What is Athanasian Creed?
[[File:Shield-Trinity-Scutum-Fidei-English.svg|thumb|240px|Diagram of Trinity relationships, based on the first half of the Athanasian Creed.]] The '''Athanasian Creed''' is a [[Christianity|Christian]] [[creed|statement of faith]]. It is also often referred to as '''Quicumque vult''' (can be translated as ''Whoever wants'', the first two words of the statement). It is the first known creed to talk about [[trinity]]. It has been in use since the [[6th century]], mainly in the western part of the Church. It is not used very much today, the [[Nicene Creed]] has largely replaced it. From about the [[9th century]] people thought that [[Athanasius of Alexandria|St. Athanasius]] had written it. Athanasus lived in the [[4th century]] in [[Egypt]]. Today, this view is largely seen as false. This is because of the following: # The original text is in [[Latin language|Latin]]. Athanasius wrote mainly in [[Greek language|Greek]]. # Neither Athanasius nor other people who lived at the same time as him mention it. # It talks about problems that were only discovered after Athanasius' death.<ref>''Concordia Triglotta,'' Historical Introduction, St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 13.</ref> Today, most people think it came from [[Gaul]] around the year [[500]]. Its positions are similar to those taken by [[Ambrose|St. Ambrose of Milan]], [[Augustine of Hippo]] or [[Vincent of Lérins]]. J.N.D. Kelly, a contemporary [[History of Christianity|patristics]] scholar, believes that St. Vincent of Lérins was not its author, but suggests that it may have come from the same bacground, namely the area of Lerins in southern Gaul.<ref>J.N.D. Kelly, ''The Athanasian Creed'', NY: Harper and Row, 1964.</ref> [[Caesarius of Arles]] is one of the possible authors. The oldest surviving [[manuscript]]s of the Athanasian creed date from the late [[8th century]].<ref>{{cite journal|author=Celia Chazelle|title=Archbishops Ebo and Hincmar of Reims and the Utrecht Psalter|journal=Speculum|volume=72|issue=4|date=October 1997|pages=105