Athanasian Creed

The Athanasian Creed (Quicunque vult) is a statement of Christian doctrine traditionally ascribed to St. Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, who lived in the 4th century. However most of today's historians agree that in all probability it was originally written in Latin, not in Greek, and thus Athanasius cannot have been the original author. Its theology is closely akin to that found in the writing of western theologians, especially Ambrose of Milan.

English-Language Translations

The ICET English Language Translation

The following translation was prepared by

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the International Consultation on English Texts:

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:Whoever wants to be saved should above all cling to the catholic faith.

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:Whoever does not guard it whole and inviolable will doubtless perish eternally.

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:Now this is the catholic faith: We worship one God in trinity and the Trinity in unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the divine being.

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:For the Father is one person, the Son is another, and the Spirit is still another.

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:But the deity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one, equal in glory, coeternal in majesty.

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:What the Father is, the Son is, and so is the Holy Spirit.

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:Uncreated is the Father; uncreated is the Son; uncreated is the Spirit.

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:The Father is infinite; the Son is infinite; the Holy Spirit is infinite.

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:Eternal is the Father; eternal is the Son; eternal is the Spirit:

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:And yet there are not three eternal beings, but one who is eternal;

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:as there are not three uncreated and unlimited beings, but one who is uncreated and unlimited.

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:Almighty is the Father; almighty is the Son; almighty is the Spirit:

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:And yet there are not three almighty beings, but one who is almighty.

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:Thus the Father is God; the Son is God; the Holy Spirit is God:

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:And yet there are not three gods, but one God.

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:Thus the Father is Lord; the Son is Lord; the Holy Spirit is Lord:

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:And yet there are not three lords, but one Lord.

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:As Christian truth compels us to acknowledge each distinct person as God and Lord, so catholic religion forbids us to say that there are three gods or lords.

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:The Father was neither made nor created nor begotten;

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:the Son was neither made nor created, but was alone begotten of the Father;

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:the Spirit was neither made nor created, but is proceeding from the Father and the Son.

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:Thus there is one Father, not three fathers; one Son, not three sons; one Holy Spirit, not three spirits.

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:And in this Trinity, no one is before or after, greater or less than the other;

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:but all three persons are in themselves, coeternal and coequal; and so we must worship the Trinity in unity and the one God in three persons.

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:Whoever wants to be saved should think thus about the Trinity.

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:It is necessary for eternal salvation that one also faithfully believe that our Lord Jesus Christ became flesh.

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:For this is the true faith that we believe and confess: That our Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son, is both God and man.

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:He is God, begotten before all worlds from the being of the Father, and he is man, born in the world from the being of his mother --

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:existing fully as God, and fully as man with a rational soul and a human body;

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:equal to the Father in divinity, subordinate to the Father in humanity.

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:Although he is God and man, he is not divided, but is one Christ.

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:He is united because God has taken humanity into himself; he does not transform deity into humanity.

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:He is completely one in the unity of his person, without confusing his natures.

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:For as the rational soul and body are one person, so the one Christ is God and man.

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:He suffered death for our salvation.

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:He descended into hell and rose again from the dead.

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:He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

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:He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

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:At his coming all people shall rise bodily to give an account of their own deeds.

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:Those who have done good will enter eternal life,

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:those who have done evil will enter eternal fire.

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:This is the catholic faith.

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:One cannot be saved without believing this firmly and faithfully.

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Book of Common Prayer 1662 Church of England

(Note that this version contains an arguable borderline mistranslation when the Latin word "immensus", meaning immeasurable or infinite, is rendered into English as "incomprehensible", and uses some terms which probably convey very little specific meaning to the mind of the typical 21st-century English-speaker, such as when the Latin word "divinitas", meaning divine nature or quality of divinity, is translated into English as "godhead".)

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:At Morning Prayer

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:Upon these Feasts; Christmas Day, the Epiphany, Saint Matthias, Easter Day, Ascension Day, Whitsunday, Saint John Baptist, Saint James, Saint Bartholomew, Saint Matthew, Saint Simon and Saint Jude, Saint Andrew, and upon Trinity Sunday, shall be sung or said, this Confession of our Christian Faith, commonly called the Creed of Saint Athanasius, by the Minister and people standing.

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:QUICUNQUE VULT

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

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

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

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:Neither confounding the Persons : not dividing the Substance.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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:And yet not three Lords : but one Lord.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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: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.

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

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

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

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:Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost;

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:As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen.

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Scholarly edition and annotated translation

There is a scholarly comparative edition of the original Latin text of the Athanasian creed, along with commentary on the older English translation at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/creeds2.iv.i.iv.html

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