Crisis of Confidence

Reclaiming the Historic Faith in a Culture Consumed with Individualism and Identity

Carl Trueman Analyzes How Ancient Creeds and Confessions Protect and Promote Biblical Christianity in a Culture of Expressive Individualism

Historic statements of faith—such as the Heidelberg Catechism, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Westminster Confession of Faith—have helped the Christian church articulate and adhere to God’s truth for centuries. However, many modern evangelicals reject these historic documents and the practices of catechesis, proclaiming their commitment to “no creed but the Bible.” And yet, in today’s rapidly changing culture, ancient liturgical tradition is not only biblical—it’s essential.

In Crisis of Confidence, Carl Trueman analyzes how creeds and confessions can help the Christian church navigate modern concerns, particularly around the fraught issue of identity. He contends that statements of faith promote humility, moral structure, and a godly view of personhood, helping believers maintain a strong foundation amid a culture in crisis. This is a revised edition of Trueman’s The Creedal Imperative, now with a new section on the rise of expressive individualism.

Updated Edition of The Creedal Imperative: Includes fresh cultural insights on modern individualism

Written by Carl Trueman: Author of The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self (100,000+ copies sold)

Theological and Historical: Explains why creeds and confessions are necessary, how they have developed over time, and how they can function in the church of today and tomorrow

Ideal for Pastors, Professors, and Those Interested in Liturgical Tradition

©2024 Carl R. Trueman (P)2024 Crossway

Helpful and worth the time

A compelling argument that words matter...and history matters....and teaching rightly matters. I'm thankful I read it.

Orderly food on a disordered plate

To be perfectly honest, this was different than what I expected. I was expecting more of a treatise on finding order and a way forward in a world that's seemingly gone mad with "truth," and that's not totally what this book was about. However, what I found instead was very helpful as someone that works in the ministry world. This book is all about creeds and the advantage we have in our current day of being able to look back on church history and developing a clear and concise understanding of Truth as it it actually is--not what we make of it. I found chapter five to be the most helpful, entitled "Confession as Praise," because what it does is explain, very practically, why creeds are not only important but necessary as elements of how we structure our Christian churches. They bring clarity and focus to something that we need to understand, and can help us think rightly about all the most foundational aspects about our faith and beliefs--and helping us develop a proper theology of any number of issues that we need to understand. I'd particularly recommend this book for church leaders and elders.

Fantastic follow up to his previous work

Loved the practical development of his historical/cultural critique from The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self into this piece of sounds advice rooted in Scripture with healthy respect of our Christian fathers

Sound theology made interesting and clear

Carl Trueman offers a rare thing today: clear thinking and clear writing on a subject often overlooked because of its conplexity. No matter where you land on the subject, Trueman’s book is a valuable resource to better understanding of the role that creeds play in the Christian faith.

Truth and clarity

This is a compelling defense of creeds and confessions for the identity of the church.