The Book of Confessions

The Book of Confessions is a collection of historical statements, or creeds, that proclaim what the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) believes. It is volume I of our constitution, and not only reminds us of our past, but serves as a guide for our future. Despite the importance of the Confessions, all are subservient to the authority of the Bible. The Book of Confessions contains the following creeds and confessions:

The Apostles' Creed
The Nicene Creed
The Scots Confession
The Heidelberg Catechism
The Second Helvetic Confession
The Westminster Confession of Faith
The Westminster Shorter Catechism
The Westminster Larger Catechism
Theological Declaration of Barmen
The Confession of 1967
The Brief Statement of Faith

  • The above creedal statements are found in The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); Part I: Book of Confessions; published by The Office of the General Assembly, Louisville, KY; © 1996. The Office of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) holds the copyright to the underlying text of the links located at this site. The texts are currently presented under a blanket permission granted to sessions, presbyteries, and synods of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) by the publisher.
  • Hard copies should not be printed out but obtained instead for a nominal fee from Distribution Management Services (DMS), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202-1396 Phone: (800) 524-2612, or may be purchased from the PC(USA) web site, www.pcusa.org.
  • Wherever there are introductions and other comments made about the creeds, they rely heavily on Dr. Jack Rogers' book Presbyterian Creeds: A Guide to the Book of Confessions, which may be purchased in the bookstore on this site. This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in learning more about the history, development, and meaning of the Creeds.

 

 


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Unless otherwise stated, all material contained in this web site is Copyright © 1999-2005 First Presbyterian Church of Waco, Texas. Right is hereby granted for any congregation or governing body of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to copy and use this material only as long as proper credit is given as to its source. The scripture quotations contained within are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America, and are used by permission. All quotations from the Book of Confessions are reprinted by permission and are Copyright ©1996 by the Office of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church (USA).