The Nicene Creed in the Church David R
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Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi: the Doctrine of the Theotokos As a Liturgical Creed in the Coptic Orthodox Church
Journal of Coptic Studies 14 (2012) 47–62 doi: 10.2143/JCS.14.0.2184687 LEX ORANDI, LEX CREDENDI: THE DOCTRINE OF THE THEOTOKOS AS A LITURGICAL CREED IN THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH BY BISHOY DAWOOD 1. Introduction In the Surah entitled “The Table Spread” in the Quran, Mohammed, the prophet of Islam, proclaimed a long revelation from God, and in a part that spoke of the role of Mary and teachings of Jesus, the following was mentioned: “And behold! Allah will say: ‘O Jesus the son of Mary! Did you say to men, ‘worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of Allah’?’” (Sura 5:116).1 It is of note here that not only the strict mono- theistic religion of Islam objected to the Christian worshipping of Jesus as God, but it was commonly believed that Christians also worshipped his mother, Mary, as a goddess. This may have been the result of a mis- understanding of the term Theotokos, literally meaning “God-bearer”, but also means “Mother of God”, which was attributed to Mary by the Christians, who used the phrase Theotokos in their liturgical worship. Likewise, in Protestant theology, there was a reaction to the excessive adoration of the Virgin Mary in the non-liturgical devotions of the churches of the Latin West, which was termed “Mariolatry.” However, as Jaroslav Pelikan noted, the Eastern churches commemorated and cel- ebrated Mary as the Theotokos in their liturgical worship and hymnology.2 The place of the Theotokos in the liturgical worship of the Eastern Chris- tian churches does not only show the spiritual relation between the Virgin Mother and the people who commemorate her, but it is primarily a creedal affirmation of the Christology of the believers praying those hymns addressed to the Theotokos. -
The Nicene Creed
THE NICENE CREED A MANUAL jfor tbe use of ~anlJilJates for }ilol!} ®tlJets BY J. J. LIAS, M.A. RECTOR OF EAST BERGHOLT, COLCHESTER ; CHANCELLOR OF LLANDAFF CATHEDRAL, AND EXAMINING CHAPLAIN TO THE BISHOP OF LLANDAFF; AUTHOR OF ''PRINCIPLES OF BIBLICAL CRITICISM," ''THE ATONEMENT," ETC, LONDON SW AN SONNENSCHEIN & CO., LIM. NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN CO. 1897 tto SIR GEORGE STOKES, BART., LL.D., D.Sc., F.R.S. LUCASIAN PROFESSOR OF MATHEMATICS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE THIS LITTLE BOOK IS DEDICATED WITH A FEELING OF ADMIRATION FOR HIS GREAT ATTAINMENTS AND OF RESPECT FOR HIS HIGH CHARACTER AND GENUINE AND ENLIGHTENED ATTACHMENT TO THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF ttbe lE>octrtne of <Ibtlst PREFACE T is, perhaps, necessary that I should explain my reasons I for adding one more to the vast number of books which pour forth in so continuous a stream in the present day. Four reasons have mainly weighed with me. The first is, that my experience as an examiner of candidates for Holy Orders has convinced me that many of them obtain their knowledge of the first principles of the religion which they propose to teach, in a very unsatisfactory and haphazard way. This is partly due to the absence, at least until lately, of satisfactory text books. Few candidates attempt to read Pearson's great standard work on the subject, and most of those who have attempted it find him very abstruse and difficult to follow. Moreover, it must be admitted that in a good many respects, in spite of the still inestimable value of the work, Pearson's manner and matter are out of date. -
The Nicene Creed
THE NICENE CREED [TEXT] The Nicene Creed In the first three centuries, the church found itself in a hostile environment. On the one hand, it grappled with the challenge of relating the language of the gospel, developed in a Hebraic and Jewish-Christian context, to a Graeco-Roman world. On the other hand, it was threatened not only by persecution, but also by ideas that were in conflict with the biblical witness. In A.D. 312, Constantine won control of the Roman Empire in the battle of Milvian Bridge. Attributing his victory to the intervention of Jesus Christ, he elevated Christianity to favored status in the empire. “One God, one Lord, one faith, one church, one empire, one emperor” became his motto. The new emperor soon discovered that “one faith and one church” were fractured by theological disputes, especially conflicting understandings of the nature of Christ, long a point of controversy. Arius, a priest of the church in Alexandria, asserted that the divine Christ, the Word through whom all things have their existence, was created by God before the beginning of time. Therefore, the divinity of Christ was similar to the divinity of God, but not of the same essence. Arius was opposed by the bishop, Alexander, together with his associate and successor Athanasius. They affirmed that the divinity of Christ, the Son, is of the same substance as the divinity of God, the Father. To hold otherwise, they said, was to open the possibility of polytheism, and to imply that knowledge of God in Christ was not final knowledge of God. -
The Nicene Creed: the Niceno- the Apostles’ Creed: Caesarea: Constantinopolitan Creed
Jonathan J. Armstrong, Ph.D. Moody Bible Institute The Creed of Eusebius of The Nicene Creed: The Niceno- The Apostles’ Creed: Caesarea: Constantinopolitan Creed: We believe in one only God, We believe in one God, the We believe in one God, the I believe in God the Father Father almighty, maker of all things Father almighty, creator of things Father almighty, maker of heaven almighty, maker of heaven and earth; visible and invisible; and earth, and of all things visible And in Jesus Christ his only Son visible and invisible; And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the and invisible; our Lord, who was conceived by the And in the Lord Jesus Christ, for he Son of God, the only-begotten of his And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, is the Word of God, God of God, light Father, of the substance of the only begotten Son of God, begotten of light, life of life, his only Son, the Father, God of God, light of light, of his Father before all worlds, light suffered under Pontius Pilate, was first-born of all creatures, begotten very God of very God, begotten, not of light, very God of very God, crucified, dead, and buried; he of the Father before all time, by made, being of one substance begotten not made, being of one descended into hell; the third day he (ὁμοούσιον) with the Father, by whom also everything was created, substance with the Father, by whom rose again from the dead; he whom all things were made, both all things were made, who for us men who became flesh for our ascended into heaven, and sits on which be in heaven and in earth, who and for our salvation came down the right hand of God the Father redemption, who lived and suffered for us men and for our salvation from heaven and was incarnate by among men, rose again the third day, came down from heaven and was the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary, almighty; from thence he shall come returned to the Father, and will come incarnate and was made man. -
The Apostles' Creed
THE APOSTLES' CREED “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 Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.” † ϯ Commentary: Today the similarities between major Christian denominations far outweigh the differences. Except for the differences in style of worship and a particular emphasis on one “doctrine” or another, all Christians share a common belief. Our basis for agreement goes back to the time of the early church when leaders discussed, debated and settled a number of theological issues. The result is the famous “Apostles’ Creed.” Whether Presbyterian or Baptist, Congregational or Lutheran, United Methodist or Roman Catholic, virtually all Christians agree on the fundamentals of Christian belief in this Statement of Faith. Notes: “holy catholic Church.” One point that constantly causes difficulty is the phrase “holy catholic Church.” Note that the “c” in catholic is lower case, not capitalized. This is NOT the Roman Catholic Church. The word “catholic” means “universal.” We affirm a basic unity in one “universal” church made up of many particular denominations. -
1 Defining and Locating Evangelicalism TIMOTHY LARSEN
Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-60974-6 - The Cambridge Companion to Evangelical Theology Edited by Timothy Larsen and Daniel J. Treier Excerpt More information 1 Defining and locating evangelicalism TIMOTHY LARSEN An evangelical is: 1. an orthodox Protestant 2. who stands in the tradition of the global Christian networks arising from the eighteenth-century revival movements associated with John Wesley and George Whitefield; 3. who has a preeminent place for the Bible in her or his Christian life as the divinely inspired, final authority in matters of faith and practice; 4. who stresses reconciliation with God through the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross; 5. and who stresses the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of an individual to bring about conversion and an ongoing life of fellowship with God and service to God and others, including the duty of all believers to participate in the task of proclaiming the gospel to all people. This definition has been specifically devised for this volume. As I have tried it out on colleagues, they have jokingly referred to it as ‘‘the Larsen Pentagon,’’ which is a compliment to the standard definition of evangelical- ism, the Bebbington Quadrilateral. The British historian, David Bebbington, in his seminal study, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730stothe1980s (1989), defined evangelicalism by identifying its four distin- guishing marks: conversionism, activism, biblicism, and crucicentrism – that is, evangelicals emphasize conversion experiences; an active laity sharing the gospel and engaged in good works; the Bible; and salvation through the work 1 of Christ on the cross. -
WEEK 2 the Apostle's Creed
WEEK 2 The Apostle’s Creed: Embracing Creedal Faith in the Midst of Pluralism The Catechetical lectures are given to those who are to be enlightened in baptism or confirmation and also to believers who are already baptized for edification. 1. What is a Creed? A creed is a statement of faith or belief from the Latin word credo, meaning “I believe.” Latin root= ‘to place one’s heart in’; ‘to trust with the heart.’ 2. Why does the Church use Creeds? a. Distinction. The first object of the earliest Christian creeds was to distinguish the Church from the world, from Jews and heathen, afterwards orthodoxy from heresy, and finally denomination from denomination.5 b. Catechism. To instruct converts and baptized disciples as well. c. Safeguard. The Church’s creeds correct ancient and modern heresies, declaring and safeguarding God’s truth in Holy Scripture about Himself, ourselves, and the whole creation (1 Ths 2; 2 Tim 2; Jude 3). The faith is something to be jealously guarded, something that people might fall away to their spiritual peril.6 3. The Importance of Creeds. a. Creeds are necessary for at least 5 reasons: i. Creeds are summaries of what the apostles taught and what the Bible teaches. The Creeds, therefore, are both biblical and apostolic. ii. Creeds proclaim the essentials of the faith. 1. The Vincentian Canon (AD445), written by St Vincent of Lérins, lays out the test of catholicity: that “which has been believed everywhere, at all times, and by all.” iii. Because Christians hold the essentials of the faith in the Creeds in common, Creeds also create Christian unity. -
The Great and Holy Synod and Why It Is Important for Orthodoxy
The Great and Holy Synod And Why It is Important for Orthodoxy Background Information—The Ecumenical Councils In the year 325, the Emperor Constantine convened the First Ecumenical Council in Nicea. Why? To put order where there was chaos. In the first three centuries of Christianity, the church was underground and persecuted. When Christianity became the legal religion of the Roman Empire in the early 4th century, as the churches of the various cities began communicating openly, there was disagreement, even scandal and heresy, because there was not agreement on basic tenets of the faith. The First Ecumenical Council gathered all the bishops of all the churches together, and after deliberation and prayer, the result of this Council was the Nicene Creed (our confession of faith) and the Canon of Scripture. Between 325 and 787, seven such Councils were held, which have given us the backbone of our Orthodox theology and praxis. For a Council to be truly “Ecumenical”, it means that all the churches are involved. Following the Great Schism in 1054, and now the further fracturing of Christianity into thousands of denominations, it is not possible to have a Council that is truly “Ecumenical.” The Autocephalous Churches In the Ancient Church, there were five “Patriarchates”—Rome, Constantinople, Jerusalem, Antioch and Alexandria. It is not the Orthodox “tradition” to have one “pope” who speaks infallibly for the whole church. Rather, our system of governance is “collegial” or “synodical.” There were, in the beginning, five autocephalous, or self- governing churches, each being led by a “Patriarch.” The Patriarch of Constantinople is recognized as the “Ecumenical Patriarch.” While he does not have administrative authority over the “Autocephalous” Churches, when all the churches gather together, he sits as the “first among equals.” The Seven Ecumenical Councils, or Synods, were convened under the “synodical” system that was the “tradition” among the ancient Patriarchates. -
Connecting to the Creed
A guide for understanding and applying CONNECTING the centennial Social Creed, adopted by ecumenical representatives of 35 Protestant and Orthodox church TO THE CREED: communions for 2008. the 2 for 1st reed C l C en ocia tu S ry A hope ... in love In faith ... in “That all may have life and have it abundantly” John 10:10 Biblical, Theological and Historical Background Current Challenges and Choices For each affirmation and action area of the new Social Creed 1 1 National Council of Churches of Christ Member Communions and Denominations African Methodist Episcopal Church The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church Alliance of Baptists American Baptist Churches in the USA The member bodies of the National Council of Churches Diocese of the Armenian Church of America encompass a wide spectrum Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of American Christianity — Christian Methodist Episcopal Church representing traditions as Church of the Brethren varied as Protestant, Orthodox, The Coptic Orthodox Church in North America Evangelical, Anglican, and The Episcopal Church African-American, historic peace churches and ethnic- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America language immigrant churches. Friends United Meeting Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America They include more than Hungarian Reformed Church in America 100,000 local congregations International Council of Community Churches and 45 million persons in the Korean Presbyterian Church in America United States. Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church “A Social Creed for the 21st Mar Thoma Church Century” was adopted by the Moravian Church in America Northern Province NCCCUSA General Assembly and Southern Province in November 2007. * National Baptist Convention of America National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc. -
