Creeds, Confessions, & Catechisms

The following article will provide a list of some of the most prominent creeds, confessions of faith, and catechisms. But let's start with a quick note on the terms. There is a distinction between creeds, confessions, and catechisms. They may sound like the same thing, but they are not.

Creeds are general statements covering core beliefs. They are typically focused on the primary, orthodox beliefs of the Christian faith (e.g., the Trinity, the gospel, the second coming of Jesus, etc.). Many creeds were developed and widely used early in church history. The church fathers labored to define what true Christianity was while rejecting wrong, heretical beliefs.

Confessions are detailed statements of faith from a particular group. They typically clarify a group's secondary, and sometimes tertiary, beliefs (e.g., view on baptism, church government, etc.). Many confessions of faith developed shortly after the Reformation. Various groups were trying to define and articulate what they believed.

Catechisms are usually written in question and answer format to aid in learning doctrines in the Christian faith (i.e., often for children and new converts). From the early church up until today, most catechesis has included four main things: "the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and teachings on the sacraments or ordinances (e.g., the Lord’s Supper and baptism)."[1] The early church also used catechisms (e.g., many consider the Didache in the first century a catechism). During the Reformation, many also utilized catechisms to aid in teaching the Christian faith.

Now, on to the list. The following are some of the most common creeds, confessions, and catechisms. (This is not an exhaustive list, but it includes some of the most common ones you'll run across.)

Creeds

• Apostles' Creed - early versions (such as the Roman Creed) developed in the first couple of centuries. While some thought it was originally written by the apostles, others argue that it developed in the first couple of centuries by various church fathers. However, some believe that it reached its present form about 700 A.D. Regardless, it provides an incredibly brief and helpful summary of the Christian faith.[2]

• Nicene Creed - though very similar to the Apostles' Creed, this statement of beliefs was provided by the Council of Nicaea. It argued that the Son is of one substance with the Father, and it clearly rejected the heresy of Arianism (a false teaching which claims that Jesus was a created being subordinate to the Father).[3] (Significantly, all three major branches of Christianity [Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant] affirm the Nicene Creed. However it needs one qualifier: the Orthodox church rejects the filioque clause which means that they believe the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone. On the other hand, the Western church believes that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. Nevertheless, this is a very important creed since it was adopted at the Council of Nicaea and all branches of Christianity accept it.)

(The Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed are the most popular and the most widely accepted creeds. However, many Protestants also accept the Athanasian Creed.)

Confessions

• Lutheran

  • Augsburg Confession - this was the basic Lutheran confession which was written by Philipp Melanchthon around 1530.[4]

  • Formula of Concord - the statement of faith which was "adopted by Lutheranism in 1577 after nearly thirty years of study and discussion. It was intended to settle the controversy between the Philippists (followers of Philipp Melanchthon) and the genuine Lutherans."[5]

• Anglican

  • 39 Articles - this is considered the official doctrine of the Anglican church and Episcopal church worldwide, and it was officially adopted in 1571.[6]

  • Westminster Confession of Faith - (See the next bullet point for why I listed this under the Anglican section.)

• Reformed / Presbyterian

  • Westminster Confession of Faith - this statement of faith was completed in 1646 by a group of Anglican clergymen who assembled at Westminster and desired to "bring the Anglican church closer to the Church of Scotland and other Reformed groups, it took the classical Calvinistic position. Though it governed the Church of England only briefly, the confession has long been used as a standard of belief by many Presbyterian and Reformed groups."[7]

  • Heidelberg Catechism - this document is called a catechism (and is written as such), but it also functions like a confession of faith. It was drafted by the "theological faculty of Heidelberg at the request of Frederick III and adopted by a synod there in 1563."[8]

• Congregational

  • Savoy Declaration - written by several prominent Puritans (such as John Owen and Thomas Goodwin) in 1658 and modeled after the Westminster Confession of Faith, this is the confession of faith from the Congregational church (i.e., free church).[9]

• Baptist

  • 2nd London Confession (i.e., it is often referred to as 1689 which is the year it was officially adopted) - there are numerous Baptist confessions of faith, as William L. Lumpkin points out in his book Baptist Confessions of Faith (see this book if you would like to explore other baptistic confessions). However, the 2nd London confession is a common one referred to by Baptists who subscribe to Calvinistic theology. It builds upon the Westminster and Savoy, but it incorporates specific baptistic elements.[10]

Catechisms

• Catholic

  • Catechism of the Council of Trent (1566)

  • Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992)[11]

• Lutheran

  • Luther's Small and Large Catechism (1529)

• Anglican

  • The Book of Common Prayer Catechism (1549)

  • Westminster Shorter and Larger Catechisms (1647)

• Reformed / Presbyterian

  • Geneva Catechism (1542)

  • Heidelberg Catechism (1563)

  • Westminster Shorter and Larger Catechisms (1647)

• Baptist

  • (Keach's) Baptist Catechism (1693)

(There are also some excellent newer catechisms that have come out. I'm thinking of To Be A Christian [Anglican], New City Catechism [Presbyterian], and The Northstar Catechism [Baptist].)

A quick note on contemporary nondenominational churches: Many nondenominational churches do not have an official confession of faith to which they subscribe. Many instead are autonomous churches which have their own written statement of faith. Often the statement of faith is broad and basic and includes shared beliefs by many Christian groups. The desire for unity is good and should be commended, but a review of the creeds, confessions, and catechisms above highlights how little emphasis is placed on doctrine today (sadly). Many contemporary churches do not teach or take a view on many secondary or tertiary issues.

End Notes:

[1] Joe Carter, "9 Things You Should Know About Catechisms," The Gospel Coalition, October 17,2021, accessed September 23, 2026, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/should-know-catechisms/.

[2] Millard J. Erickson, Concise Dictionary of Christian Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1986), 14.

[3] Ibid., 115.

[4] Ibid., 17.

[5] Ibid., 35.

[6] Ibid., 168.

[7] Ibid., 182.

[8] Ibid., 72.

[9] Greg Strand, "Beautiful Standard, Healthy Model: The Savoy Declaration," The Gospel Coalition, November 25, 2022, accessed September 25, 2026, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/savoy-declaration/.

[10] William L. Lumpkin, Baptist Confessions of Faith (Valley Forge, PA: The Judson Press, 1969), 235-240.

[11] Catechism of the Catholic Church (New York, NY: Image Doubleday, 1995).