Faith of Our Fathers: A Study of the Nicene Creed

by L. Charles Jackson

It's not whether you have a creed or not, just which. "No creed but Christ." This claim tries to remove the mess of doctrinal controversy. After all, doesn't everyone know that "doctrine divides?" But would avoiding creeds and confessions really clear away confusion? What do you believe about Jesus? Was he really God? The answers to these important questions make a creed, even if it's poorly worded or false. Creeds are unavoidable.
As the church's first "official" ecumenical creed, the Nicene Creed has protected and shaped the life of God's people for centuries. L. Charles Jackson's popular study walks readers through every line of the Nicene Creed, highlighting its history and contemporary application, and revealing its grounding in Scripture. It shows us a Nicene Creed that is pastoral, practical, and personal.

Genres: Theology, Church History, Christian

160 pages, Paperback

First published March 30, 2007

Reviews

[Caleb M. Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book.

[ValeReads Kyriosity · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can't possibly swallow the entire Pacific Ocean, but you can get pretty wet in it. This book was a good wade into basic Christian doctrine.

[Creeds, Confessions, and Catechisms · Rating 4 out of 5]

Canon Press was kind enough to send me a copy of "Faith of Our Fathers: A Study of the Nicene Creed" by L. Charles Jackson in exchange for an honest review.

It has been 1700 years since the Council of Nicaea, and the theology and controversies central to it are as relevant as ever. Ligonier Ministries' “The State of Theology” survey (https://thestateoftheology.com/) showed very disturbing trends in modern Christianity that I suspect have only gotten worse. According to that survey, 43% of American Evangelicals agreed with the statement “Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God.” In other words, almost half of all American Evangelicals are Arians. That’s a MASSIVE problem. This book, I believe, will be helpful to anyone who desires to learn what the fundamental teachings of Christianity are and correct the anti-Christian errors that are springing up from within.

The book is structured well, which should be no surprise, as it just follows the structure of the creed. I would only slightly tweak the flow of content. As is, chapter 1 defends the existence and subscription to the creed, chapters 2-17 exposit the creed, and chapter 18 gives the history and context. In my mind, it would make more sense to have chapter 18 as chapter 2 and then have the rest of the book flow as is. That’s really my only major critique of this book.
As far as the theology is concerned, this is wonderful. Jackson exposits each clause of the creed with refreshing clarity and precision. He also includes a plethora of study questions at the end of each chapter.

If you are seeking an accessible study of the essentials of the Christian faith, I highly recommend this book. It’s one of the finest, especially if you’re looking to study these truths with other Christians.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed by this book. Some parts of it were filled with great information, some parts were very elementary in comparison and uninspiring to trudge through. It seemed like the author couldn't decide if they wanted to write a beginners or advanced presentation on the Nicene creed.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I expected. It was an odd mash of academic level material followed by pastoral teaching. Many of the points were redundant. Wish the author would have written for one target audience. Probably would have improved the book in the end.

[Micah Kramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed this. A wonderful blend of history, detailed explanations of the creed, and just plain gospel/basic Christian foundations. I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this.

[Allen Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very accessible exploration of the Christian faith as presented in the Nicene Creed. Going mostly topic-by-topic, with a helpful chapter on historical background and study questions, this is an excellent tool to use in a church or home Bible study. It does not include a plethora of Scripture references, and the author relies heavily on quoting a few select authors, so for the academic this resource will feel a bit lacking--but there are other books that tend toward that direction (The Belief of Christendom by Burnaby is one such) and this book does an excellent job in addressing its intended audience. A great starting place for personal or group study.

[Shep · Rating 4 out of 5]

My church's Men's Bible Study has been going through this book and it has been truly beneficial and helpful. The advantage of the book is that it is short, easy-to-read, and concise - this is also perhaps the disadvantage of the book, as it deals with some very weighty issues. As an overview, however, it is immensely helpful.

[Peter Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to the Nicene Creed. I especially appreciated his emphasis that the various parts of the Creed should lead to worship and praise.

[Jess B · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book managed to sound both angry and condescending. It is also poorly written (it often has awkward sentence structure and punctuation errors). I didn't make it past the introduction.