| “As for me and my household,” Joshua told the Israelites at Shechem, “we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).
This statement packs quite a punch. It’s clear and decisive—one person speaking on behalf of their home and family about something that matters a great deal. Perhaps that’s why similar phrasing still shows up in popular culture all these centuries later.
On lawn signs and in political speeches, a variation of “as for me and my household” is popping up everywhere. Many progressive homeowners have that sign in their yard, the one that begins “In this house, we believe,” then goes on to list several statements like “no human is illegal” and “science is real.”
But progressives aren’t the only ones taking “a creedal approach,” writes Bonnie Kristian, CT’s editorial director of ideas and books. By “creedal,” Kristian is referring to religious creeds, which can also be called confessions of faith. Some congregations recite specific creeds—like the Apostles’ Creed or Nicene Creed—together during their worship gatherings, both personally and corporately declaring their beliefs in core doctrines like the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. In other words, creeds are a way of saying "This is what I believe about the thing that matters the most to me."
Vivek Ramaswamy, a candidate for the 2024 Republican Party nomination, recently sent a mass email with creedal tones. The subject line read “I am not afraid to say these truths.” The body of the email included the 10 affirmations Ramaswamy regularly touts, including “God is real” and “Human flourishing requires fossil fuels.”
The thing about this creedal approach, Kristian explains, is that it requires full allegiance. “You never see an In this house protestant posting a sign with a few of the lines crossed out,” she explains. “The creed is complete, and the faithful uphold it in its entirety.”
Choosing to adhere to a creed, Kristian says, is a weighty matter, one that’s too deep an expression for politics. Creeds correlate to our most tightly held beliefs, which, for the Christian, must be our devotion to Jesus. As we enter what’s sure to be another chaotic election cycle, may we keep the creeds where they belong, treasuring the object of our faith above all else. |
