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Nicaea for Today: Why an Ancient Creed (Still) Matters
The year 2025 marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. While the historical and theological intricacies of Nicaea have been extensively analyzed within academic scholarship, its significance often remains underexplored within broader Christian understanding. The Nicene Creed stands as an early and pivotal ecumenical confession, marking key theological priorities that continue to resonate in the church’s understanding of divine mysteries.
In Nicaea for Why an Ancient Creed (Still) Matters, Coleman M. Ford and Shawn J. Wilhite draw on insights from leading Nicaea scholars to unpack the history and theology of this ancient creed in accessible language while demonstrating its powerful relevance for the modern church. The primary objective of this work is to facilitate intellectual engagement with Nicene theology among academic and pastoral readership and the creed’s enduring capacity to enrich spiritual life in the contemporary context.
In Nicaea for Why an Ancient Creed (Still) Matters, Coleman M. Ford and Shawn J. Wilhite draw on insights from leading Nicaea scholars to unpack the history and theology of this ancient creed in accessible language while demonstrating its powerful relevance for the modern church. The primary objective of this work is to facilitate intellectual engagement with Nicene theology among academic and pastoral readership and the creed’s enduring capacity to enrich spiritual life in the contemporary context.
- GenresTheologyChurch History
208 pages, Paperback
Published September 15, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 11, 2026
4.25 - Read alongside the Veritas Elder Team
Nicea For Today is a clear and engaging introduction to the Council of Nicaea and why the Nicene Creed still matters for the church today. The authors make complex history and theology accessible without oversimplifying it, showing how this ancient confession continues to shape faithful Christian belief. Not exhaustive, but a very worthwhile and timely read for pastors and thoughtful lay readers alike. This book also makes good use of primary sources, which got my juices flowing to want to read more of the Church Fathers and other early works of Christian thought.
Nicea For Today is a clear and engaging introduction to the Council of Nicaea and why the Nicene Creed still matters for the church today. The authors make complex history and theology accessible without oversimplifying it, showing how this ancient confession continues to shape faithful Christian belief. Not exhaustive, but a very worthwhile and timely read for pastors and thoughtful lay readers alike. This book also makes good use of primary sources, which got my juices flowing to want to read more of the Church Fathers and other early works of Christian thought.
October 3, 2025
This book felt primarily like a (much needed) argument for the Nicene Creed to Southern Baptists after recent controversies, and so this book understandably doesn’t excel in exegetical/historical work in the creed—other volumes do that much better. However this book’s strength is its work on how the creed should function in the life of the church, and it offered great suggestions and historical evidence for different creedal practices in the context of baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and private worship.
February 22, 2026
“The creed is the church's reckoning of the biblical narrative and reflection on the incarnation, deployed in idiomatic phrases to aid memorization, recitation, and embodiment.”
“There is a right way and a wrong way to read the Bible. The Nicene Creed gives the church a time-tested, biblically faithful, theologically accurate guide for reading, interpreting, and spiritually benefiting from Scripture. Insofar as the church reads the Bible correctly and profitably, we do so in accordance with the Nicene Creed.”
This is a fantastic book that explains the historical and theological context of the Nicene Creed, some key themes in the Creed, as well as the use of the Creed in the contemporary church. This last section was particularly unique and very practical! Heavily influenced by the scholarship of Lewis Ayres on Nicea, the authors desire to perpetuate a pro-Nicene culture in the church that thinks nicenely when the church reads the Bible or thinks about the gospel message. According to the authors, the Creed is a theological guide to reading the Scriptures rightly, as well as a summary of the gospel message. The key theological ideas of the Creed are the Son’s eternal generation from the Father, as well as the Son being of the same being as the Father. The Creed is shaped by Christological and soteriological concerns, or, as the authors call it, a Christological soteriology. One area that I felt was lacking: the authors discuss the need for the philosophical reasoning and methods that shaped the theology of Nicea, but they don’t fully elaborate on these methods or presuppositions. Thus, the philosophical treatment of the Creed’s theology feels like it’s missing something.
