Perriman’s Narrative-Historical Creed
Theologian Andrew Perriman (author of The Coming of the Son of Man
I found it quite thought provoking, and since both creeds and narrative theology are a frequent topics here, I thought I’d post it and get some feedback/conversation going.
“We believe in God, the maker of heaven and earth, who sustains the unfolding of all life;
Who called a people in Abraham for his own possession and for his own purposes, to be a new beginning, a new creation, in the midst of the nations;
Who entered into judgment against his people Israel, subjecting them to the heavy hand of pagan empire.We believe in Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, Israel’s king;
Born under Augustus, executed under Tiberius;
Who died to save his rebellious people from destruction;
Who was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures and was exalted to the right hand of the Father;
Who was given the name which was above every name, for the sake of the glory of Israel’s God in the ancient world;
Who was made judge and ruler of the nations;
And through whom his persecuted followers came to inherit the empire and then the world.We believe in the Holy Spirit;
Who is the presence of the creator God in the midst of his people;
Who gives life and form and endurance to God’s new creation.We believe in one people under Christ, redeemed from the corrosive power of sin, transformed by the events of the New Testament story, justified by its persistent trust in the creator, called to live practically and prophetically in the light of the final renewal of all things.
We believe in a final justice, the final defeat of Satan, evil and death. We believe in the new heavens and the new earth, the reconciliation of creator and creation, and the healing of the nations.”
You can find the full post, which includes some of the context of Perriman’s creed, here.
So, what did you think? Is this helpful, idiosyncratic, revolutionary, provocative, missing the point?
It’s trying to do too much, stretching the point of a creed to unhelpfulness. Creeds are not mean to contain the historical-narrative of the faith – the Bible can do that. Creeds simply lay out the fundamental doctrines that define a given faith community. The history in which those fundamental doctrines unfolded need not be given in a creed.
Plus, Perriman’s reworking of the creed seems to promote exclusivity, creating a summary of belief that excludes Christians who may not agree with his interpretation of the history and the narrative. Though Perriman may argue that what he has given in the creed is basic Christian belief, not all traditions would be comfortable having to confess allegiance to a creed that further interprets salvation history to their discomfort.
Christian creeds should be broad and basic enough to include the vast majority of people who would claim to be “Christian.” Of course, the business of reducing Christianity to its bare minimum is never easy, and there will always be people who dissent. But there is no reason to make it more complicated by piling in the historical-narrative aspect of the Bible.
Though I always enjoy Perrimans’ work, this attempt seems 1) unnecessary, 2) unhelpful, and 3) to miss the point of a creed.
Good post.