In “Credo – I Believe” I note the subtle but important distinction between Credere Deum (to believe God exists) and Credere in Deum (to believe in God). Here I want to share four resources that will help you compare various creeds, catechisms, and confessions in their historical Christian context. Please note the following:
- Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition by Libreria Editrice Vaticana
- Credo: Historical and Theological Guide to Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition by Jaroslav Pelikan
- Creeds, Confessions, and Catechisms: A Reader’s Edition edited by Chad Van Dixhoorn
- We Believe: Creeds, Catechisms, and Confessions of Faith by Ligonier Ministries
The text by Jaroslav Pelikan is considered a magisterial survey of immense material, yet it is manageable reading for both scholars and interested readers alike. The other three texts are quite accessible and very user-friendly. And whereas the compendium has its focus on the Catholic catechism, the remaining two texts have their focus on Protestant catechisms and confessions of faith.
~ Boethius ~