In this present paper, i plan to delineate the geopolitical, linguistic, and theological issues at stake in the filioque controversy in an attempt to illustrate the lovehate relationship of the church with the culture around her. As ritschl writes the development of the filioque controversy is f irmly. The filioque clause, properly understood, is the addition. A prime example of both of these trends is the filioque controversy which began in the fifth century. Thomas hopko the very reverend protopresbyter thomas hopko is an orthodox priest and theologian of the orthodox church in america. The latin word filioque, meaning and son, is the source of the name of the filioque clause. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Guretzki concludes that barths doctrine of the filioque, while clearly standing within the western trinitarian tradition, is atypical in that he refuses to speak of a doubleprocession in favour of a common procession of the spirit a position that has more affinity with the eastern position than many of barths critics may have thought. The main parties involved are the roman catholic church and the eastern orthodox church.
What is the biblical basis for and against the filioque. It is a phrase added to the official version of the nicene creed by the roman catholic church during the period of political separation between a. Filioque is a theological formula of great dogmatic and historical importance. On the one hand, it expresses the procession of the holy ghost from both father and son as one principle. History of a doctrinal controversy oxford studies in historical theology by siecienski, a. The use of the creed of 381 with the addition of the filioque became a matter of controversy towards the end of the eighth century, both in discussions between the frankish theologians and the see of rome and in the growing rivalry between the carolingian and byzantine courts. The filioque clause is a part of the nicene creed that not all christians agree about. Eastern christendom, it is fair to say, found the clause unsettling and promptly challenged it. This issue came to a head in 1054 during what is called the filioque controversy. Filioque clause simple english wikipedia, the free.
The western church commonly uses a version of the nicene creed which has the latin word filioque and the son added after the declaration that the holy spirit proceeds from the father. In 325 a controversy arose concerning the correct date for easter and the use of images for religious purposes. If anything, it implicitly questioned the spirits eternal dependence on the father. The filioque controversy which has separated us for so many. The filioque controversy in the patriarchate of gregory ii of cyprus 12831289 aristeides papadakis on. The creed as formulated at nicea in 325 ended with the words and we believe in the holy spirit. In the context of the nicene creed it means and from the son. Filioque is a latin term added to the original nicenoconstantinopolitan creed and which has.
The controversy arises from the insertion of the word filioque and the son in the line. The filioque clause this essay is an appendix to the essay called creed nicene. Definition of filioque controversy in the dictionary. Ferch metro north conference, september 17, 1984 since 1054 a line of division has cut through christianity. The filioque clause was, and still is, a controversy in the church in relation to the holy spirit. One of the key issues that has separated the eastern orthodox churches from the catholic church is the question of whether the holy spirit proceeds from the father alone or whether he proceeds from the father and the son.
Troeltschs selfmade man is not the responsible partner of a free society but a kind. In order to do this i will briefly set out the theology. Philosophy and religion christian theology church analysis theologians criticism and interpretation trinity. The filioque clause or more appropriately the filioque controversy has to do with the latin phrase, translated and the son, which was accepted as an addition to the nicene creed by the western churches and subsequently opposed by the eastern churches the nicene creed as confirmed by the first council of constantinople in 381. Bonocore the catholic legate the filioque controversy which has separated us for so many centuries is. Why the filioque is important to many modern western christians, the great schism of 1054 seems incomprehensible. Filioque definition of filioque by the free dictionary. On november 4, 1998, representatives of the evangelical lutheran church in america and of the standing conference of canonical orthodox bishops in the americas approved a lutheranorthodox common statement on faith in the holy trinity. A response to eastern orthodox objections by mark j. The filioque is a latin term that deals with the church controversy concerning the phrase and from the son, filioque, which was intended to indicate that the holy spirit proceeds from both the father and the son double procession and not from the father alone. But the differences between eastern and western theology became pronounced first in 325. The main theme of discussion was the procession of the. For that reason i am asking if somebody knows more biblical arguments for and. After his election, peter the innocent had a basic aim.
When the council of constantinople met in 381, it officially adopted. The eastern orthodox church rejects this change, the catholic church, as well as most protestant and the anglican church accept it. Vladimirs orthodox theological seminary from 1992 until 2002, having also taught there from 1968 until 2002. Filioque, latin for and from the son, is a phrase found in the form of. Pdf the filioque clause is one of the major differences between the orthodox and catholic churches. The filioque clause refers to an addition to the nicene creed. Beginning with the biblical texts and ending with recent agreements on the place and meaning of the filioque, this book traces the history of the doctrine and the controversy that has surrounded it.
Holy spirit and the controversy over the filioque in the text of the creed. The question is, from whom did the holy spirit proceed, the father, or the father and the son. The creed as formulated at nicea in 325 ended with the words. The history of the filioque controversy is the historical development of theological controversies within christianity regarding three distinctive issues. So we see that the filioque has been debated and considered by various western factions of the church for centuries, but it has never been approved for general use by any ecumenical body or conference. Cyril of alexandria, didymus of alexandria, and epiphanius. It deals with one particular line of the nicene creed. Not only are definitions of the holy trinity seemingly so irrelevant to modern evangelical practice, but the heated distinction between the two views almost seems like a sinful dispute over something that shouldnt really matter. In this part of the paper i will examine the filioque controversy, but to recapitulate the entire history of this controversy is beyond the scope of this essay, and so i will not do that here. Saint photius patriarch of constantinople britannica. The philosophy of filioque volume 54 special issue nikk effingham.
Information and translations of filioque controversy in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. The filioque controversy durham etheses durham university. The western fathers and three of the greeks taught the filioque. History of a doctrinal controversy is the first complete english language history of the filioque written in over a century.
Why the filioque controversy still matters the aquila report. Edward siecienski dutifully reminds us that his account is by no means a. Photius was related through his father to tarasius, a. The philosophy of filioque religious studies cambridge.
The filioque controversy in the patriarchate of gregory ii of cyprus 12831289. The catechism of the catholic church 1992 reproduces the nicene creed with the added phrase 8 184 and in the text explains that this latin. In order to contextualize the question i add the following quote from the wikipedia article concerning filioque clause. Scripture reveals that the spirit proceeds from the father and the son. Karl barth on the filioque david guretzki download. The third chapter deals with the eleventh and twelfth cent, theological literature on the filioque which, though it is not free from the spirit of polemicisra, it remains. Implications of the filioque controversy, in spirit of god, spirit of christ. Against the church of rome, however, there was directed the affirmation that the holy ghost proceeds from the father and not from both father and son. The filioque controversy tim staples tackles the question. In the western church the first controversy concerning the double procession of the holy ghost was conducted with the envoys of the emperor constantine copronymus, in the synod of gentilly near paris, held in the time of pepin 767. Metaxasmariatos, joannes 1988 the filioque controversy chapters from. The origin of this controversy stems from the portentous resolve of the western church to add the phrase and the son filioque to the creed. The history of the filioque controversy biblical, theological and.
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