"I Believe": Exploring the Apostles' Creed

by Alister E. McGrath

The basics of Christian faith have remained the same for centuries. Affirmed by the church around the world since its earliest years, these truths are summarized in documents known as creeds. Among these, the Apostles' Creed is one of the most important. In this brief book, Alister McGrath introduces you to the essential truths about God the Father, the person and work of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Divided into six sections with reflection and discussion questions included for each core truth, "I Believe" is ideal for your personal study or for use in a small group or Sunday school class. Here is the basic book you need to understand the basics of Christianity.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Christianity, Nonfiction, Faith, Biblical Studies, Textbooks

120 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1991

About the author

Alister Edgar McGrath is a Northern Irish theologian, priest, intellectual historian, scientist, and Christian apologist. He currently holds the Andreas Idreos Professorship in Science and Religion in the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Oxford, and is Professor of Divinity at Gresham College. He was previously Professor of Theology, Ministry, and Education at King's College London and Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion and Culture, Professor of Historical Theology at the University of Oxford, and was principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, until 2005. He is an Anglican priest and is ordained within the Church of England.

Aside from being a faculty member at Oxford, McGrath has also taught at Cambridge University and is a Teaching Fellow at Regent College. McGrath holds three doctorates from the University of Oxford, a DPhil in Molecular Biophysics, a Doctor of Divinity in Theology and a Doctor of Letters in Intellectual History.

McGrath is noted for his work in historical theology, systematic theology, and the relationship between science and religion, as well as his writings on apologetics. He is also known for his opposition to New Atheism and antireligionism and his advocacy of theological critical realism. Among his best-known books are The Twilight of Atheism, The Dawkins Delusion?: Atheist Fundamentalism and the Denial of the Divine, Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life, and A Scientific Theology. He is also the author of a number of popular textbooks on theology.

Reviews

[Drake Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alister McGrath provides a short and thoughtful survey of the Apostles' Creed. We used this book for the core curriculum at the church. It was well-written, had group questions, and a short bibliography after each chapter. The first chapter on the importance of belief in the modern world was particularly helpful.

[Billy Wint · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a great introduction to the creed. I love the fact that his applications to the believer's life are so relevant and practical. It would be a great group study on the creed, but I think it will also be my first recommendation for those struggling with their faith.

[Dwain Minor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another good introduction to the Apostles’ Creed. He does a great job applying the concepts of the Creed to our lives today.

[Rodney Harvill · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I realized how short this book is, I expected a light-weight treatment of the Apostle’s Creed, and I was wrong. Like the New Testament book of Jude, this book is brief but punches above its weight.

I grew up in a church that was suspicious of creeds, considering them to be a substitute for scripture and not a concise summary statement of doctrine based on scripture. If you just learn the creed without taking the time to understand its scriptural basis and the implications of those statements, then that criticism is valid. Dr. McGrath, on the other hand, expounds on what those statements mean. Consider one of them, “I believe in the Holy Spirit.” Scripture doesn’t have a lot to say about the Spirit who inspired holy scripture to testify about God the Father and God the Son, but Dr. McGrath chooses to focus on some of the thing the Spirit does:

• Convicts us of our sin. Given how difficult it is to get people to accept guilt and responsibility, it essentially takes a miracle of the Spirit to convince people that they are sinners in need of a savior. Who isn’t right in his own eyes?
• Pledge of our salvation, a sign of God’s commitment.
• Our comforter. Never forget that παρακαλέω, often translated comfort, can also mean encourage or urge on. This kind of divine comfort isn’t warm and fuzzy. It is the strength to keep on keeping on, not to quit when the going gets tough. Perhaps a good comparison would be the sergeant leading his men up a hostile beach.

In this book Dr. McGrath operates at two levels, explaining the underlying theology of a statement and then offering suggestions on how to apply them in your Christian walk of life. While I don’t always agree with his application suggestions, I can see the wisdom of his theory-to-practice approach. A Christian’s faith is demonstrated by his choices and actions.

This book is designed for small-group study, and is divided into six chapters so one chapter can be studied in each of the approximately six weeks of Lent. Given that I read it in September for personal edification, I didn’t follow that pattern, but then again, I march to the beat of my own percussion section. That said, each chapter closes with a list of passages to read for each statement covered and a list of discussion questions. So, I can see its value for small group study any time of year.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A study of the Apostles' Creed, broken into six lessons (to match the season of Lent, as the study is created for groups to study at that time of the year).

Very good and simple study of the creed. Each chapter breaks down into "The Idea Explained" and 'The Idea Applied."

The chapters are about 16 pages long (but the font is not small, nor is page size huge, and the lay out is nice), so it's not LONG, though the pacing does feel a bit clunky, as McGrath may discuss several ideas, before circling back to apply them.

I used the book more like a reference, in that, I read his explanation of an idea and then skipped ahead to the application, then went back to the explanation of the next idea, then skipped ahead to the application. This worked well for me.

It's a good study, worth checking out.

