Why Baptists Should say the Apostles' Creed

 

If Baptists can say the Apostles' Creed, as I explored in the previous post, should they? I submit we should. First, a brief explanation of Baptist nervousness about creeds and statements of faith. 

The first Baptists came to be in a time of state churches. Confessions of faith had the force of law. Presumed heretics were burned at the stake. Baptists in England were jailed for baptizing by immersion.  Such experiences made Baptists understandably nervous about coercion in matters of religion and passionate about religious freedom. 

Even in the context of the history, Baptists still produced statements of faith. E.Y. Mullins, a prominent defender of what Baptists call "soul freedom," still believed such statements were "justifiable and may be of great value." You can find some of Mullins' rationale in the 1919 Fraternal of Southern Baptists and the 1925 Baptist Faith and Message. Mullins was concerned to promote certain religious views. 

Here are some reasons why I think the Apostle's Creed and other historic creeds can be of great value to Baptist Christians today. 

1) Our culture has changed. Some Christian understanding was caught rather than taught in previous generations. There was an "assumed" or background theology that people were aware of, even if they didn't believe it.  This is much less so today. Having more guidance can help us become more confident in matters of faith.

2) Churches have an implicit theology. Every Christian group has some shared understandings, even if these aren't openly stated. If the implicit theology is not shared openly, it can leave new members and children guessing about the shared assumptions of the church. It is hard to feel like you belong if you also feel like you don't know what others know. 

3) DYI faith is a lot of pressure. In our culture, spirituality is do-it-yourself. While there is freedom in DYI faith, it can come up against the "paradox of choice." Having too many options can become exhausting and decrease satisfaction. Making use of creeds can help give handles to the Christian faith, helping people develop their own convictions. 

4) Churches can use the creeds generously. The creeds can be used to describe the basics of Christian faith without being prescriptive or coercive. 

One church says they use the Apostles' (and Nicene) Creed not to determine what individuals believe, since that is a matter of conscience, but to determine what people will hear in church. In this way, they leave freedom for questions and different answers, while giving a center to their church's teaching and worship. 

In the next post, I'll note a few options for how the Apostles' Creed can be used by congregations.