Creeds Archives - Bob on Books

Nicaea for Today

Nicaea for To d ay, Coleman M. Ford and Shawn J. Wilhite. B & H Academic (ISBN: 9781430091547) 2025.

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.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Augustine: On Christian Doctrine and Selected Introductory Works (Theological Foundations), Augustine (edited by Timothy George). Nashville: B & H Academic, 2022.

Summary: Four works on Christian doctrine, written in the context of catechesis, by Augustine.

At some point, hopefully, the maturing Christian will hunger to read the great works of Christian theology through the history of the church. This new series, by B & H Academic, promises to offer affordable, handsomely presented and well-edited editions of the thought of prominent figures in church history. This work, along with John Calvin’s Commentary on Romans are the first volumes in what is hoped to be a growing series.

The four works included in this volume have in common Augustine’s concern to instruct his people in Christian belief.

On Christian Doctrine. Rather than a work on systematic theology or even core beliefs, it is instruction in how to understand the Bible, the source of all doctrine. We discover quickly what a formidable thinker Augustine is as he distinguishes between things and signs and between use and enjoyment. He instructs us how to deal with obscurities in scripture, the value of diverse interpretations and how to deal with false ones, the value of extrabiblical (heathen) sources. He is perhaps the first to propose interpreting obscure passages by those which are clearer. Book IV addresses preaching, the proper use and limitations of rhetoric (from a master rhetorician) and how important prayer is before preaching. While there are matters addressing questions of the times, there is much timeless and valuable counsel.

A Sermon to Catechumens on the Creed. This is perhaps one of the first expositions of what we call the Apostles Creed. He goes into depth on what it means that God is Almighty, what it means that the Son is begotten and yet One God with the Father, the incarnation, in which he was “born lowly” to “lift us up.” He affirms the trial before Pilate, the cross, the death, the resurrection, and ascension. On the Holy Spirit, he commends the Trinity. The Church, he says may be fought; but not fought down. We are raised, not like Lazarus but to bodily life everlasting. Read this to breathe life into your recitation of the creed!

A Treatise on Faith and the Creed. While also framed by the creed, this also addresses heresies of the time (which have recurred in various forms through history). He defends creation ex nihilo, the deity and consubstantiality of the Son, Mary’s crucial role, and the role of the Church in the remission of sins. A theme running throughout is the priority of faith and yet the necessity of reason.

A Treatise on the Spirit and the Letter. This is an extensive discussion of the issues at the heart of the Pelagian controversies, defending Adam’s immortality before the fall; the corporate character of sin in Adam, that sin is not just imitation; that grace is a supernaturally imparted gift, not a part of human nature; that original sin had universal effect and that no one could live a sinless life under the law; and that predestination is based on divine sovereignty and that human works are the fruit of divine grace but not its cause.

Throughout, Augustine employs reason, step by step logic, and biblical exegesis in addressing various questions. He anticipates many later discussions of biblical interpretation, offering good sense to catechumens. The discussion of Pelagianism seems especially relevant in our present day focus on human potential. We can neither save ourselves nor grow in holiness by sheer willpower but only by the gift of God’s grace. The two pieces on the creed give us a sense of the historical concerns that led to this formulation and what a glowing affirmation these words are. These shorter works underscore why Augustine stands out as one of the greatest theologians in the history of the church.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher.