A Strange Relationship

Evangelicals, in my experience, have a strange relationship with both the three ecumenical creeds—Nicene, Apostles’, and Athanasian—and with a particular affirmation of the latter two: that Jesus “descended to the dead.” Regarding creedal authority, evangelicals seem to understand intuitively the importance of creedal affirmations.

Evangelicals want to defend the doctrine of the Trinity, the direction of the Father in creation, the necessity of the Son’s work for salvation, the activity of the Spirit in the church, and the hope of Christ’s return. And yet evangelicals are also…