A Handy Guide to the Athanasian Creed

Diagram of Some Aspects of the Trinity in the Athanasian Creed - Wikipedia

Friday, May 10th, 2024 AD - Six Pence Song

Saint ATHANASIUS's Creed  - from the Anglican 1662 Book of Common Prayer

QUICUNQUE VULT

WHOSOEVER will be saved: before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholick Faith.

Which Faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled: without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.

And the Catholick Faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;

Neither confounding the Persons: nor dividing the Substance.

For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son: and another of the Holy Ghost.

But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one: the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal.

Such as the Father is, such is the Son: and such is the Holy Ghost.

The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate: and the Holy Ghost uncreate.

The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible: and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible.

The Father eternal, the Son eternal: and the Holy Ghost eternal.

And yet they are not three eternals: but one eternal.

As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated: but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible.

So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty: and the Holy Ghost Almighty.

And yet they are not three Almighties: but one Almighty.

So the Father is God, the Son is God: and the Holy Ghost is God.

And yet they are not three Gods: but one God.

So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord: and the Holy Ghost Lord.

And yet not three Lords: but one Lord.

For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity: to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord;

So are we forbidden by the Catholick Religion: to say there be three Gods, or three Lords.

The Father is made of none: neither created, nor begotten.

The Son is of the Father alone: not made, nor created, but begotten.

The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.

So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons: one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.

And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other: none is greater, or less than another;

But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together: and co-equal.

So that in all things, as is aforesaid: the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.

He therefore that will be saved: must thus think of the Trinity.


Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation: that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For the right Faith is that we believe and confess: that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man;

God, of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds: and Man, of the Substance of his Mother, born in the world;

Perfect God, and Perfect Man: of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting;

Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead: and inferior to the Father, as touching his Manhood.

Who although he be God and Man: yet he is not two, but one Christ;

One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh: but by taking of the Manhood into God;

One altogether, not by confusion of Substance: but by unity of Person.

For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man: so God and Man is one Christ.

Who suffered for our salvation: descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead.

He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty: from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies: and shall give account for their own works.

And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting: and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.

This is the Catholick Faith: which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved.


Extracts from The Book of Common Prayer, the rights in which are vested in the Crown, are reproduced by permission of the Crown's patentee, Cambridge University Press

Links to Key Resources

Summary Statement

The Athanasian Creed's origins go back most substantively to the crisis of the heresy of Arianism climaxing in the fourth century AD and the resultant orthodox doctrine in the Nicene Creed (Nicaea 325 AD, Constantinople 381 AD) and later work at the ecumenical councils at Ephesus (431 AD) and Chalcedon (451 AD), which latter reaffirmed the Nicene Creed, battling Arianism, as well as combating the Apollinarian heresy (4th century AD), and both the Monophysite heresy of Eutyches and the opposing heresy of Nestorianism (both 5th century AD), among others.

Its main goal is declaring doctrinal orthodoxy about the Trinity and incarnate Christ to combat manifold heresies.

Though a doctrinal statement, it remains at its core, like any creed, simply a statement of belief.

While still bearing the name of the highly venerated champion of trinitarian orthodoxy Saint Athanasius of Alexandria (~297-373 AD), its authorship is debated. It is currently thought to have been written later, perhaps during the 5th or 7th centuries AD.

The title for the Athanasian Creed is Quicunque Vult or Quicumque Vult, both of which are Latin for whosoever will or whosoever wishes, the beginning words of the creed, which was written in Latin, not Greek.

It proclaims the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity in the first part, as well as a more robust, and hence more emphasized, orthodox treatment of the incarnation of Christ in the second part, Christology being harder attacked.

The first part regarding the Trinity declares, "That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons: nor dividing the Substance:" God is three distinct and separate persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), but one substance, or essence: One God.

It goes on to flesh out this initial statement of the Trinity along with other cohesive declarations in detail, notably formulaically maintaining both the equalities and distinctives of the persons separately, while always pulling back to the singular oneness and identical nature of each as substance (or essence): As God.

As to the second part regarding the incarnation of Christ, it keys in most importantly on the fact that He is fully God, fully Man: not two, but one Christ, the divine and fleshly natures not intermixed or confused, but though both fully invested with all facets of their respective natures, still historically and ontologically one real Christ.

