Objection · Case 04 · The Trinity
The Athanasian Creed isn’t by Athanasius, was written in Latin around the fifth or sixth century, and isn’t accepted by the Eastern churches. Doesn’t “the historic creeds” overstate its authority?
One objection from the free evidence repository at apologetics.pro.
Response
All correct: it is a Western creed of the fifth or sixth century, traditionally but wrongly attributed to Athanasius. Its usefulness here is not its authority but its precision. It is the clearest ancient statement of the two errors to avoid, confounding the persons and dividing the substance. The same rule is implicit in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, which East and West both accept, so nothing depends on the Athanasian Creed’s standing.
About this exhibit
This objection is to The historic creeds rule out dividing God into parts.
The Athanasian Creed confesses one God while “neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance.” Dividing the substance is exactly what the egg and pie pictures do.
Under Claim 13: The popular analogies for the Trinity each restate a view the early church examined and rejected as heresy.