Christ & Creed: The Early Church Creeds & their Value for Today

by Nate Pickowicz

From the Latin word credo , meaning ‘I believe’, creeds are statements of personal belief. They have been used throughout the history of the church to helpfully condense the fundamental beliefs of the Christian faith. They are a valuable in that they –        Summarize Christian truth –        Testify to what the Church has always believed –        Help us be precise in how we express truth –        Guard us against heresy and error –        Unify believers who share the same testimony In Christ & Creed Nate Pickowicz helpfully examines the early major ecumenical creeds, providing historical context and highlighting the distinctives in the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Definition of Chalcedon and the Athanasian Creed. He shows how these statements are still invaluable for the church today. It also includes a glossary of terms and recommended further reading.

Genres: Christian, Theology

112 pages, Paperback

Published September 12, 2023

About the author

Nate Pickowicz (B.A., Muhlenberg College, M.A., Trinity Theological Seminary) is the pastor/planter of Harvest Bible Church in Gilmanton Iron Works, New Hampshire. He also writes for EntreatingFavor.com and Servantsofgrace.org. He and his wife, Jessica, have two children.

Reviews

[Brenden Wentworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A breeze of a book, both in terms of length and content.
Can’t think of a more accessible intro to the early church creeds & why they matter!

[Laura Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book is an excellent resource for any believer, especially those who might struggle with the notion of “putting creeds before Scripture” in terms of authority. Nate clearly explains the history and necessity of both creeds and confessions, even going so far as to explain revisions they may or may not have had. What I appreciated most was the chronological order in which the creeds were presented; in this way, the reader is able to see how the saints continued to build off of the councils’ work preceding themselves.

The reason I’m giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the repetitious way this book was written. Repetition is understandable since Nate goes to great lengths to explain each line of a particular creed. However, it can come off as him talking in circles, both within a single chapter and within the book as a whole. The book is extremely heavy on the doctrine of the Trinity. Again, understandable seeing as this doctrine is absolutely irrefutable. But by the sixth chapter, I just kept thinking “Okay, we get it!”

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone in need of a brief overview of how creeds came to be and why we stick to them today. Super helpful!

[Luke Arthaud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book today. Excellent description of church creeds and confessions and why they are still beneficial for Christians today! Also, it consequently provides a very good historical and biblical explanation of the doctrine of the Trinity (among others).

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nate does a wonderful job explaining the importance of Creeds. This is a great book to explain to church members that are not used to reciting the creeds we confess.

[Joshua Chipchase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and helpful explanations of the early creeds and their importance. Easy to read and short. Interesting how so much attention was given to the Trinity, while that seems to be a doctrine we take for granted today.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well done brief introduction to the creed of the early church. Such an important period to study and this is a great resource to put into the hands of someone and expose them to the importance of the early church and doctrinal formation.

[Joel Douhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good succinct argument for reclaiming the historical creeds of the church. Would encourage for people who are new to this topic or don’t see the need for reclaiming our proud heritage

[Peter Wills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource