Snippet

Belief

Creed

19 February 2025

3 min read

Does a creed create a truth?

Declaring truth is an unmodern act.

Alex Irving

Alex lectures in theology at St Mellitus College.

A typewriter holds a piece or paper reading 'truth'

Markus Winkler on Unsplash.

2025 marks the 1700th anniversary of ratification of a statement, a form of which the Church continues to say to this day. Around the world, Christian community's are responding to this landmark by thinking again about the content of that statement and also about its form: a creed.

The Church is not a source of truth. The Church might confess that which is true, but truth is not its possession to do with as it pleases. Arising from Jesus’ comments in John 14.6 the Christian tradition has thought of truth in an inflected way. If truth is primarily caught up with the person of Jesus Christ, then truth is something more fundamental than the Church. The Church has its ground in the truth rather than the truth having its ground in the Church.

A creed is an expression of belief that this is the state of affairs. More than that, it is a statement of the commitment of oneself of this state of affairs. To say a creed is an existential act, a decision, for this. It is a decision for that which we did not create and over which we have no control. Beyond even that, it is a decision which we did not even make! It was a decision made by Christians before us who determined this and not that.

It is hard to think of an act that is less compliant with a ‘modern’ human spirit. If Immanuel Kant was right that enlightenment is humanity’s ‘emergence from his [sic] self-incurred immaturity’, with this immaturity defined as ‘the inability to use one’s own understanding without the guidance of another’, then the practice of confessing a truth we have not personally determined is analogous to never quite advancing beyond a dummy and pram.

Closer to home, the creeds speak in manner that won’t always align with our experience. There is a truth that is more fundamental even than what I induce to be true based on the particular thrownness of my being. On a mode of cultural analysis that is particularly attentive to power, this could be seen as hegemonic. The creeds are tools of establishing a common apprehension across tribes and tongues. A common adherence to truth that is basic (as in non-derivative) and universal irrespective of the particularity of experience.

Beyond that, the claims that the creeds make may not be seen to be true. Experience may, in fact, trend in a different direction. The world with all its problems and pains may not appear to be the creation of an almighty and benevolent Lord. The Spirit who is Lord and giver or life may not appear to be breathing new vitality of the age to come into the present. The Church may not always appear to be one and holy.

Why then, creeds?

That what we have and know is that which we have received is baked in to the very nature of the Christian claim to know something about God rather than nothing.

At that time Jesus said,

“I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

To know God is not something grounded in ourselves. God the Son has become a human and known the Father as one of us and for all of us. It is on the strength of his confession of God as Father that we confess God as Father.

The continuous and repeated practice of reciting the creed reminds us that the possibility of speaking about God and the work of God is not a human possibility. It is a possibility for us based on the given event of God’s speech to us. We attend to that which is given. It is an act of faith through which we return again and again to the Word of God as the Church has received it.

To find out more about the McDonald Agape Nicaea Project being held by St. Mellitus College in London, come and join the public lectures, or look out for other Nicene celebrations in 2025.

Participants will hear from some of the world’s leading scholars on various issues related to Nicaea, including Professor Khaled Anatolios, Dr. Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Professor Ilaria Ramelli, Professor Bruce McCormack, Dr. Willie James Jennings, and many more.

A significant part of the Nicaea conference in 2025 will be a call for papers, expanding dialogue on the topic and hearing from a wide array of voices.

For more information or to register for these events, you can visit the Nicaea Project website

The Nicaea Project.

Article

Christmas culture

Creed

Education

6 November 2025

3 min read

Shining bright: Religious Education can reflect the heart of Christmas

A new curriculum proposal offers hope for a subject long left in the shadows

Kathryn Wright

Kathryn is the chief executive of Culham St Gabriel's, an education charity

A classroom display of Christmas baubles under a banner.

The Butterfly Teacher

The Christmas season will soon be upon us, and Christians around the world prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The lives of those believers, and many of their neighbours, are filled with nativity plays, Christingle services, advent calendars and carol singing. The festival that celebrates Jesus, the baby who is born in a manger and welcomed by lowly shepherds, also heralds his later life. One in which he lifts the marginalised, brings divine justice and shines light into a dark, fragmented world.

This shining vision of justice and light cannot be confined to nativity scenes or carol services. It shapes how Christians see the world, including education.

In England, Religious Education (RE) is in urgent need of reform. The recent Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR) recommendation that the subject goes into a new national curriculum through a staged process, offers a rare opportunity to restore RE to its rightful place for the benefit of every child. This will finally shine a light on this often-neglected subject.

Where darkness falls

Today, many pupils experience RE as fragmented, inconsistent, and undervalued. Some receive profound, in-depth teaching — getting more than a glimpse of the vision. Others receive none. Some encounter diverse religious and non-religious worldviews; others are taught narrow or outdated content. This disparity is not just an educational failure; it is a moral one.

At Christmas, Christians remember that Jesus came not for the powerful, but for the poor, the outsider, and the forgotten. Following Him means ensuring that every child — regardless of background or postcode — has access to high quality RE that reflects the complexity and richness of religion and belief in our global world.

Four dark shadows

There are four key areas of inequity:

Position: RE is often marginalised in schools as it is not in the national curriculum.

Provision: time and resources vary dramatically.

Standards: there is no consistent national benchmark.

Content: pupils struggle to see themselves and others reflected in the curriculum.

These issues disproportionately affect the most vulnerable - those in underfunded schools or transient communities. Christians are called to stand up for those who are overlooked. The Christmas story itself is a call to justice. Mary’s Song speaks of Jesus lifting the humble, whilst Zechariah’s prophecy highlights Jesus shining light on those in darkness and guiding people to a path of peace. Social justice is at the heart of the gospel message.

Lighting a way forward

The CAR recommendation that RE should be included in a new National Curriculum is a light amidst the darkness; it views the subject through a social justice lens. The proposed approach to establish consensus within the religious education community lights up a path for the subject going forward. Building on the National Content Standard for RE in England (2023) it offers a framework rooted in fairness, coherence, and depth. It would ensure:

Parity of position: RE is valued alongside other subjects.

Equity of provision: all pupils receive meaningful religious education

Consistency of standards: expectations are clear and fair across all schools.

Richness of content: pupils explore diverse, lived experiences of religious and non-religious worldviews.

This is not just about curriculum design. It is about enabling young people: to become free thinking; to become critical participants of public discourse in unsettled times; to make academically informed, compassionate and respectful judgements about matters of religion and belief. It is about nurturing wisdom, encouraging young people to flourish, and bringing light to dark places.

Shining in the darkness

Christmas is a season of hope and light. It is also about challenge. It is a reminder that God intervenes to restore and renew, and Christians are called to do the same. The recent recommendation to government is, I believe, a once is a life-time opportunity for everyone to come together for the common good; to shape an RE curriculum for all where every child is seen, heard, and valued.

As we sing of peace on earth and goodwill to all, let us work to ensure that our education system upholds justice and serves everyone, whether we are a Christian or not. This Christmas, may we commit ourselves to a vision of education that reflects the heart of God: one of equity, dignity, and love. Surely it is time for the RE light to shine in every classroom across our country.

Support Seen & Unseen

Since Spring 2023, our readers have enjoyed over 1,500 articles. All for free.
This is made possible through the generosity of our amazing community of supporters.

If you enjoy Seen & Unseen, would you consider making a gift towards our work?

Do so by joining Behind The Seen. Alongside other benefits, you’ll receive an extra fortnightly email from me sharing my reading and reflections on the ideas that are shaping our times.

Graham Tomlin

Pledge now