John W. Welch, “'All Their Creeds Were an Abomination':A Brief Look at Creeds As Part of the Apostasy,”
John W. Welch, “‘All Their Creeds Were an Abomination’:A Brief Look at Creeds as Part of the Apostasy,” in Prelude to the Restoration: From Apostasy to the Restored Church (Provo, UT and Salt Lake City: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University and Deseret Book, 2004), 228–249. “All Their Creeds Were an Abomination”: A Brief Look at Creeds as Part of the Apostasy John W. Welch John W. Welch is a professor of law at Brigham Young University and editor-in-chief of BYU Studies. On October 15, 1843, the Prophet Joseph Smith commented, “I cannot believe in any of the creeds of the different denominations, because they all have some things in them I cannot subscribe to, though all of them have some truth. I want to come up into the presence of God, and learn all things: but the creeds set up stakes, and say, ‘Hitherto [1] shalt thou come, and no further’; which I cannot subscribe to.” While Latter-day Saints gladly and gratefully recognize that all religious creeds contain some truth, the problem is that those formulations of doctrine also contain errors or impose limits that are “incompatible with the gospel’s inclusive commitment to truth and continual [2] revelation.” Such mixing of truth and error is reminiscent of the parable of the wheat and the tares, the Lord’s most [3] salient teaching on the nature of the Apostasy (Matthew 13:24–30, 37–43; JST Matthew 13; D&C 86:1–11). Thus, the creeds themselves, as vessels of mixed qualities, become metaphors or manifestations of the Apostasy itself. -
The Twentieth Century Trinitarian Renaissance the Locus
REFORMED SCHOLASTICISM AND THE TRINITARIAN RENAISSANCE Gijsbert van den Brink 1. Introduction: The Twentieth Century Trinitarian Renaissance The locus which provokes the most energetic research and lively debate in contemporary systematic theology is no doubt the doctrine of the divine Trinity. As David Cunningham observes, “[o]nce threatened by its relative scarcity in modern theology, the doctrine of the Trinity now seems more likely to be obscured by an overabundance of theologians clustered around it.”1 And in what would become his last book the late Stanley Grenz points to the same fact, when he indicates that “exploring the triunity of God has developed into one of the most popular theolog- ical pursuits . , encompassing the efforts of thinkers representing nearly every ecclesiological tradition and theological persuasion.”2 Indeed, during the twentieth century both Eastern Orthodox and West- ern theologians from all major traditions (Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, Reformed etc.) came to reaffirm the doctrine of the Trinity as the result of careful reflection on the biblical narratives concerning God’s concrete action in the world in the coming of the Messiah and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the huge resurgence of interest in the doc- trine of the Trinity and, more widely, in trinitarian theology, can be con- sidered as a first-rate ecumenical event. I will not delve into the background and motives behind this remark- able movement here—an issue as intriguing as it is complex.3 Rather, given this volume’s focus on some of the themes which have the profes- sional interest of Willem van Asselt and on which he has done such 1 David Cunningham, These Three are One: The Practice of Trinitarian Theology (Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1998), 19. -
The Principles of Theology an Introduction to the Thirty
THE PRINCIPLES OF THEOLOGY AN INTRODUCTION TO THE THIRTY-NINE ARTICLES BY W. H. GRIFFITH THOMAS 1 CONTENTS Article Introduction I. Of Faith in the Holy Trinity II. Of Christ the Son of God III. Of His Going Down into Hell IV. Of His Resurrection Articles 4-10 V. Of The Holy Spirit VI. Of the Sufficiency of the Scriptures VII. Of the Old Testament VIII. Of the Three Creeds IX. Of Original or Birth-Sin X. Of Free-Will XI. Of Justification Articles 11-21 XII. Of Good Works XIII. Of Works before Justification XIV. Of Works of Supererogation XV. Of Christ Alone without Sin XVI. Of Sin after Baptism XVII. Of Predestination and Election XVIII. Of Obtaining Salvation by Christ XIX. Of the Church XX. Of the Authority of the Church XXI. Of the Authority of General Councils XXII. Of Purgatory Articles 22-25 XXIII. Of Ministering in the Congregation XXIV. Of Speaking in the Congregation XXV. Of the Sacraments XXVI. Of the Unworthiness of Ministers Articles 26-35 XXVII. Of Baptism XXVIII. Of the Lord’s Supper XXIX. Of the Wicked Which Eat Not the Body of Christ XXX. Of Both Kinds XXXI. Of Christ’s One Oblation XXXII. Of the Marriage of Priests XXXIII. Of Excommunicate Persons XXXIV. Of the Traditions of the Church XXXV. Of the Homilies XXXVI. Of Consecrating of Ministers Articles 36-Appendix XXXVII. Of Civil Magistrates XXXVIII. Of Christian Men’s Goods XXXIX. Of a Christian Man’s Oath 2 INTRODUCTION Revelation [This section is summarised from the writer’s article “Revelation,” in Hastings’ One Volume Bible Dictionary.