The Creed
If you have questions about any of these resources click here. Please include the Reference Number listed.
1) Barclay, William. The Apostles’ Creed. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1967.
“If there is one statement of the Christian Church, it is contained in the Apostles’ Creed,” writes William Barclay, former Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism at Glasgow University. Professor Barclay reminds us, however, that he Creed should be seen not so much as a test and yardstick of orthodoxy, but rather as a symbolic, pictorial, and poetic representation of a truth—a truth that Christians should constantly rethink and restate for themselves.”
Reference Number: B-00198
2) Bezancon, Jean-Noel, Ferlay, Philippe, and Onfray, Jean-Marie. How to Understand the Creed. New York, New York: Crossroad, 1992.
Reference Number: B-00199
3) Finley, Mitch. The Seeker’s Guide to Being Catholic. Chicago, Illinois: Loyola Press, 1997.
“Mitch Finley once again taps into the hearts and minds of Catholics everywhere with The Seeker’s Guide to Being Catholic. Recognizing that being Catholic today means being a seeker, a pilgrim, a person with questions, doubts, and insecurities, Finley invites readers to explore with him the riches of the Catholic tradition. By sharing his own love for and understanding of Catholicism, he joins seekers in asking who are we and what so we wan from our faith? Why be Catholic?”
Reference Number: F-00069
4) Gillespie, V Bailey. The Experience of Faith. Birmingham, Alabama: Religious Education Press, 1988.
“Centers on faith as a holistic personal experience which each individual lives in a different but related way over the entire lifecycle. This seminal volume goes beyond Fowler in that it shows how faith grows most fruitfully not in stages but rather in concrete existential situations.”
Reference Number: G-00071
5) John
Paul II. A Catechesis on the
Creed: The Church Mystery,
Sacrament, Community. Boston,
Massachusetts: Pauline Books &
Media, 1998.
“Pope John Paul II completed his monumental catechesis on the creed with a thorough treatment of the mysterim ecclesiae in the light of Vatican II. Starting with God's plan for the Church as the sacrament of salvation, he goes on to explain the Church as the People of God. He then discusses the Church as a communio of love and prayer, called witness of Christ in the world.”
Reference Number: I-00016
6) John Paul II. The Spirit Giver of Life and Love Volume 3. Boston, Massachusetts: Pauline Books & Media, 1996.
“When the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples in the upper room on Pentecost, St. Peter stood up to explain the extraordinary phenomenon to the nations represented by the pilgrims gathered for the feast. Peter announced that God had sent his Spirit to proclaim the Messianic enthronement of his Son—Jesus, once crucified but now risen and glorified. Two thousand years later the two hundred and sixty-third successor of Peter has done the same, in a series of addresses in which he unwraps the gift of the Holy Spirit for the Church. These catecheses make a significant contribution to the theology of the Holy Spirit. What is remarkable is the breadth, even the encyclopedic nature, of these reflections on the Spirit. The Pope explores the relation of the Holy Spirit to the life of the Church as a whole, to that of he individual Christian, to the sacraments, to the Church’s eschatological hope, and to ministry—to name but a few.”
Reference Number: I-00010
7) Lee, James Michael. Handbook of Faith. Birmingham, Alabama: Religious Education Press, 1990.
“The most thorough and most comprehensive treatment of religious faith ever assembled. This volume helps illumine from a variety of complementary perspectives the, nature, structure, and expression of faith.”
Reference Number: L-00076
8) Marthaler, Berard. The Creed the Apostolic Faith in Contemporary Theology. Revised Edition. Mystic, Connecticut: Twenty-Third Publications, 1993.
“This book is unique among the many commentaries on the classic formulas of Christian faith. It does not simply relate the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed and the Apostles’ Creed to the apostolic faith of the New Testament, but illumines these ancient formulas by presenting them in light of contemporary theological issues. The Creed takes an interdisciplinary approach, linking the present to the past by drawing on recent biblical scholarship, liturgical studies, theological explanations, and historical research. By explaining the functions and meanings of the ancient creeds in the context of today’s questions, The Creed stands to make a substantial contribution to the current effort to have the Ecumenical Creed of Constantinople recognized once more as the confession of faith common to all Christians.”
Reference Number: M-00139
9) O’Brien, J. Stephen. Gathering God’s People Signs of a Successful Parish. Huntington, Indiana: National Catholic Education Association with Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., 1982.
“The American bishops recently reminded us that the Church touches most American Catholics through the parish. It is here that the overpowering love of the Father calls people together as Jesus’ brothers and sisters. In the parish, people empowered by the Holy Spirit gather together in faith to celebrate birth, love, and death made hopeful by resurrection. Thos who minister in parishes have become increasingly aware in recent years that effective parish ministry demands work. More than work, it demands faith, patience, a willingness to risk, personal loyalty, and a variety of skills. Parish ministers, whether ordained or appointed, are always looking for new ways to improve their ministry. This book has been written for them.”
Reference Number: O-00043
10) Ralph, Margaret Nutting. Discovering the First Century Church (The Acts of the Apostles, Letters of Paul & the Book of Revelation). New York, New York: Paulist Press, 1991.
“Tackles the many questions of scripture in a straightforward manner. This practical book provides readers with a thorough introduction to the content of the Acts of the Apostles, the letters of Paul, and the book of Revelation. It acquaints readers with the methodologies and conclusions of modern biblical scholarship, and challenges readers to integrate this knowledge into their own faith-lives. It is an ideal text for juniors in high school, faith-sharing groups, adult education study, and introductory college courses.”
Reference Number: R-00070
11) Stokes, Kenneth. Dynamics of Adult Faith Development Faith is a Verb. Mystic, Connecticut: Twenty-Third Publications, 1989.
“Dynamic…enriching…constantly growing…these are the words that should describe our adult faith experience. Faith is a Verb vibrantly illustrates that faith should not be static, rigid, or inflexible, but rather an emerging and continually developing process. “Just as our bodies, minds, and personalities change and must develop,” the author stresses, “so the spiritual dimension of our lives must change also.” Using the findings of a major research project sponsored by the Religious Education Association, Faith is a Verb is written for those involved in ministry and the helping professions, and for all thoughtful persons seeking a more meaningful spiritual life. Stories form the author’s and others’ faith lives enrich the research conclusions, demonstrating that “as we grow through the major crises of our adult experience, so does our faith.”
Reference Number: S-00155