(Latin credo ‘I believe’) A brief summary of Christian belief. Three creeds are used in Western liturgy: the short Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, which originated at the Council of Constantinople in 381, and the longer Athanasian Creed which probably dates from c.500 and was used in the instruction of the laity. Of these the most important in the worship of the medieval church was the Nicene Creed, recited at the Eucharist on Sundays and feast days