Through the years I have spent time worshiping in various denominations spanning the theological spectrum from 'conservative' to 'liberal.' Toward either of these poles, congregations, pastors, and church leaders tend to gravitate toward an emphasis on right doctrine (creeds) or right practice (deeds). Some conservative congregations I've been a part of have been so doctrinally focused and academic as to resemble a miniature university or academy. Any mention of working for justice, helping the poor, and similar biblically-mandated works is a sure-fire way of being labelled a "liberal." Similarly, some of the more liberal congregations where I've spent time have so epitomized Rick Warren's "deeds before creeds" cliché to the point of not caring a lick about theological truth and focusing solely on doing good works for others. Here, any talk of doctrinal standards, historic Christian creeds, or other points of theology quickly gets one branded a "fundamentalist."

So which are we right to give primacy, deeds or creeds? I'd like to suggest that such a question poses a false dilemma and sets us up to fall away from true, biblical Christianity. To apply the old song about love and marriage to the topic of right doctrine and praxis, "you can't have one without the other." Both are important in Scripture and the history of the Church. The trick is in the balancing act.

In one of his Catechetical Lectures, St. Cyril hold these two necessities together nicely and states:

For the method of godliness consists of these two things, pious doctrines, and virtuous practice: and neither are the doctrines acceptable to God apart from good works, nor does God accept the works which are not perfected with pious doctrines. For what profit is it, to know well the doctrines concerning God, and yet to be a vile fornicator? And again, what profit is it, to be nobly temperate, and an impious blasphemer? A most precious possession therefore is the knowledge of doctrines: also there is need of a wakeful soul, since there are many that make spoil through philosophy and vain deceit.

In our own lives, we doubtless naturally gravitate toward one of these poles. We have our own tendencies and preferences. The challenge, then, is for us to hold them in the proper tension and recognize that both are essential to a truly balanced Christian walk.

photo credit: Dan Mumford | Creative Commons via Compfight