“The Nicene Creed is not a cold and static statement but a biblically charged tool meant to fuel discipleship and worship. It provides doctrine to learn, statements to recite, phrases to sing, and content to preach. For pastors, it provides a stable framework for a ministry of teaching and preaching founded on God's word. For theologians, it gives the paradigm by which we articulate theological systems and propositions. For every Christian, the creed is the buttress to our commitment to Christ as Lord and the lens through which we read Scripture and articulate our faith. The creed should have a place in every Bible-believing church as a tool for worship and discipleship. The early church testifies that the creed is our precious resource for our edification and sanctification. It can never replace the Bible, but it should be used to understand the Word better.”
“There is a right way and a wrong way to read the Bible. The Nicene Creed gives the church a time-tested, biblically faithful, theologically accurate guide for reading, interpreting, and spiritually benefiting from Scripture. Insofar as the church reads the Bible correctly and profitably, we do so in accordance with the Nicene Creed.”
This is a fantastic book that explains the historical and theological context of the Nicene Creed, some key themes in the Creed, as well as the use of the Creed in the contemporary church. This last section was particularly unique and very practical! Heavily influenced by the scholarship of Lewis Ayres on Nicea, the authors desire to perpetuate a pro-Nicene culture in the church that thinks nicenely when the church reads the Bible or thinks about the gospel message. According to the authors, the Creed is a theological guide to reading the Scriptures rightly, as well as a summary of the gospel message. The key theological ideas of the Creed are the Son’s eternal generation from the Father, as well as the Son being of the same being as the Father. The Creed is shaped by Christological and soteriological concerns, or, as the authors call it, a Christological soteriology. One area that I felt was lacking: the authors discuss the need for the philosophical reasoning and methods that shaped the theology of Nicea, but they don’t fully elaborate on these methods or presuppositions. Thus, the philosophical treatment of the Creed’s theology feels like it’s missing something.
“The Nicene Creed is not a cold and static statement but a biblically charged tool meant to fuel discipleship and worship. It provides doctrine to learn, statements to recite, phrases to sing, and content to preach. For pastors, it provides a stable framework for a ministry of teaching and preaching founded on God's word. For theologians, it gives the paradigm by which we articulate theological systems and propositions. For every Christian, the creed is the buttress to our commitment to Christ as Lord and the lens through which we read Scripture and articulate our faith. The creed should have a place in every Bible-believing church as a tool for worship and discipleship. The early church testifies that the creed is our precious resource for our edification and sanctification. It can never replace the Bible, but it should be used to understand the Word better.”
September 11, 2025
Preface, I received a copy for review.
Overall, this was a good book! It will be especially helpful for those who are in what they refer to as the “free church” (Baptist, non-denom, etc.) who are interested in the creed but maybe are not yet convinced. I’m not sure some of the anti-credal folks would even pick up this book, but if they did it would be a good defense of the necessity of the Nicene creed!
In such a short book, Ford and Wilhite accomplish a decent amount. They explain the history behind the council, even getting into Constantine’s past. They walk through each article of the creed and its teaching on each Person of the Trinity as well as salvation. This part seems the most brief because there is so much to cover in such a short space.
The last section of the book is great. The authors look at some practical applications for the creed in everyday life, preaching, and teaching. This includes being used in various parts of the church service, as well as personal spiritual development and catechesis. The final chapter is over the benefit of the creed in reading scripture, specifically with the focus on partitive exegesis. On this point, it felt like the authors were not as clear as they could have been. The chapter seemed to jump around a bit, not going with a consistent train of thought. They offer a definition early on, but then go a different direction and talk about general trinitarian theology for a bit which felt out of place. All the information was good and helpful, it just felt like the ordering was slightly off.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the creed or who is wanting to learn how to communicate the importance of the creed to your church members!
Overall, this was a good book! It will be especially helpful for those who are in what they refer to as the “free church” (Baptist, non-denom, etc.) who are interested in the creed but maybe are not yet convinced. I’m not sure some of the anti-credal folks would even pick up this book, but if they did it would be a good defense of the necessity of the Nicene creed!
In such a short book, Ford and Wilhite accomplish a decent amount. They explain the history behind the council, even getting into Constantine’s past. They walk through each article of the creed and its teaching on each Person of the Trinity as well as salvation. This part seems the most brief because there is so much to cover in such a short space.