Each of the declarations are pointed and important, like the Godhead is not converted into the flesh, rather the manhood is taken into God, and like as a man is soul and flesh, so God and Man is one Christ, among the others.

For complete understanding, see the creed's text above and below, and access the various linked resources.

The creed's content throughout is extremely carefully worded, with precise and sometimes novel language that often conspicuously and directly targets specific heresies blow by blow.

The Athanasian Creed is considered authoritative for the Lutheran, Anglican, and Roman Catholic traditions. Many Protestant traditions and scholars value it as an indispensable statement of orthodox Biblical doctrine.

However, I have noticed in my broader research a tendency by some evangelical Protestant creedal treatments to refer more frequently to the Council of Chalcedon and its resultant Definition of Faith, some not mentioning the Athanasian Creed, though sometimes lionizing the Nicene Creed in addition to Chalcedon.

My Thoughts

Because of the three major creeds (Nicene, Apostle's, and Athanasian) as well as the Chalcedon Definition of Faith, the Church universal has enjoyed, to the extent it embraces them, or most notably the scriptural truth behind them, a relative freedom from the heresies they combat going back centuries, as well as the robust doctrinal clarity they bring out of the Biblical text. We owe a lot to the early Church and this foundational work of its scholarship.

I feel the Athanasian Creed is a very well articulated declaration of faith, clearly bringing meaning out of the scriptures while carefully avoiding the ever lurking perils of introducing one's own additions into them.

One great caution that is echoed in several of the linked resources is that one must carefully subordinate this instrument of men below the only absolute, inerrant truth ever penned: the special revelation of God in the Bible.

Another caution I would put forth, also echoed by some resources here linked, is to avoid the temptation to make this and other creeds formulaic. Rather, if one chooses to use them, which is a very good idea almost to the point of required reading for all Christian leaders, teachers, and perhaps even congregants, they should be diligently studied, tested thoroughly by scripture, and prayed about for illumination by the Holy Spirit, all both individually and corporately.

Finally, I have great concern that this creed boldly states that it is "the Catholic [universal Church] faith" (notice the definite article before the word 'Catholic') and that those who do not believe it are damned to hell: The only true, undisputable statement of faith is the Bible itself, and salvation is not incumbent on knowing about, understanding, and believing this creed.

While I am sensitive that this document is borne out of very dark days combating heresies, this is still overdone.

A six-year-old child can understand the core Gospel and be saved, but has little hope of truly understanding and believing fully informed the content, with all its nuances and historical context, of this creed, or fully gleaning from their Bible studies all its content.

Many adult nascent Christians have not studied enough of the Bible, and may know nothing of this or other creeds, so have not fully believed its content, yet are clearly saved.

Nothing I state on this last point is mentioned in any of my research, and I am at a complete loss as to why no one else I read or listened to mentioned this concern.

Links to Resources

The Shield of the Trinity or Scutum Fidei (Latin for "shield of faith") is a traditional Christian visual symbol which expresses many aspects of the doctrine of the Trinity, summarizing the first part of the Athanasian Creed in a compact diagram. In late medieval Europe, this emblem was considered to be the heraldic arms of God (and of the Trinity).

Quoted from the Wikipedia article linked in the image caption.

Shield of the Trinity - Wikipedia

Latin

QUICUMQUE VULT

Quicumque vult salvus esse, ante omnia opus est, ut teneat Catholicam fidem:

Quam nisi quisque integram inviolatamque servaverit, absque dubio in aeternum peribit.

Fides autem Catholica haec est: ut unum Deum in Trinitate, et Trinitatem in unitate veneremur.

Neque confundentes personas, neque substantiam separantes.

Alia est enim persona Patris alia Filii, alia Spiritus Sancti:

Sed Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti una est divinitas, aequalis gloria, coeterna maiestas.

Qualis Pater, talis Filius, talis [et] Spiritus Sanctus.

Increatus Pater, increatus Filius, increatus [et] Spiritus Sanctus.

Immensus Pater, immensus Filius, immensus [et] Spiritus Sanctus.

Aeternus Pater, aeternus Filius, aeternus [et] Spiritus Sanctus.

Et tamen non tres aeterni, sed unus aeternus.

Sicut non tres increati, nec tres immensi, sed unus increatus, et unus immensus.

Similiter omnipotens Pater, omnipotens Filius, omnipotens [et] Spiritus Sanctus.

