What is “the Catholic faith?”
Whilst reading through Dave Armstrong’s blog recently, I came across a creed I had previously been unaware of: the Athanasian Creed. Armstrong’s comments on the creed — which is basically a stronger and more logically rigorous articulation of the Trinitarian faith expressed in the Nicene Creed — note its influences and its application, both historically and in the present sense:
The Creed is clearly Augustinian in influence and character, and is in fact directly derived in several places from St. Augustine’s work On the Trinity (c. 415), as well as St. Vincent of Lerins‘ Notebooks (c. 434), and Excerpta (c. 440). Accordingly, St. Vincent, or perhaps an admirer of his, have been considered by some as possible authors. In the context of its historical period, the Athanasian Creed was written in opposition to the Nestorian and Eutychian heresies. It does not allude to the Monophysite and Monothelite errors (which fact offers a strong indication as to its date of composition). In a general way it opposes Unitarianism, tritheism, and Arianism.
So in its modern application, the creed establishes, firmly and rather forcefully, that doctrines such as universalism and Mormonism, the latter of which holds the tritheistic view that God, Son, and Spirit are three distinct beings. Much like the Nicene Creed, then, the Athanasian Creed uses the Holy Trinity (and belief therein) as a key means of delineating between those who are within the Church, and those who are outside of her (and thus, by definition, outside the promise of salvation).
The text of the creed is as follows (I’m using New Advent’s version rather than the version Armstrong cites):
Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith. Which Faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the Catholic 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 Uncreated, nor Three Incomprehensibles, but One Uncreated, and One Uncomprehensible. 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 Catholic 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 is Trinity, and the Trinity is 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 into 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 Catholic Faith, which except a man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved.
The creed touches on several key points of Catholic theology, and further underscores the fact that the early Church was unabashedly Catholic in character. It begins by asserting the Trinity and majesty of God, noting that all who would be in the Church must confess Him as God to the exclusion of all others (c.f. Exodus 20:2-3, Mark 12:29-30). At the same time, it notes that this same body of the faithful must confess the Triune God, and that this latter teaching stems from the authority of “the Catholic Religion” (e.g. Sacred Tradition), which is treated as having binding authority upon all Christians.
The creed goes on to assert the need for all the faithful to profess belief in both the Incarnation and resurrection of Christ, in His birth, death, and rising again…but does not go the extra step of asserting that this faith is sufficient, on its own, to ensure a man’s salvation. Mindful of the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46), the creed’s author goes on to note that people of faith must still possess the merit of good works, not as a means to salvation in and of themselves, but as the necessary fruits of a living — and thus salvific — faith.
That’s a basic summation of the faith professed by the modern Catholic Church…and it can be found in a creed that is perhaps 1600 years old. Pretty consistent, no?
The Church: one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic. Accept nothing less.
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I grew up with the Creed of St. A. It was recited on the really big feasts like Christmas Eve, Easter Vigil and Trinity Sunday. And then I became a Catholic and never hear it anymore. Heck, I would settle for the Nicene Creed never mind the Creed of St. A. The writings of St. A are also worth a read, particularily – On the Incarnation.
I agree — more use of the Nicene Creed would be nice to see, and the occasional use of Athanasius doubly so.
Don’t get me wrong: I love the Paul VI Rite dearly, and love its commonality. I can go to Mass almost anywhere, and then not necessarily in English, and know what is happening during the service.
That said, my favourite is the Mass Rite attributed to St. John Chrysostom. Have you ever encountered it? It’s only used in Eastern Catholicism, but it’s a beautiful Mass setting. And yes, it uses the Nicene Creed.