CREDO REVIEW: Believing in Something to Die For

The following is a review done on behalf of Mind & Media. The copy of the book I reviewed was donated by the publisher, through Mind & Media for the purpose of this review.

The subtitle alone tells the story for Ray Pritchard's wonderful, easy to read, little book.

I've noticed other reviewers seem to focus on the issue of creeds (i.e., should we have them or not?); however, I believe the issue, or subject, of the book is our faith. It truly is "something to die for." Or at least it ought to be ... it is for me.

The author uses the Apostles Creed as conceptual construct on which to build an argument for the faith. I realize he may have used a sermon series to build the content (JackLewis.net agrees) but what's wrong with that?

WHO WOULD USE THIS BOOK

• An elective Sunday School/Bible study class? Its well organized and simple presentation makes it an excellent resource for such a group.
• The preacher will find Pritchard's outlining a wealth of sermon seeds; for many, no attribution would be required; for others the source would clearly need to be mentioned.
• The lay evangelist might find the volume helpful in witnessing to those with questions about what we believe.
• The new believer would definitely benefit from a guided study of the book.
• Anyone who struggles with his or her faith would find this an excellent periodic faith builder.
• The theologue? No! He would find it tiresome and repetitive.
• For a bibliophile? No! Not for the avid reader! Those who are searchers, yes! But I doubt many secular bibliophiles are searchers.

HISTORY/BACKGROUND

Credo does provide an adequate history and background on Symbolum Apostolorum but the creed is, as I said, not the focus of the book.

There remain to this day a substantial amount of controversy attached to the creed; but look, go to any book store and pick one hundred non-technical books at random and you'll find 90% of them have raised a stink somewhere ... some do stink, but they are not Scripture, they are lay books. The Apostles' Creed never purported to be divinely inspired.

Brother Pritchard did a fine job of addressing historical and denominational issues.

PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION

Our biblical hermeneutic says the older the text the more trustworthy it can be assumed to be; the Apostles' Creed is very old ... it's not Scripture but it's light-years more dependable than the Gospel of Judas. Pritchard does an admirable job of bringing out the best in the Apostles' Creed and does so using the KISS principle.

I have to say I was pleasantly pleased with the read; though it was a great deal of repetition for me. I would agree with Dr. Lutzer when he was quoted on the book's back cover, "I pray that God will use this book to revive the courage in our hearts."

I would give it four out of five stars at the lay level, but only three stars for the pastoral library. I believe that rating would please the author, since I in no way believe he wrote for theologues.

TAGS: Apostles' Creed, Books, Christianity,
Christian history, Creeds, Credo, Crossway,
Doctrine, Ray Pritchard, Religion