The last section of the book is great. The authors look at some practical applications for the creed in everyday life, preaching, and teaching. This includes being used in various parts of the church service, as well as personal spiritual development and catechesis. The final chapter is over the benefit of the creed in reading scripture, specifically with the focus on partitive exegesis. On this point, it felt like the authors were not as clear as they could have been. The chapter seemed to jump around a bit, not going with a consistent train of thought. They offer a definition early on, but then go a different direction and talk about general trinitarian theology for a bit which felt out of place. All the information was good and helpful, it just felt like the ordering was slightly off.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the creed or who is wanting to learn how to communicate the importance of the creed to your church members!
November 15, 2025
Ford & Wilhite take on the task of showing the importance and necessity of the Nicene Creed in the life of the Church today. They include much needed history, notably Athanasius and Gregory of Naziansus, which kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this boom.
June 11, 2026
Docking a star because the opening chapters on Constantine seems overstated and poorly footnoted.
But this is a very helpful primer and introduction to Nicene theology.
But this is a very helpful primer and introduction to Nicene theology.
June 4, 2026
Summary: The history, meaning, and contemporary significance of the Nicene Creed and how it may be used in churches today.
Why is a theological statement, a creed formulated 1700 years ago still important for the life of the church? That is the question Coleman M. Ford and Shawn J. Wilhite address in Nicaea for Today. The year 2025 marked the 1700th anniversary of the creed that emerged from an ecumenical council of bishops called by Constantine, meeting in the town of Nicaea, in Asia Minor. The authors argue that the Nicene Creed and its expansion, the Nicene-Constantinople Creed in 381 are not simply for those with an interest in early church history but of continuing value for the church, articulating shared essential beliefs grounded in the scriptures. At the same time, these beliefs serve as a guide for how we read the scriptures, particularly in understanding the person and work of Christ.
First, the authors unpack this historical context leading to Nicaea. They elaborate the challenge posed by Arius as a popular teacher in the church who asserted of the Son that “There was a time when he was not.” In other words, he was asserting that the Son was not co-eternal with God the Father and did not share the Father’s divine nature. Meanwhile, a huge transformation was taking place in the Roman empire with the ascent of Constantine to power and the new status he bestowed on the church. As the controversy with Arius grew, Arius and his followers appealed to Constantine, who called for the ecumenical council to meet.
In the next two chapters (3 and 4), the authors show how Nicaea addressed both the divinity and full humanity of Jesus. Pertaining to divinity, the Son was eternally begotten of the Father, not created, and he was consubstantial with the Father, of one substance. In other words, the Son is eternally generated by the father, a description not of beginning but relationship. As the Son, he was God’s agent in creation. That is, through him, all things were created.
Then the creed discusses how the divine Son became human, the Incarnate Son, adding a human nature to his divine nature in one hypostatic union (although this was not fully clarified until 451 at Chalcedon). Crucified, he bodily arose and ascended, from which he will return in judgment and victory. The authors include the seven two-fold patterns associated with Christ from Cyril’s Catechetical Lectures: two advents, two generations, to descents, two cloth coverings, two different postures, two announcements, and two judgments.
Chapters 5 and 6 then focus on salvation and sanctification in the creed. Only the Incarnate Son could save. He was both fully human standing in our place. And since only God could save, his work was fully effective to save. And because he arose, Jesus is our trophy over death. By participating in the life of the risen Christ, we are transformed increasingly into the likeness of Christ. The final transformation will be our resurrection.
Finally, chapters 7 and 8 address how we might use the creeds in our churches today. They address their use in baptism, eucharist, and the catechism of new believers. They also touch on use in personal devotion, corporate worship, and preaching. Lastly, they discuss reading the Bible Nicenely. That is, they serve as a faithful guide for exegesis. The authors elaborate this further in what they call partitive exegesis, using Philippians 2 as an example.
I appreciated the history and clear explanations of the issues at stake theologically for the Councils. In addition, each chapter opens with a pithy summary of the chapter’s relevance, “Thinking Nicenely Today.” Each chapter concludes the theological discussion with a “Biblical Connections” section and “Conclusion” that served as a brief chapter summary. The authors also provide reading lists of primary and secondary source material.
