More evangelical churches are reciting the Nicene Creed in their worship services, a departure from their “no creeds but the Bible” position of the past, writes Daniel Silliman in Christianity Today magazine (May/June). This year marks the 1,700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed, which is considered the first creedal statement of Christianity resulting from the gathering of bishops in the town of Nicaea (now located in modern Turkey). Partly to celebrate the creed’s anniversary, evangelicals and many Protestants in general are reconsidering their complex relationship with the ancient confession of faith, having been wary of creedal worship but supportive of its affirmations of the Trinity, the Incarnation, and the “catholic” nature of the church. Silliman interviewed a dozen evangelical pastors, authors, and theologians about this trend, and it seems that churches adopting the creed in worship are doing so in a similar way to their increased use of historic liturgy and contemplative practices. Author Matthew Barrett said that he had seen more Baptist churches using the creed. Other respondents said that their congregants felt a greater sense of unity and connection to the church throughout history and the world when they recited the creed. Others said that identifying with the Nicene Creed gave them a stronger identity and a place to stand in a secular culture, or that it was a source of beauty and transcendence in the church. It was said to be members of Generation Z more than Generation X that appreciated incorporating the creed into worship.
(Christianity Today, https://www.christianitytoday.com/)
