A Critical Examination of the Athanasian Creed. By G. D.
W. Ommaney,M.A. (The Clarendon Press. 16s.)—This is a very careful and complete examination of all the available evidence that bears on the date and authorship of the Athanasian Creed, and of other matters concerning that document. Canon Ommaney holds views as to the early date of the Creed which have not found much favour of late among theologians. We cannot do more than give them in the briefest outline. To put the matter shortly, he holds that the Creed was composed during the Nestorian controversy and in its earlier stage. The most easily cited argument that he advances in support of this view is the verse : "For as the reason- able soul and flesh are one man, so God and Man is one Christ." This illustration would be very useful against the alleged error of Nestorius, which was said to consist in asserting two persons in Christ, but it is obviously dangerous in view of the error of Eutyches. It could easily be made to mean that the Divinity supplied the part of a soul to the human body of Christ. Hence the argument that the author of the Creed could not have used it when Eutychianism was the prominent error of the day. It is possible, however, that it might have been used later on, when Eutychianism had ceased to be formidable. The author, Canon Ommaney is disposed to find, not in St. Hilary of Arles, to whom the Creed has peen attributed, but in St. Vincent of Lerins.
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