Jaroslav Pelikan — The Need for Creeds

Creeds' Role

Jaroslav Pelikan explores the necessity of creeds in Christianity, emphasizing their role in providing specific beliefs during life's darkest hours. He explains that creeds help clarify what one believes, as believing one thing inherently means disbelieving another. This specificity is crucial for maintaining faith's staying power. Pelikan notes that while some terms like "Logos" were significant in early theological debates, they were omitted from the Nicene Creed to preserve monotheism.

To believe one thing is also to disbelieve another. To say yes is also to say no and clarifying what the yes is and then finding a way to say what it is we believe.

--- Jaroslav Pelikan

He highlights that creeds were formed more from argument than agreement, serving as a codification of basic truths in a rapidly developing religion 1 2.

   

Modern Views

Addressing modern challenges, Pelikan discusses the discomfort many feel towards creeds in a pluralistic world. He argues that pluralism is often mistaken for relativism, but true pluralism requires firm beliefs. Pelikan cites historical examples of religious tolerance, emphasizing that strong beliefs can coexist with respect for others' faiths.

The world is much more pluralistic than it is relativistic, and those are often equated in the secular west.

--- Jaroslav Pelikan

He also reflects on the language of love, comparing it to creeds as both spontaneous and conventional expressions of faith 3 4.