The authors succeed in their aim to show the relevance for the Nicene and Nicene-Constantinople Creeds for the church today. They offer clear explications for the value of the creeds for articulating core Christian beliefs. They show how the creeds can guide our reading of scripture. And they show how to fruitfully implement the creeds in our practice. This is a valuable resource for seminarians, pastors, liturgists, and adult educators.
_____________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.
Why is a theological statement, a creed formulated 1700 years ago still important for the life of the church? That is the question Coleman M. Ford and Shawn J. Wilhite address in Nicaea for Today. The year 2025 marked the 1700th anniversary of the creed that emerged from an ecumenical council of bishops called by Constantine, meeting in the town of Nicaea, in Asia Minor. The authors argue that the Nicene Creed and its expansion, the Nicene-Constantinople Creed in 381 are not simply for those with an interest in early church history but of continuing value for the church, articulating shared essential beliefs grounded in the scriptures. At the same time, these beliefs serve as a guide for how we read the scriptures, particularly in understanding the person and work of Christ.
First, the authors unpack this historical context leading to Nicaea. They elaborate the challenge posed by Arius as a popular teacher in the church who asserted of the Son that “There was a time when he was not.” In other words, he was asserting that the Son was not co-eternal with God the Father and did not share the Father’s divine nature. Meanwhile, a huge transformation was taking place in the Roman empire with the ascent of Constantine to power and the new status he bestowed on the church. As the controversy with Arius grew, Arius and his followers appealed to Constantine, who called for the ecumenical council to meet.
In the next two chapters (3 and 4), the authors show how Nicaea addressed both the divinity and full humanity of Jesus. Pertaining to divinity, the Son was eternally begotten of the Father, not created, and he was consubstantial with the Father, of one substance. In other words, the Son is eternally generated by the father, a description not of beginning but relationship. As the Son, he was God’s agent in creation. That is, through him, all things were created.
Then the creed discusses how the divine Son became human, the Incarnate Son, adding a human nature to his divine nature in one hypostatic union (although this was not fully clarified until 451 at Chalcedon). Crucified, he bodily arose and ascended, from which he will return in judgment and victory. The authors include the seven two-fold patterns associated with Christ from Cyril’s Catechetical Lectures: two advents, two generations, to descents, two cloth coverings, two different postures, two announcements, and two judgments.
Chapters 5 and 6 then focus on salvation and sanctification in the creed. Only the Incarnate Son could save. He was both fully human standing in our place. And since only God could save, his work was fully effective to save. And because he arose, Jesus is our trophy over death. By participating in the life of the risen Christ, we are transformed increasingly into the likeness of Christ. The final transformation will be our resurrection.
Finally, chapters 7 and 8 address how we might use the creeds in our churches today. They address their use in baptism, eucharist, and the catechism of new believers. They also touch on use in personal devotion, corporate worship, and preaching. Lastly, they discuss reading the Bible Nicenely. That is, they serve as a faithful guide for exegesis. The authors elaborate this further in what they call partitive exegesis, using Philippians 2 as an example.
I appreciated the history and clear explanations of the issues at stake theologically for the Councils. In addition, each chapter opens with a pithy summary of the chapter’s relevance, “Thinking Nicenely Today.” Each chapter concludes the theological discussion with a “Biblical Connections” section and “Conclusion” that served as a brief chapter summary. The authors also provide reading lists of primary and secondary source material.
The authors succeed in their aim to show the relevance for the Nicene and Nicene-Constantinople Creeds for the church today. They offer clear explications for the value of the creeds for articulating core Christian beliefs. They show how the creeds can guide our reading of scripture. And they show how to fruitfully implement the creeds in our practice. This is a valuable resource for seminarians, pastors, liturgists, and adult educators.
_____________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.
October 31, 2025
I may be baptist but I like my doctrine to be Biblical and historically rich. We must not reject God's gift to the Church. Great book arguing for the importance of this creed, even for "no creed but the Bible" guys.
February 20, 2026
Amazing intro on Nicea, what it is, why it matters, and how it should affect our lives today! Highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews