Deeper Than Words: Living the Apostles' Creed

by David Steindl-Rast

Spiritual teacher and bridge-builder Brother David Steindl-Rast translates the Apostles' Creed for today, uncovering the deeper universal truths that can be an inspiration to all people. In Deeper than Living the Apostles’ Creed, Brother David reexamines the words with which the early followers of Jesus summarized their faith. Reading line-by-line with an open perspective, he reveals the often overlooked message of trust, compassion, peace, love, and awareness contained in this widely known but rarely examined statement.       Deeper than Words moves beyond ritual and exclusivity and instead finds a deeper faith based in real human experience and the sense of limitless belonging that is shared by all people who seek to understand themselves and the world. The words of the Apostles' Creed are Christian, but its heart is a universal and timeless guide to fullness of life. From this transformation perspective, developed over a lifetime of contemplation, Brother David presents a powerful call to renewal through reconnection with the spiritual and a reawakening to shared sacred truths.

Genres: Religion, Spirituality, Christianity, Catholic, Theology

178 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Brother David Steindl-Rast is a Benedictine monk, author, and lecturer widely recognized for his commitment to interfaith dialogue and his emphasis on gratitude as a transformative spiritual practice. Born in Vienna in 1926, he survived the challenges of World War II before emigrating to the United States in 1952. He entered monastic life at Mount Saviour Monastery and went on to engage deeply with both Christian and Buddhist traditions, studying with notable Zen masters. His work bridges spirituality and science and has led him to collaborate with religious and cultural figures across traditions. He co-founded the Center for Spiritual Studies and A Network for Grateful Living, advocating for gratefulness as essential to human flourishing. His writings include Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer and Belonging to the Universe (with Fritjof Capra). Known for his mystical approach, he describes religion as a living flame that must be rediscovered beneath layers of doctrine, ritual, and dogma.

Reviews

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is quite miraculous (not a word I use very often). Brother David takes the Apostles Creed, which most of us imagine as a specific, exclusive statement of Christian belief, and shines such a light through the words that they become transparent---a window through which we can see the our connectedness and responsibility to each other and to the world." I finished it, and now I'm reading it again, so that the broader, inclusive, boundary-crossing meanings that Brother David finds in each word will seep in deeper until I can say and hear the creed the way that he does--of the affirmation of the presence of God in all people, and in all spiritual paths, and in all the universe. Highly recommended, maybe necessary.

[Peg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a challenging "read" for me, like trying to play a piece of music without sufficient proficiency. But I have grown spiritually none the less. On a basic level, Steindle-Rast puts into words my understanding of FAITH that I have not been able to adequately and articulately express. An excellent review can be found in the "Far From Rome" blog, the source of my discovery of DTW. http://farfromrome.blogspot.com/2010/...


"It has well been said that we must choose between taking the Gospels seriously or literally. If we read them with a sense for poetry, we will not be able to dodge their serious challenge. We will be moved by the strength and tenderness, the revolutionary fervor and fervent pacifism of the towering figure of Jesus alive with the very Life-breath of God. Then all that is best in us will be stirred not only by his example, but by the stirring of his very SPIRIT within us." p.66

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inmiddels verschenen in een Nederlandse vertaling bij de Valkhofpers onder de titel 'Dieper dan Woorden. Het Credo, een geloof dat verbindt. Met een voorwoord van de Dalai Lama'.
Voor mij is dit een bevrijdend boek, een boek dat mij (en ongetwijfeld ook vele anderen) bevrijdt van de zogenaamde geloofswaarheden, die geloven juist belemmerden.
'Iedere religie - ook de christelijke- is de uitdrukking van een basaal geloof dat we allemaal gemeenschappelijk hebben. Geloofswaarheden verdelen, maar het geloof waaruit ze voortkomen is één en verbindt.' De schrijver laat zien dat dit oudste, het apostolische, Credo 'spreekt met de stem van een spiritualiteit die dieper gaat dan welke traditie dan ook'. Het is daarmee 'een universele boodschap van vertrouwen, liefde, verbondenheid, compassie en vrede'.

[Brian Wilcox · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent work at exploring how the Christian 'Apostle's Creed,' often narrowly understood in a dogmatic sense, implies our universal search for meaning, a search reflected in the great religious traditions East and West.

Many Christians would not be comfortable with the extent to which the author, as they would see it, 'expands' the meaning of the creed beyond its Christian origins. Yet, the opus reminds us that meaning, as logical understanding, is shaped within contexts-within-contexts, and words are flexible enough to contain meaning more expansive than prior understood - that is, interpretation may lag behind meaning. Likewise, religious faiths can lose a more expansive, inclusive meaning over time.

One could, regardless, question often in this book whether something distinctive is being lost in attributing too much inclusivity to the creed, and to Christianity. All work reflecting religious inclusion runs the risk of yielding the distinctiveness of a wisdom path in the desire to accent harmony.

Yet, the author sees something has been lost by a faith community - Christianity - too narrowly reading its own creed, and faith tradition. My sense is the author does well at both honoring his faith path and seeing in it resonances that do not negate differences in belief among faith paths, but accents the singular faith itself of all, for faith is not ideological, but a 'deeper' longing and experience common both inside and outside religion.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A facinating deep dive into The Apostles' Creed. The author takes a chapter for each phrase and provides: What does this really mean? How do we know this is so? Why make such a point of this? and personal reflections.
Our book group read this outloud in a weekly book study group. We would stop when someone would reread or marvel over Brother David Steindl-Rast analogy or metaphor. Or we would discuss what we just read that changed or altered our perception of our understanding of each phrase. It has taken us six months to read 175 pages because his writing is so rich and thought provoking. Our discussions allowed us to understand not just the writing but each other more deeply.

[Serena Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t expect to find this book as engaging as I did. Brother David has a perspective on Christianity that blends philosophical, historical, and anthropological insights. Rather than forcing religion on the reader, the book examines the impact that faith and belief can have on one’s life. A refreshing Buddhist take on Catholicism.

“Humans can survive under conditions of unimaginable deprivation, yet when life loses its meaning they cannot survive.”

[Leonardo]

Lo usó Marina en el anuncio de Pentecostés 2022.

[Bhg · Rating 1 out of 5]

After reading the poor man's take (fantasy) on the Liturgy of the Hours in a previous book, I honestly dreaded what I'd find in this one. It's worse, far worse than I'd imagined. Being a brave soul, and armed with a great memory and actual Catholic Church, as in Roman Catholioc Church documents, I began to read.
Don't ask yourself why a Yellow Hat Buddhist would write an intro when Br. David has chummed with Zen roshis - even baptizing one of them's daughter in a Zen something. Who cares that the Dalai Lama is borrowing the Pope's title, one alien to his brand of Buddhism? Ask yourself what was wrong with his editors? Doubleday and Random House are legit publishing houses so why wasn't anyone checking to see he got the words to the Apostles' Creed right? You don't even have to make an effort to get to a Catholic bookstore, for Pete's sake. The USCCB and EWTN have them online.
Don't despair, properly catechized Catholics, this is a teachable moment! The best, almost poetic take, on the meaning of faith in God the Father comes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church: "Our profession of faith begins with God, for God is the First and the Last, the beginning and the end of everything. The Credo begins with God the Father, for the Father is the first divine person of the Most Holy Trinity; our Creed begins with the creation of heaven and earth, for creation is the beginning and the foundation of all God's works."
Ignore the wacky trust and gratefulness stuff from the author. St. Francis did it hundreds of years ago, and did it as a believing Catholic. Buddhism is an atheistic belief system, whose soteriology has nothing to do with the triune God. The belief systems are fundamentally incompatible. Don't take it from me - you can loook it up in the "Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation" and Bl. John Paul II's Crossing the Threshold of Hope.
Aligning oneself with peace (what does that mean?) and humming John Lennon may make one a terrific Buddhist but they aren't Roman Catholic.

[Peg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deeper than Words is a great title for this book. We used it as an adult study and while I love Brother David, he is definitely a contemplative and uses lots of poetry and imagery which is sometimes too "deep" for our group. It was interesting to look at the Apostle's Creed from a different perspective, however, since many of us say the words without really believing what a fourth century document has to say to a 21st century Christian. Definitely gives me something to think about.

[Joani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dedicated to those "who used to recite the Creed but can no longer do so with honesty and conviction." Brother David explores how different spiritual traditions can be 'pointers toward the same experience.'