Creeds

In Paul Turner's Blog by Paul Turner

Q: I teach a 30 minute religion class to 6th graders 4 days a week. What is the difference between the apostles creed and the nicene creed?

Thanks!

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A: Baptismal promises are the oldest form of any creed—the Q&A that we do on certain occasions.

In the early centuries, these were compiled into a creed called “Apostles” because of the tradition that each apostle contributed one line to the creed. That’s doubtful, but it inspired this lovely window at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art here in Kansas City.

We use the Apostles’ Creed to start the rosary. It’s suggested for Sunday Mass during Lent and Easter because of its connection to the baptismal promises.

At the Council of Nicaea in 325, the bishops expanded the Apostles’ Creed into the Nicene Creed.

Then at the Council of Constantinople in 381, the bishops expanded it further. That’s the one that we use most Sundays at Mass. Its full title is the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed. But we usually just call it the Nicene Creed.