Et tamen non tres omnipotentes, sed unus omnipotens.

Ita Deus Pater, Deus Filius, Deus [et] Spiritus Sanctus.

Et tamen non tres dii, sed unus est Deus.

Ita Dominus Pater, Dominus Filius, Dominus [et] Spiritus Sanctus.

Et tamen non tres Domini, sed unus [est] Dominus.

Quia, sicut singillatim unamquamque personam Deum ac Dominum confiteri christiana veritate compellimur:

Ita tres Deos aut [tres] Dominos dicere Catholica religione prohibemur.

Pater a nullo est factus: nec creatus, nec genitus.

Filius a Patre solo est: non factus, nec creatus, sed genitus.

Spiritus Sanctus a Patre et Filio: non factus, nec creatus, nec genitus, sed procedens.

Unus ergo Pater, non tres Patres: unus Filius, non tres Filii: unus Spiritus Sanctus, non tres Spiritus Sancti.

Et in hac Trinitate nihil prius aut posterius, nihil maius aut minus:

Sed totae tres personae coaeternae sibi sunt et coaequales.

Ita, ut per omnia, sicut iam supra dictum est, et unitas in Trinitate, et Trinitas in unitate veneranda sit.

Qui vult ergo salvus esse, ita de Trinitate sentiat.


Sed necessarium est ad aeternam salutem, ut incarnationem quoque Domini nostri Iesu Christi fideliter credat.

Est ergo fides recta ut credamus et confiteamur, quia Dominus noster Iesus Christus, Dei Filius, Deus [pariter] et homo est.

Deus [est] ex substantia Patris ante saecula genitus: et homo est ex substantia matris in saeculo natus.

Perfectus Deus, perfectus homo: ex anima rationali et humana carne subsistens.

Aequalis Patri secundum divinitatem: minor Patre secundum humanitatem.

Qui licet Deus sit et homo, non duo tamen, sed unus est Christus.

Unus autem non conversione divinitatis in carnem, sed assumptione humanitatis in Deum.

Unus omnino, non confusione substantiae, sed unitate personae.

Nam sicut anima rationalis et caro unus est homo: ita Deus et homo unus est Christus.

Qui passus est pro salute nostra: descendit ad inferos: tertia die resurrexit a mortuis.

Ascendit ad [in] caelos, sedet ad dexteram [Dei] Patris [omnipotentis]. Inde venturus [est] judicare vivos et mortuos.

Ad cujus adventum omnes homines resurgere habent cum corporibus suis; Et reddituri sunt de factis propriis rationem.

Et qui bona egerunt, ibunt in vitam aeternam: qui vero mala, in ignem aeternum.

Haec est fides Catholica, quam nisi quisque fideliter firmiterque crediderit, salvus esse non poterit.

Wikipedia

Latin Interleaved with English

QUICUMQUE VULT

Quicumque vult salvus esse, ante omnia opus est, ut teneat Catholicam fidem:

Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic faith.


Quam nisi quisque integram inviolatamque servaverit, absque dubio in aeternum peribit.

Which faith unless every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.


Fides autem Catholica haec est: ut unum Deum in Trinitate, et Trinitatem in unitate veneremur.

And the Catholic faith is this: that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;


Neque confundentes personas, neque substantiam separantes.

neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Essence.


Alia est enim persona Patris alia Filii, alia Spiritus Sancti:

For there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost.


Sed Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti una est divinitas, aequalis gloria, coeterna maiestas.

But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal.


Qualis Pater, talis Filius, talis [et] Spiritus Sanctus.

Such as the Father is; such is the Son; and such is the Holy Ghost.


Increatus Pater, increatus Filius, increatus [et] Spiritus Sanctus.

The Father uncreated; the Son uncreated; and the Holy Ghost uncreated.


Immensus Pater, immensus Filius, immensus [et] Spiritus Sanctus.

The Father infinite; the Son infinite; and the Holy Ghost infinite.


Aeternus Pater, aeternus Filius, aeternus [et] Spiritus Sanctus.

The Father eternal; the Son eternal; and the Holy Ghost eternal.


Et tamen non tres aeterni, sed unus aeternus.

And yet they are not three eternals; but one eternal.


Sicut non tres increati, nec tres immensi, sed unus increatus, et unus immensus.

As also there are not three uncreated; nor three infinites, but one uncreated; and one infinite.


