity |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christianity |last=Jan Pelikan |first=Jaroslav |date=13 August 2022 |quote=...there is a core of ideas that all New Testament scholars and believers would agree are central to ancient Christian beliefs. One British scholar, James G. Dunn, for example, says they would all agree that “the Risen Jesus is the Ascended Lord.” That is to say, there would have been no faith tradition and no scriptures had not the early believers thought that Jesus was “Risen,” raised from the dead, and, “Ascended,” somehow above the ordinary plane of mortal and temporal experience.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Young |first=Frances M. |author-link=Frances Young |title=The Cambridge History of Christianity |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-139-05483-6 |editor1-last=Mitchell |editor1-first=M. |volume=1 |pages=1–34 |chapter=Prelude: Jesus Christ, foundation of Christianity |doi=10.1017/CHOL9780521812399.002 |quote=The death of Jesus Christ by crucifixion, together with his resurrection from the dead, lies at the heart of Christianity. |editor2-last=Young |editor2-first=F.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |year=2005 |title=Christianity - The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095610483 |access-date=6 August 2024 |website=Oxford Reference |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |quote=The religion based on the person and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, or its beliefs and practices.}}</ref>{{refn|group=note|name="nontrinitarianism"}} and the [[Holy Spirit (Christianity)|Holy Spirit]]
* The [[crucifixion of Jesus|death]], [[Harrowing of Hell|descent into hell]], [[resurrection of Jesus|resurrection]] and [[Ascension of Jesus|ascension]] of Christ
* The holiness of the [[Christian Church|Church]] and the [[communion of saints]]
* Christ's [[second coming]], the [[Last Judgment|Day of Judgement]] and [[Salvation in Christianity|salvation]] of the faithful

The [[Nicene Creed]] was formulated, largely in response to [[Arianism]], at the Councils of [[First Council of Nicaea|Nicaea]] and [[First Council of Constantinople|Constantinople]] in 325 and 381 respectively,<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 2005 |title="We Believe in One God....": The Nicene Creed and Mass |url=https://www.cuf.org/2005/02/we-believe-in-one-god-the-nicene-creed-at-mass/ |url-access=registration |access-date=16 June 2014 |publisher=Catholics United for the Fath |archive-date=19 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819224429/https://www.cuf.org/2005/02/we-believe-in-one-god-the-nicene-creed-at-mass/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>''Encyclopedia of Religion'', "Arianism".</ref> and ratified as the universal creed of [[Christendom]] by the [[First Council of Ephesus]] in 431.<ref>''[[Catholic Encyclopedia]]'', [https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05491a.htm "Council of Ephesus"].</ref>

The [[Chalcedonian Definition]], or Creed of Chalcedon, developed at the [[Council of Chalcedon]] in 451,<ref>Christian History Institute, {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20080106201425/https://chi.gospelcom.net/DAILYF/2003/10/daily-10-08-2003.shtml ''First Meeting of the Council of Chalcedon'']}}.</ref> though rejected by the [[Oriental Orthodox]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Peter Theodore Farrington |date=February 2006 |title=The Oriental Orthodox Rejection of Chalcedon |url=https://www.britishorthodox.org/113e.php |journal=Glastonbury Review |issue=113 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080619122112/https://www.britishorthodox.org/113e.php |archive-date=19 June 2008}}</ref> taught Christ "to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably": one divine and one human, and that both natures, while perfect in themselves, are nevertheless also [[Hypostatic union|perfectly united into one person]].<ref>Pope Leo I, [https://www.dailycatholic.org/history/4ecumen2.htm ''Letter to Flavian''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220620231801/http://www.dailycatholic.org/history/4ecumen2.htm |date=20 June 2022 }}</ref>

The [[Athanasian Creed]], received in the Western Church as having the same status as the Nicene and Chalcedonian, says: "We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons nor dividing the [[Consubstantiality|Substance]]".<ref>''[[Catholic Encyclopedia]]'', "[https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02033b.htm Athanasian Creed]".</ref>

Most Christians ([[Catholic Church|Catholic]], [[Eastern Orthodox]], [[Oriental Orthodox]], and [[Protestant]] alike) accept the use of creeds and subscribe to at least one of the creeds mentioned above.<ref name="UMC—Our Common Heritage as Christians">{{Cite web |title=Our Common Heritage as Christians |url=https://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1806 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060114032325/https://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1806 |archive-date=14 January 2006 |access-date=31 December 2007 |publisher=The United Methodist Church}}</ref>

Certain [[Evangelical Protestants]], though not all of them, reject creeds as definitive statements of faith, even while agreeing with some or all of the substance of the creeds. Also rejecting creeds are groups with roots in the [[Restoration Movement]], such as the [[Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)]], the [[Evangelical Christian Church in Canada]], and the [[Churches of Christ]].<ref>White, Howard A. ''{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20171130221959/http://www.appiusforum.net/restoration.html The History of the Church]}}''.</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Cummins |first=Duane D. |url=https://archive.org/details/handbookfortoday0000cumm |title=A handbook for Today's Disciples in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) |publisher=Chalice |year=1991 |isbn=978-0-8272-1425-5 |edition=Revised |location=St Louis, MO |url-access=registration}}</ref>{{rp|14–15}}<ref>Ron Rhodes, ''The Complete Guide to Christian Denominations'', Harvest House Publishers, 2005, {{ISBN|0736912894}}</ref>{{rp|123}}