(Quicunque Vult)
The Athanasian Creed — known in Latin by its opening words, Quicunque Vult ("Whosoever will") — is one of the three principal creeds of Western Christianity, alongside the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. Unlike those shorter affirmations of faith, the Athanasian Creed is a sustained theological statement on the doctrine of the Trinity and the Incarnation, specifying with unusual precision the relationship among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the two natures — human and divine — of Christ.
Its traditional attribution to Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296–373 AD), champion of Nicene orthodoxy against the Arians, is no longer accepted by scholars; the creed is now believed to have originated in the Western church, perhaps in southern France or Spain, sometime in the fifth or sixth century. Despite this, it bears his name as a symbol of the doctrinal tradition he defended.
The creed was posted to soc.religion.christian in June 1991 by John Ewing, copied from a Lutheran hymn book, in response to a request from another user. The verse formatting — each phrase set on its own line with elegant indentation — is traditional, and has been preserved here. It is recited in some traditions on Trinity Sunday and at major festivals.
Whoever will be saved
shall, above all else,
hold the catholic faith.
Which faith,
except everyone keeps whole and undefiled,
without doubt he will perish eternally.
And the catholic faith is this,
that we worship one God in three persons
and three persons in one God,
neither confusing the persons nor dividing the substance.
For there is one person of the Father,
another of the Son,
and another of the Holy Spirit.
But the Godhead of the Father,
of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit
is all one:
the glory equal,
the majesty coeternal.
Such as the Father is,
such is the Son,
and such is the Holy Spirit.
The Father uncreated,
the Son uncreated,
and the Holy Spirit uncreated.
The Father incomprehensible,
the Son incomprehensible,
and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.
The Father eternal,
the Son eternal,
and the Holy Spirit eternal.
And yet they are not three eternals
but one eternal.
As there are not three uncreated
nor three incomprehensibles
but one uncreated
and one incomprehensible.
So likewise the Father is almighty,
the Son almighty,
and the Holy Spirit almighty.
And yet they are not three almighties
but one almighty.
So the Father is God,
the Son is God,
and the Holy Spirit is God.
And yet they are not three Gods
but one God.
So likewise the Father is Lord,
the Son Lord,
and the Holy Spirit Lord.
And yet they are not three Lords
but one Lord.
For as we are compelled
by the Christian truth
to acknowledge every person by himself
to be both God and Lord,
So we cannot by the catholic faith
say that there are 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 Spirit 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 Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
And in this Trinity
none is before or after another;
none is greater or less than another;
But the whole three persons are coeternal together and coequal,
so that in all things, as is aforesaid,
the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity
is to be worshiped.
He, therefore, that will be saved
is compelled thus to think of the Trinity.
Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation
that he also believe faithfully
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 is God and man,
yet he is not two
but one Christ:
One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh
but by taking 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 sits at the right hand
of the Father, God Almighty,
from whence he will come to judge
the living and the dead.
At whose coming all men will rise again with their bodies
and will give an account of their own works.
And they that have done good
will go into life everlasting;
and they that have done evil,
into everlasting fire.
This is the catholic faith
which, except a man believe faithfully and firmly,
he cannot be saved.
Colophon
The Athanasian Creed (Quicunque Vult) is a creed of the Western Christian church, composed probably in the fifth or sixth century in Gaul or Spain, though traditionally attributed to Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296–373 AD). It is distinguished from the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds by its length, its precision on Trinitarian doctrine, and its dual anathemas — the declaration that those who do not hold the faith whole and undefiled will perish. It is accepted as authoritative by the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and most Lutheran churches; the Eastern Orthodox churches do not use it.
Copied from a Lutheran hymn book and posted to soc.religion.christian by John Ewing ([address removed]) in June 1991, in response to a request from another user of the newsgroup. The verse formatting is traditional and has been preserved.
Preserved from the Usenet archive for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Original Message-ID: [email protected].
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