Historic Creeds and Confessions

Lectures and readings in English.

1. Reading Read:

   • Apostles' Creed Broken link Primary text
   • Nicene Creed 325 Broken link Primary text
   • Chalcedonian Creed 451 Broken link Primary text
   • Athanasian Creed 500 Broken link Primary text
   • Canons on the Council of Orange 529 Broken link Primary text
   • 2nd Council of Constantinople 553 Broken link Primary text
   • 3rd Council of Constantinople 681 Broken link Primary text
   • Luther's 95 Theses 1517 Broken link History
   • Augsburg Confession 1530 Broken link History
   • The Smalcald Articles 1537 Broken link History
   • Geneva Catechism 1545 Broken link History
   • The Confession of Guanabara 1558 Broken link History
   • Scots Confession of 1560 Broken link History
   • Belgic Confession 1561 Broken link Primary text
   • 2nd Helvetic Confession 1562 Broken link History
   • Heidelberg Catechism 1563 Broken link Primary text
   • The Thirty-Nine Articles 1571 Broken link History
   • The Irish Articles of Religion 1615 Broken link History
   • Canons of Dort 1618 Broken link Primary text
   • Westminster Standards 1646 Broken link Primary text Read in the 1647 text, the school's standard (Standards reader on this site). Where an edition follows the 1788 American revision (WCF 20.4, 23.3, 31.1-2), the 1647 text governs.
   • Waldensian Confession 1655 Open source History
   • The Conclusions of the Synod of Utrecht 1905 Open source Primary text

2. Review Review:

   • A Tabular Comparison of the 1646 Westminster Confession of Faith, the 1658 Savoy Declaration of Faith, the 1677/1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, and the 1742 Philadelphia Confession of Faith Open source Comparison Compares the Westminster Confession with the Savoy Declaration and the Baptist confessions. Read as comparison.

3. 1. Lectures Listen, outline, and take notes on the following lectures:

   • Creeds and Confessions Dr. Ryan McGraw 53 min Open source History
   • Introduction to the Creeds 1-13 Brian Borgman 9.5 h Open source History Under review Teacher to review (subscription to the Westminster Standards or the Three Forms not established; unverified): Brian Borgman (outside the Westminster and Three Forms line).
   • The Nicene Creed Derek Thomas 52 min Open source Primary text
   • History of the Nicene Creed Ian Goligher 41 min Open source History
   • Continental Confessions 1-10 Dr. Peter Lillback 10 h Open source History
   • The Augsburg Confession Dr. Matthew McMahon 24 min Open source History Under review Teacher to review (subscription to the Westminster Standards or the Three Forms not established; unverified): Matthew McMahon (subscription not established).
   • The Belgic Confession Kevin DeYoung 53 min Open source Primary text
   • History and Purpose of the Heidelberg Catechism Dr. Jurgen-Burkhard Klautke 63 min Open source History Under review Teacher to review (subscription to the Westminster Standards or the Three Forms not established; unverified): Jurgen-Burkhard Klautke (subscription not established).
   • The Heidelberg Catechism Kevin Deyoung 58 min Open source Primary text
   • The Canons of Dordt Kevin DeYoung 47 min Open source Primary text
   • Election, reprobation, and Predestination in the Reformed Creeds and Confessions Dr. Matthew McMahon 47 min Open source History Under review Teacher to review (subscription to the Westminster Standards or the Three Forms not established; unverified): Matthew McMahon (subscription not established).
   • Lutheranism after Luther Dr. Carl Trueman 56 min Vol. 1 Vol. 2 Open source History
   • Heidelberg Catechism 1 and 2 Dr. Carl Trueman 1.5 h Primary text
   • Eschatology of Victory in the Continental Reformed Creeds Dr. Francis Nigel Lee 54 min Open source History
   • The Correct Use of Doctrinal Creeds in the Church David Silversides 35 min Open source History
   • Overview of the 1689 Confession Stephen Gambill 50 min Open source History Under review Teacher to review (subscription to the Westminster Standards or the Three Forms not established; unverified): Stephen Gambill (subscription not established).

   Total: 31.5 hours

4. 2. Reading Read and provide a book summary:

   • The Utility and Importance of Creeds and Confessions Samuel Miller 79 pp. Open source History

5. 3. Reading Read and provide chapter summaries:

   • The Christian Creed and the Creeds of Christendom Samuel Green 378 pp. Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3 Open source History Under review Teacher to review (subscription to the Westminster Standards or the Three Forms not established; unverified): Samuel Green (subscription not established).
   • The Creeds of Christendom Vols. 1, 2, 3 Philip Schaff 2515 pp. History Under review No link: find it in a library or bookstore. Teacher to review (subscription to the Westminster Standards or the Three Forms not established; unverified): Philip Schaff (outside the Westminster and Three Forms line).

   Total: 2,972 pages

6. 4. Assignment Write a 40 page paper focusing on a particular creed/confession, or the expression and treatment of a particular doctrine appearing throughout the creeds/confessions.

   Open the assignment

Every lecture and reading carries its role. "Under review" means the teacher's subscription to the Westminster Standards or the Three Forms of Unity is not yet established; "Read as comparison" means the material teaches the 1788 American text of WCF 20.4, 23 or 31 or of Larger Catechism Q.109, which the school reads beside the 1647 text. Nothing has been removed.