| a creed or formulary of Christian faith, of unknown authorship, formerly ascribed to Athanasius. |
| Athanasian Creed n. A Christian creed of the early fifth century, originally attributed to Athanasius but now considered to be of unknown origin. |
Athanasian Creed
a Christian profession of faith in about 40 verses. It is regarded as authoritative in the Roman Catholic and some Protestant churches. It has two sections, one dealing with the Trinity and the other with the Incarnation; and it begins and ends with stern warnings that unswerving adherence to such truths is indispensable to salvation. The virulence of these damnatory clauses has led some critics, especially in the Anglican churches, to secure restriction or abandonment of the use of the creed.
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