A Twenty-First Century Creed

This year is the 1700th year anniversary of the formulation of the Nicene Creed at the Council of Nicaea. The Vatican has announced that this anniversary will be celebrated in May. The World Council of Churches will convene in October to celebrate its significance.

As I have progressed in my spiritual journey, I have grown increasingly dissatisfied with the Creed recited by the people at Catholic Mass each Sunday. My reasons are explained below. This dissatisfaction led me to writing an alternative Creed, which to my mind, better reflects my beliefs and the teachings of Jesus the Christ.

Why is this important? Beliefs and values influence behaviour. Some are so hard-wired through early conditioning that they are difficult to shake even when the evidence is pointing in another direction. Spiritual maturity requires the challenging of paradigms. After much soul searching and transformation, I now call myself a Christian, who chooses to worship in the Roman Catholic tradition, despite not agreeing with all the teachings of the Catholic Church. I am deeply grateful for my spiritual grounding in that tradition.

The starting point for this writing exercise must be the currently sanctioned Creeds, of which there are two. They are called the Nicene Creed and the Apostles Creed. The source of the information below, both the initial “About” commentary and the text of the Creeds, is Brisbane Catholic Education at https://catholicidentity.bne.catholic.edu.au/prayer/SitePages/Nicene-Creed.aspx 

“About the Nicene Creed

A creed is a summary statement of what is believed by the Church and its members.

The Nicene Creed could be more accurately titled the ‘Constantinopolitan Creed’, as it was formulated in 325 by the Council of Nicaea and later modified by the Council of Constantinople in 381 to the wording we have today. The Nicene Creed has a different section for each person of the Trinity and the wording has been a source of tension in the church since first formulated.

The Nicene Creed was initially developed to stamp out the teaching of Arius, an Alexandrian priest who taught that Jesus was a created being and not present from the beginning as God was. Arius argued that Jesus was human more than he was divine (which meant that he was not equal to God) as Arius wanted to uphold the Jewish teaching of monotheism (one God only). Constantine established the Council of Nicaea to reject the teachings of Arius.

After the Council of Nicaea, further arguments arose among bishops about the divinity of Jesus and several different creeds developed.  The words ‘true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father’ were included in 381.

In the eleventh century, the Western church added the words, ‘and the Son’ so the text then read, ‘We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son’. According to the Encyclopaedia of Catholicism, ‘This difference in creeds became a major source of tension between the Eastern and Western churches.’ This tension still exists between Christian churches and the Uniting church has removed the words ‘and the Son’ from the Creed.

Either the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed is said at Mass on Sundays and Solemnities. 

Nicene Creed

I believe in one God,

the Father almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the Only Begotten Son of God,

born of the Father before all ages.

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;

through him all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven,

by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,

and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,

he suffered death and was buried,

and rose again on the third day

in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory

to judge the living and the dead

and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

who with the Father and the Son, is adored and glorified,

who has spoken through the Prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.

I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins

and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

About the Apostles' Creed

A creed is a summary statement of what is believed by the Church and its members.

Research has determined that this creed was not written by the apostles, but it does date back to the first decades of the church.

The earliest written form of this prayer as we know it today is found in writings from the eighth century and the structure and content is closely aligned with the Old Roman Creed and three other creeds which all date back to the early centuries of the church.

Either the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed is said at Mass on Sundays and Solemnities. 

The Apostles' Creed

I believe in God,the Father almighty,Creator of heaven and earth,and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,born of the Virgin Mary,suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died and was buried;he descended into hell;on the third day he rose again from the dead;he ascended into heaven,and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,the holy catholic Church,the communion of saints,the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body,and life everlasting. Amen.”

My Observations About the Creeds

While written and approved by the Council of Nicaea, the Nicene Creed codified oral and written tradition that had developed in Christianity over the previous 300 years.  It had been the subject of study and debate in diverse cultures, both Jewish and Gentile, in major cities like Rome, Antioch, Constantinople, Alexandria and Ephesus. The tradition was also developed in different languages, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek and Latin.

The Council of Nicaea was convened by the Roman Emperor Constantine, to provide for Christian unity after he had declared in the Edict of Milan in 313 that Christianity would be the religion of the Empire. The Council had both religious and political objectives.

I can imagine that this collection of bishops and their drafting task, in the face of the Arian controversy, was not unlike the present-day UN Security Council seeking an agreed resolution on the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza. Fortunately, they were divinely inspired by God (Jesus or Constantine, I’m not sure which!)

