FILIOQUE, East / West Controversy Unfortunately, this has been a source of controversy in Christian history. The Western Church commonly uses a version of the NICENE CREED that states that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father “and the Son,” which in Latin is represented by the word filioque (filius = “son”; -que = “and”). This was not in the original version of the creed, and thus it is not used in Eastern churches. This is where the controversy arises. Many in the East argue that it was wrong for the West to include this in the creed, either because such an inclusion should have been done in consultation with the East or because they regard it as erroneous. The controversy has been a stumbling block in the relationship between Eastern and Western Christians, but there is hope for overcoming it. The solution may involve passages from the early Church Fathers, both Latin and Greek, who affirmed that the Spirit proceeds “from the Father and the Son” or “from the Father through the Son.” These expressions can be seen as equivalent because of the Son’s own procession from the Father. Everything the Son has is from the Father. Thus the procession of the Spirit from the Son is something the Son himself received from the Father. The Father remains the sole origin or archē of the Persons of the Trinity. Saying that the Spirit proceeds from the Father “and the Son” would thus be equivalent to saying that he proceeds from the Father “through the Son.” FATHERS KNOW BEST, Jimmy Akin.
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 23:59:03 +0000
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