The Athanasian Creed

The Athanasian Creed (also Quicumque vult, from its opening Latin words) is a Western creed confessing the doctrines of the Trinity and the incarnation with exceptional precision. Though traditionally attached to Athanasius, the creed was composed in the Latin West in the fifth or sixth century.

In two parts it treats the Trinity — one God in three Persons, each fully divine, neither confused nor divided — and then the incarnation, confessing Christ as one Person in two natures, fully God and fully man. Its distinctive feature is its care in ruling out every known Trinitarian and Christological heresy in a single document: Arianism, Sabellianism, Apollinarianism, Nestorianism, Eutychianism, and their variants. The Reformed tradition received it as a faithful summary of catholic teaching; the Belgic Confession (Article 9) explicitly cites it. AskCredo draws on the Athanasian Creed for questions about the equality of the Persons, the distinction of natures in Christ, and the grammar of orthodox Trinitarianism.

Questions on AskCredo that cite the Athanasian Creed. Creeds are short confessional summaries affirmed by the historic church — they are cited as whole texts rather than by chapter or article.