Brisbane Catholic Education fails to mention that the amendments to the Creed at the Council of Constantinople in 381 were made by a Council with no representation of western bishops or even a legate of the Bishop of Rome, nor that the Roman Church failed to accept the Council as ecumenical for 150 years. Squabbling between the bishops of the four largest cities about who had primacy was in evidence in the fourth century, largely reminiscent of the disciples arguing about who was the most favoured by Jesus. The schism of 1054 between western and eastern Christianity had already begun!

Of course, Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and in 2024, we Catholics still proclaim the Nicene Creed beliefs like good sheep, despite their inauspicious birthing. Have we not learned anything about our faith since 381? Have two millennia of religious and scientific scholarship and life experience taught us nothing new?

The most important criticism of both the Nicene and Apostle Creeds is that they jump from Jesus’ birth to his death with no mention of what happened in between. Surely the essence of Christianity is what Jesus did and taught in the period of his public ministry. I attempt to correct this oversight below.

In the drafting of a Twenty-First Century Creed, I avoid language or images that:

• Denote power or regal status, like “Almighty”, “Lord” and “seated at the right hand of…”

• Confer gender on God, except as it applies to the human Jesus

• Perpetuate the arguments about the trinity which resulted in the addition of the Filoque clause to the Nicene Creed at the Councils of Toledo (589) and Frankfurt (792) and which contributed to Christian schisms.

• Promote heaven and hell as physical places of reward and punishment.

• Give credence to original sin and atonement theory, which I have rejected as inconsistent with a loving God (I appreciate this contradicts St Augustine and 1600 years of Church tradition; but it aligns with the alternative orthodoxy of the Franciscans).

I wish to acknowledge the many spiritual guides, authors and friends who have contributed to my spiritual discernment. It is also important to humbly acknowledge my unknowing of God, reality and myself. How does one properly reflect with grossly inadequate words the marvellous mystery and paradox that are essential elements of the Christian faith?

A Twenty-First Century Creed

I believe in one true God who is known on earth by many names. I reject and deplore false Gods that are culturally accepted in this Western post-modern age.

I believe in the Triune nature of God; Creator Father, Rabbi Son and Holy Spirit.

I believe in God the Father, creator of an ever-expanding and complexifying universe; that creation is ongoing and I am called to be a co-creator through my participation in life.

I believe in Jesus the Christ, Rabbi and role model, who, born of Mary, had both a temporary human nature and a permanent divine nature that forever was and forever will be.

I believe in the Holy Spirit who is guiding us with seven gifts of Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of (offending) the Lord.

I believe the goal of life is unity with God, the Trinity; that made in God’s image, I was born into this life stainless of sin and, like Jesus, have a temporary human nature and a permanent divine nature that ever was and ever will be.

I believe in meeting God in silent contemplation.

I believe that Jesus showed us how to live our lives; that He suffered and died to show us the way of suffering and death and that He rose from the dead to show us eternal life.

I believe the Beatitudes: 

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the Earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted by others, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed am I when people insult me, persecute me and falsely say all kinds of evil against me because of my Christianity. 

I believe in faith, hope and love; the greatest of these is love. I love God and love my neighbour as myself.

I believe in the inherent dignity of all humanity, the inclusion and love of all and the exclusion of none.

I believe in a preferential option for the poor.

I believe in the people of God as a worldwide church and in unity with diversity.

I believe that all creation is equally good, that we are totally inter-connected, and our earthly home must be cared for now and for future generations.

I believe in baptism and confirmation as sacraments confirming my commitment to living a Christian life.

I believe in keeping Holy the Sabbath day and in the communal celebration of the Eucharist in memory of Jesus and his way, thereby recognising the relational nature of my existence.

I believe in everlasting life after death, the resurrection of the subtle body, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins and the infinite mercy of God.

I believe the kingdom of God is here and now and among us; I believe I have a baptismal responsibility to work for the propagation of the faith. I trust in the slow work of God in guiding all humanity in a process of becoming the kingdom of God on earth.

I believe that theology is dynamic, not static; culturally appropriate; informed by science and reading the signs of the times, embedded in the teachings of Jesus and inspired by the Holy Spirit.

I believe the laity of all genders share equally with the clergy in the priesthood of Jesus.

I believe in the primacy of individual conscience, informed by scripture, tradition and the Holy Spirit, as the guide for my actions.

And I hold these beliefs in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

John Scoble

11 May 2025