Credenda/Agenda

Credenda/Agenda was an American Christian cultural and theological journal published under the auspices of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho. The publication began in 1989 as a loose-paper pamphlet and later developed into a more conventional magazine. In 1997, its format was revised into a full-page periodical. Issues were released quarterly in print and were also made available electronically, while Canon Press, a publishing ministry connected with Christ Church, produced an audio edition. The title combines two Latin terms: credenda, meaning things to be believed, and agenda, meaning things to be done. This pairing reflected the journal's effort to connect theological convictions with Christian practice, cultural criticism, education, family life, worship, and community. Although its subject matter was principally religious, the journal also included literary and cultural material such as film and book reviews, poetry, short fiction, satire, and commentary on prominent news events. Most issues were organized around a broad theme, allowing theological essays, cultural criticism, and creative work to be presented together. The publication represented a conservative Reformed and Protestant outlook. Its recurring commitments included a Reformed understanding of salvation, liturgical worship, a Van Tillian approach to Christian apologetics, male federal headship within the family, and the cultivation of intellectual and artistic life through the liberal arts and the Western tradition. Themes addressed over its run included escapism, paedocommunion, the Textus Receptus, sexuality, C. S. Lewis, P. G. Wodehouse, cheese, Beowulf, the September 11 attacks, and debates concerning the New Perspective on Paul. Douglas Wilson served as editor, Douglas M. Jones as senior editor, and N. D. Wilson as managing editor. The journal was associated with the wider intellectual and publishing activities of Christ Church and Canon Press. Its contributors and editorial projects helped circulate a particular vision of Reformed Christianity that combined doctrine, liturgy, family and church order, literary culture, and social commentary. Crawford Gribben has characterized the publication as using wry and frequently satirical writing to popularize elements of R. J. Rushdoony's political and eschatological outlook while emphasizing Reformed theology, life in community, and the liberal arts. Several articles and themes originating in the journal were later collected or expanded into books. Associated examples include Douglas and Nancy Wilson's works on marriage and family life, including Reforming Marriage, Fruit of Her Hands, Standing on the Promises, and Federal Husband, as well as Douglas Wilson and Douglas Jones's cultural work Angels in the Architecture. These related books illustrate how Credenda/Agenda functioned not only as a periodical but also as part of a broader network of theological, literary, and publishing projects. Publication appears to have ended around 2012. Back issues have continued to be offered through the Canon Press website, but the journal itself is no longer an active periodical. Because publicly available information does not clearly establish a formal founder, corporate owner, or exact final issue date, those details remain unspecified.

Credenda/Agenda emerged in 1989 within the Christian publishing and church environment associated with Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho. It initially circulated as a loose-paper pamphlet rather than as a conventional bound magazine. The name joined the Latin concepts of belief and action, signaling an editorial purpose that treated theology as inseparable from Christian conduct, institutional life, and cultural formation. During its early years, the journal developed as a forum for Reformed theological discussion and conservative Christian cultural criticism. Its subject matter was not restricted to doctrinal essays. Issues commonly included literary criticism, reviews of books and films, poetry, short stories, and satirical treatments of public events. The publication generally organized each issue around a theme, creating a framework in which theological, cultural, and creative contributions could be read together. A significant format change occurred in 1997, when the loose pamphlet presentation was revised into a full-page magazine. The journal continued to appear quarterly in print and also circulated electronically. Canon Press, another ministry connected with Christ Church, produced an audio version, extending the publication beyond its print readership. Editorial leadership included Douglas Wilson as editor, Douglas M. Jones as senior editor, and N. D. Wilson as managing editor. Under this editorial direction, Credenda/Agenda promoted a distinctly Reformed program. Its recurring positions included Reformed soteriology, liturgical worship, Van Tillian apologetics, male federal headship in the family, and the importance of the liberal arts and the Western literary and intellectual tradition. The journal's approach combined confessional theology with an assertive account of Christian cultural participation. The range of themes reflected that program. Past issues considered subjects including escapism, paedocommunion, the Textus Receptus, sex, C. S. Lewis, P. G. Wodehouse, cheese, and Beowulf. Special issues addressed the September 11, 2001 attacks and the editors' response to the New Perspective on Paul. The journal's style was often polemical, humorous, and deliberately unconventional. Crawford Gribben has described it as a vehicle for presenting elements of R. J. Rushdoony's political and eschatological vision while also stressing Reformed theology, communal life, and the liberal arts. Credenda/Agenda also served as a source of material for related books. Articles and editorial projects were collected or expanded into works associated with Douglas and Nancy Wilson, including Reforming Marriage, Fruit of Her Hands, Standing on the Promises, and Federal Husband. Douglas Wilson and Douglas Jones's Angels in the Architecture likewise represented the journal's interest in cultural vision and the relationship between Christian belief and the built, literary, and artistic environment. Regular publication appears to have ceased around 2012. The exact final issue and formal closure process are not clearly documented in the available reference material. Canon Press continued to make back issues available, preserving the journal as an archive and as part of the broader publishing legacy of Christ Church and its associated ministries.

• 2012

  Regular publication appears to end

  [1]Credenda/Agendaen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material indicates that the journal likely stopped publishing around this time, while back issues remained available.

• 2001

  Special coverage of the September 11 attacks

  [1]Credenda/Agendaen.wikipedia.org

  A special issue addressed the September 11, 2001 attacks from the editors' Christian cultural and theological perspective.

• 1997

  Format redesigned as a magazine

  [1]Credenda/Agendaen.wikipedia.org

  The publication changed from its original loose-paper format to a full-page magazine.

• 1989

  Initial publication as a pamphlet

  [1]Credenda/Agendaen.wikipedia.org

  Credenda/Agenda began appearing as a loose-paper Christian pamphlet.

A conservative Reformed Christian journal combining theology, cultural criticism, literary material, satire, and practical reflection on church, family, education, and community.

• Quarterly theological and cultural periodical · 1989

  Credenda/Agenda print journal

  The core offering was a quarterly print journal issued under the auspices of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho. It combined Reformed theology and Christian cultural commentary with reviews, poetry, fiction, satire, and essays organized around a general theme. The format began as a loose-paper pamphlet and became a full-page magazine in 1997.

• Electronic journal

  Credenda/Agenda electronic editions

  Electronic versions extended the journal's circulation beyond its printed quarterly issues. They carried the same broad editorial identity: theological argument, cultural analysis, literary material, and commentary on church and public life. The available sources do not specify the precise technical format or dates of electronic distribution.

• Audio publication

  Credenda/Agenda audio edition

  Canon Press produced an audio edition associated with the journal, providing an additional format for selected publication content. Public reference material confirms the existence of the audio edition but does not identify a complete release chronology or catalogue.

• 1997

  Conversion from pamphlet to magazine formatOther

  Background

  The publication had originally circulated as a loose-paper pamphlet since 1989.

  Action taken

  The editors revised the presentation into a full-page magazine.

  Aftermath

  Credenda/Agenda continued as a quarterly print and electronic publication in its revised format.

  Source

1. 1Credenda/Agendaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Credenda/Agenda official websitecredenda.org