[Michaela Jaros · Rating 5 out of 5]

McGrath does not disappoint! What a fantastic little book. I went through this with my Church small group - the perfect read for such a group. It's an easy read and yet the content pushes you to think more deeply about what it is Believers affirm and why. The questions at the end of each chapter helped facilitate great discussion. I would recommend this book for church group studies, as a gift to new Christians, or really ANY Christian, as I think oftentimes we forget the importance of creeds or fail to comprehend the extent of our confession.

[David M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far the best of the three books that I’ve read on the apostles Creed. It takes each line of the Creed in order, and provides a discussion of what the line means, spiritual, implications, Bible references, and questions for group discussion at the end of each chapter.

I highly recommend this book for group study, and is the only one of the three that I would actually use for that purpose with the other two simply being background information.

[Adelino Marcelino]

Este Livro é uma breve exposição do que nos chamamos de CREDO APOSTÓLICO que é uma tentativa de resumir os pontos principais daquilo em que os cristãos creêm. Alister McGrath Faz uma explicação sobre as várias declaraçãoes que contém uma das confissões mais conhecidas entre os cristãos.

[Chad Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Alister McGrath does a fine job walking those unfamiliar with the Creed through its articles. I would recommend Michael F. Bird's book on the subject rather than this one. I like the layout of Bird's book more than this one.

[Bo Cogbill · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I had read McGrath in isolation, I may have given it four stars, but I read this alongside Michael Bird and Ray Canatta's books on the Creed, and I enjoyed both of those more.

This was a fine intro. I appreciated the brevity and the Scripture references at the end of each chapter, and the discussion questions helped guide our discussions, even if we used the content of Bird/Canatta more.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an introduction to the Apostle's Creed, it is excellent. At just over 100 pages, you'd be hard pressed to find another treatment of the apostles creed that purposefully articulates theological explanations and provides applications of the theology for every statement.

[Tyler Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great overall. Really good for outline of the Christian faith. Weak on justification and imputation.

[Janet Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

a quick and helpful read, I would have rested it higher if I had read it earlier, but the earlier books I read were much more thorough and thought provoking. this served as a nice review.

[Tammy Sears Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short book on the basics of the Christian faith. A good book to hand to a friend who is searching. I enjoy all of McGrath’s books.

[LMG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like the Apostles' Creed, this is a thin but dense book explaining the history and meaning of the Creed. Easy to read, it allows for great discussion.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent short primer on the basics of the Christian faith. Would be perfect for a small-group Bible study.

[Anthony Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for what it is. Not a 4-star experience for me personally but it’s a good resource I could recommend to others. I find McGrath very easy to read.

[Jonathan de Jager · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction with convincing rhetoric.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little book on the Apostle's Creed!

[Armando Maese Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good and succinct summary of the core tenets of the Christian faith, following the Apostles' Creed. McGrath remains mostly irenic throughout, which I see as no small feat. He also uses a modern translation of the creed, which allows him to sidestep some troublesome and confusing points which crop up in discussions over the creed. The book is also intended for use in small group settings, and includes chapter discussion questions, recommendations for further reading, and a helpful chapter on leading discussions at the end. I think if someone should ask me for a short, concise, and easy-to-read summary of what Christians believe, I would recommend to him or her this book.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
My favorite on the Creed overall, March 2, 2005


Concise, inexpensive, nicely packaged, clearly written. And by someone who is both highly competent (Oxford prof.) and actually believes the Creed is true. The study questions at the end of each chapter, and teh non-techical approach make this idea for small group discussion or a c.e. class.

Overall, this would be my first choice. For those who want more words and a slightly more pugnacious approach, also get Michale Horton We Believe. For a GREAT intro., and some other good insights, by a Catholic scholar who is less orthodox than McGrath -- Luke Timothy Johnson's new The Creed (2003) is a good second choice. For a variety of moderately liberal and neo-orthodox perspectives, and a mix of theological and sermonic materials, check out the new Van Harn, ed., Exploring and Proclaiming The Apostles' Creed (2004). But get McGrath first.

[Leonardo Santiago · Rating 4 out of 5]

Li algumas partes para preparação de estudos sobre o credo. Simples e objetivo. Gostei da didática do autor, que segue a ordem do credo, explicando cada proposição e separando uma parte específica para a aplicação das doutrinas.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good one on the Creed.

[Chuck Bonadies · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I Believe" exegetes the statements in the Apostles' Creed. I enjoying reading most of what McGrath writes. I loved the idea of this book, but this is not one of his better works.

CB

[Bob Wolniak · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good short (120 pages) and practical treatise on the Apostle's Creed I referred to in creating a study guide at church and on campus.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful read on understanding the core ideas in the Apostles Creed. Bird gives some practical application, but focuses more on sweeping scriptural references to help readers understand the creed isn't a replacement for the Scripture but reflects what the early Christians and Scriptures already affirm.

[nate]

Read this for a sermon series I taught on the Apostles' Creed in fall 207. Very helpful. I liked the way McGrath structured the book and included practical as well as theological application.