Historic Confessions

Summary statements of the Christian faith find their origins in both the precepts and principles of the New Testament. In the early church, general consensus on the content of faith was, by the fourth century, formalized into specific forms of words adopted by the church and given a general authority, most particularly in the Nicene Creed (325/81) and its elaboration by the ecumenical councils. In the Reformation, Catholicism and Protestantism defined themselves through both the early church creedal tradition and by the production of more elaborate and comprehensive confessions and catechisms. While more recent centuries have seen less confessional production, and many contemporary Protestant churches have either abandoned strict adherence to their confessions or adopted brief statements of faith of their composition, the rich heritage of creeds and confessions still offers much of vital importance to the health and well-being of the contemporary church.