Introduction
Pelikan Jaroslav dedicated his life to discovering the vigor of ancient creeds and theology. Pelikan died on 2006 13th May at the age of eighty-two. Many modern U.S citizens usually got bored when reciting the static Creeds written centuries in the past. Pelikan maintained that modern people and even pluralists required strong belief when reciting the Creeds. This paper examined the significance of the interview between Pelikan and Krista during 2003. The paper also incorporated personal opinion to justify the relevance of the discussion.
Tippett Krista’s Interview with Pelikan Jaroslav
Pelikan was eight years old at that moment. Pelikan and Krista talked about the series of significant Christian faiths from the different parts of the world and ancient times to modern times. Pelican and Krista talked about the nature and history of Creeds and how an unchanging Creed could be conciliated and reconciled with a rational truthful faith, which had advanced and changed. Creed got introduced as a component of Eucharist Liturgy in the fifth century.
Nicene Creed provided a message of faith that sought to unite Christians. The Eastern Church used Creed during baptism. Modern people became discouraged to read Creeds because they felt that Creeds were difficult to understand. However, Pelikan maintained that people needed Creeds. Pelikan viewed that reciting Creed was vital since it cherished people’s faith. Pelikan explained the significance of historic Creed became vital for the sake of the coming and present time.
Pelikan intended to help the modern people to realize the importance of reciting unchanging Creeds. Modern people became discouraged to recite the ancient Creeds. Modern people felt that creeds remained unchanged and authoritative. Pelikan admitted that human faith underwent different experiences that were either virtuous or discouraging. Pelikan consoled people to believe in God’s words. Pelikan described Creed as an authoritative principle of sacred belief. Pelikan explained that creeds were essential truths and principles of the rapidly advancing religion. The Creed provided an answer to the Gnosticism heresy, which declined that Christ was wholly human. The Nicene Creed countered the Aryanism Heretical Doctrine, which declined that Jesus was wholly divine.
Christianity prepared several Creeds, which animated the swift development of religion in the past events of humanity. Islamic religion spread across the world using a single Creed. Christianity spread across the globe with many creeds. Religious faith required Creeds as a way of strengthening people’s beliefs. The purpose of Creed was to assist people to believe in something specific. Creeds revealed the identity of Jesus to the believers.
All Creeds had this feature in common. Creeds used terms, which explained the difference between Christ and God. Christians should know the distinction between God and the Son so that they should not believe in two gods. Creeds cherished the doctrine of Trinity to conserve Monotheism. Creeds clarified how the nature of Christ was distinct from God’s nature. Creeds attempted to reveal who was Jesus. Many people perceived Christ differently depending on their various cultures. Creeds provided philosophical and linguistic justification to explain the nature of God and Christ.
Emerson Ralph Waldo encouraged people to form their Creeds, which remained distinct from the tradition Creed. The world had become more relativistic and pluralistic which became associated with the secular West. There was a necessity to adopt tolerance and appreciation of the existing various beliefs. Religious liberty depended on the justification of relativism. Since people had no certainty of reality, they should not force others to believe in something. The truth remained relative in such a way that if a person claimed a truth, he might oppose the truth of somebody else. Pelikan encouraged people to love one another as the Trinity remained together in love.
Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, and Catholic churches accepted the Nicene Creed as one of the most significant ecumenical Creeds. Pelikan advised modern people to use Creeds as influential devices to develop their political commitments in the State’s institutions. Massai people composed Massai Creed in Africa during 1960. Catholic missionaries supported Massai people to form their Creed in East Nigeria. Massai people developed their Christian community. The Massai people formed their way of worship depending on their cultural context. The Nazi creed was not a religious Creed because it was marked by racism that meant to Germanize Christians.
Personal Reflection
The purpose of Creeds was to spread the true gospel of Christ. Creeds were part of worship and prayers. Creed was a liturgical assertion that was supposed to be chanted. Creed conveyed the language of compassion and love for people. God became love, and He created life in the universe because of His love. People should teach each other truth since God enabled human beings to perceive the truth. The pluralistic world was marked with relative ideology. Religious liberty enhanced people’s nourishment to acquire God’s inspiration. Faith was freely given; thus people should not be forced to believe in anything.
Christ died in a serious devotion, to save humanity. Christ’s commitment remained unchanged in history, and that was why Creeds were still relevant in the present world. God’s message remained unchanging; therefore modern people should not discredit the relevance of Creeds in the present time. God’s message remained the same; nevertheless, historians translated the Bible into many languages.