The belief that Jesus rose from the dead is central to Christians. As the Son of God, Jesus represents the person that all Christians must strive to be like. Christians believe that he was perfect and that he came to earth to teach God's plan. Christians, as well as Jews and Muslims, believe in one all-powerful creator — God. Thus, the most important belief for Christians is that the world and everything in it is an expression of God's power and love.

From the beginning of Christianity, followers have attempted to agree on statements of beliefs, called creeds. A creed is a set of principles or opinions especially as it refers to a religious philosophy of life. According to tradition, Jesus' twelve disciples wrote the Apostles' Creed, but it was actually developed in the early church to use with persons receiving instructions before they were baptized. The present text of the Apostles' Creed is similar to the baptismal creed used in the Church of Rome in the third and fourth centuries. In A.D. 325, a formal doctrine of Christian faith was adopted in Nicaea, referred to as the Nicene Creed. It gradually replaced other forms of baptismal creeds and was acknowledged as the official statement of faith used in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and many Protestant churches.