Similiter omnipotens Pater, omnipotens Filius, omnipotens [et] Spiritus Sanctus.

So likewise the Father is Almighty; the Son Almighty; and the Holy Ghost Almighty.


Et tamen non tres omnipotentes, sed unus omnipotens.

And yet they are not three Almighties; but one Almighty.


Ita Deus Pater, Deus Filius, Deus [et] Spiritus Sanctus.

So the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Ghost is God.


Et tamen non tres dii, sed unus est Deus.

And yet they are not three Gods; but one God.


Ita Dominus Pater, Dominus Filius, Dominus [et] Spiritus Sanctus.

So likewise the Father is Lord; the Son Lord; and the Holy Ghost Lord.


Et tamen non tres Domini, sed unus [est] Dominus.

And yet not three Lords; but one Lord.


Quia, sicut singillatim unamquamque personam Deum ac Dominum confiteri christiana veritate compellimur:

For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity; to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord;


Ita tres Deos aut [tres] Dominos dicere Catholica religione prohibemur.

So are we forbidden by the Catholic religion; to say, There are three Gods, or three Lords.


Pater a nullo est factus: nec creatus, nec genitus.

The Father is made of none; neither created, nor begotten.


Filius a Patre solo est: non factus, nec creatus, sed genitus.

The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created; but begotten.


Spiritus Sanctus a Patre et Filio: non factus, nec creatus, nec genitus, sed procedens.

The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten; but proceeding.


Unus ergo Pater, non tres Patres: unus Filius, non tres Filii: unus Spiritus Sanctus, non tres Spiritus Sancti.

So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.


Et in hac Trinitate nihil prius aut posterius, nihil maius aut minus:

And in this Trinity none is before, or after another; none is greater, or less than another.


Sed totae tres personae coaeternae sibi sunt et coaequales.

But the whole three Persons are coeternal, and coequal.


Ita, ut per omnia, sicut iam supra dictum est, et unitas in Trinitate, et Trinitas in unitate veneranda sit.

So that in all things, as aforesaid; the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped.


Qui vult ergo salvus esse, ita de Trinitate sentiat.

He therefore that will be saved, let him thus think of the Trinity.



Sed necessarium est ad aeternam salutem, ut incarnationem quoque Domini nostri Iesu Christi fideliter credat.

Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation; that he also believe faithfully the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.


Est ergo fides recta ut credamus et confiteamur, quia Dominus noster Iesus Christus, Dei Filius, Deus [pariter] et homo est.

For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess; that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man;


Deus [est] ex substantia Patris ante saecula genitus: et homo est ex substantia matris in saeculo natus.

God, of the Substance [Essence] of the Father; begotten before the worlds; and Man, of the Substance [Essence] of his mother, born in the world.


Perfectus Deus, perfectus homo: ex anima rationali et humana carne subsistens.

Perfect God; and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.


Aequalis Patri secundum divinitatem: minor Patre secundum humanitatem.

Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the Father as touching his Manhood.


Qui licet Deus sit et homo, non duo tamen, sed unus est Christus.

Who although he is God and Man; yet he is not two, but one Christ.


Unus autem non conversione divinitatis in carnem, sed assumptione humanitatis in Deum.

One; not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh; but by assumption of the Manhood into God.


Unus omnino, non confusione substantiae, sed unitate personae.

One altogether; not by confusion of Substance [Essence]; but by unity of Person.


Nam sicut anima rationalis et caro unus est homo: ita Deus et homo unus est Christus.

For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man; so God and Man is one Christ;


Qui passus est pro salute nostra: descendit ad inferos: tertia die resurrexit a mortuis.

Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell; rose again the third day from the dead.


Ascendit ad [in] caelos, sedet ad dexteram [Dei] Patris [omnipotentis]. Inde venturus [est] judicare vivos et mortuos.

He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence he will come to judge the living and the dead.


Ad cujus adventum omnes homines resurgere habent cum corporibus suis; Et reddituri sunt de factis propriis rationem.

At whose coming all men will rise again with their bodies; And shall give account for their own works.


Et qui bona egerunt, ibunt in vitam aeternam: qui vero mala, in ignem aeternum.

And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire.


Haec est fides Catholica, quam nisi quisque fideliter firmiterque crediderit, salvus esse non poterit.

This is the Catholic faith; which except a man believe truly and firmly, he cannot be saved.

Both from Wikipedia - my interleaving