I have been thinking about what it means to gove a more "Baptist" answer to this question, and I think it follows that I simply be a little more personal in my explanation. So, here's some more. Comment if you wish.
Please share with us a concise statement of your faith.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of 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 arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall 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.
This is the Apostles' Creed. Though we Baptists are not a creedal people, I believe this to be an appropriate summary of my faith and Christian faith in general. The other reasons I chose a creed to express my belief will become more clear in my answers to the questions which follow. But to summarize, this creed is scriptural, it is rooted in time-honored traditions within Christianity as a whole. It has been used as a formative tool within Christian education and as a part of the liturgical life of Christian communities for centuries. It is, all on its own, a prayer. It is not necessarily a systematic document, a prooftext for Christian orthodoxy. Being a non-creedal people does not mean that the creeds (Apostle�s, Nicean, Athanasian etc) cannot be guides for thinking, prayer and conversation between believers. They can serve as good historical road markers in our faith, both personal and corporate.
On an individual level, the reason for my choosing this creed to express my faith is the same as why I chose Christianity and why I engage the traditions as I do. Those experts who keep track of thses things tell me (and other seminary students) that mainline Protestantism is on the decline. No longer is America a "Christian Nation." Our nation is becomming more and more diverse, some say more secular. In either case, one cannot assume that the average person on the street is religious much less Christian. Christianity is no longer the "default" faith of the United States.
As Baptists we now can say that there are many choices before people as they make that "mature decision" to follow Christ. It is not as simple a decision as it once was...if it ever was. So many religious (and non-religious) traditions are valued in our culture, and valued equally. The personal decision made can be as simple as whether one believes that there is a God or not. But often the decisions are much more complicated. Which one of the myriad Christian traditions shall I follow? So many people will journey through several in their lifetimes. Sometimes people experiment with multiple religions, journeying, for example, from evangelical Christianity to Buddhism and eventually finding themselves in Catholicism. People who are seeking will try cults, sects, and even fad diets on their way to define their faith-life.
So, when I was beginning my journey, I struggled with the options before me. What made Christianity different from Judaism, or different from Hinduism? Do those diffferences matter? As I found myself in Christianity the creeds thus became more and more important to me. Their simplicity and clarity in the midst of these competing traditions, religions, sects and fads have given me comfort. They provide definition and boundaries. These boundaries are not meant to be cruel or condemning, but they are to be defining. Christianity is not Hinduism. It is not the South Beach Diet. Christianity says a certain thing about God and Creation. Our faith has limits, boundaries. For me, the Apostles' Creed is an excellent place to start as a concise statement of faith. It helps me to locate myself in the midst of the Christian Tradition.
Posted by tripp at August 30, 2004 09:09 AM