The Church has traditionally used creeds or symbols in its liturgy. Here we shall study the origin and structure of these formulas to show their theological importance and meaning.

1 .The earliest creeds. The word symbol (symbolum) appeared first of all in the Latin Church (in particular in Africa: Tertullian and Cyprian). The East at first used expressions such as πίστις, μϰθημϰ, ἔϰθεσις, πίστεως (exposition of faith); the word symbolon appeared in the middle of the 4th century (Council of Laodicea, can. 7). The writers who explain the term symbolum understand it as a “sign of reco…