If one thing is clear, the doctrinal debate generated by this famous addendum to the nicene creed still awaits final resolution. The justifications for including the filioque in the creedbolstering the divinity of the. A new stage in the history of the controversy was reached in the early eleventh century. Under the entire controversy doctrine, a party who has elected not to raise a related part of the controversy is barred from raising it in a subsequent proceeding. When the helper comes, whom i shall send to you from the father. The reason i say that is because of what i just read in proverbs. The eastern orthodox view, in contrast to the filioque, is that of the monarchy of the father. He sort of serves as gods regent on earth and he doesnt answer to any secular ruler. Augustines writings on the trinity became the foundation of latin trinitarian theology and serves as the foundation for the doctrine of the filioque.
Why does the eastern orthodox church dislike the idea that the spirit proceeds from the son. History of a doctrinal controversy is the first complete english. What caused doctrinal controversies in the early church. History of a doctrinal controversy is the first complete history of the filioque written in english in more than a century. How did the resurrected jesus lead his disciples through this crisis of uncertainty to a solid understanding and experience of truth regarding himself, his mission, and the future mission of the disciples. Oct 30, 2003 after the council, the filioque continued to be used in the creed in parts of western europe, despite the intentions of pope john viii, who, like his predecessors, maintained the text sanctioned by the council of 381. Filioque in history and theology 99 at the ecumenical level, the persecution of christians in eastern europe and the theological work of members of the russian diaspora have brought to the west a new sympathy for, and knowledge of, the eastern church. The history of the filioque controversy is the historical development of theological controversies within christianity regarding three distinctive issues. Tim staples tackles the question, does the holy spirit proceed from the father and the son or only from the father. Arguments against the dual procession of the spirit eastern christians, in my experience, are accustomed to give the. Filioque is a latin term added to the original nicenoconstantinopolitan creed, and which has been the subject of great controversy between eastern and western christianity.
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. In the sixth century arianism stiill maintained control over certain sections of europe, among them spain. The doctrinal statement of the world conference on christian fundamentals, may 2531, 1919, is as follows. It is, perhaps, one of the most interesting stories in all of christendom, filled with characters and events that would make even the bestdramatists envious. Jun 09, 2014 in the followup to the debate and discussion regarding tgc and tullian tchividjian he has apologized for the way he responded, which reflects in practice the gospel he preaches with his lips, many have wondered about unity among christians and doctrinal purity. Doctrinal research asks, what is the law in a particular case. He also has the authority to make decisions about doctrine, or church teachings. Apr 02, 2011 if one thing is clear, the doctrinal debate generated by this famous addendum to the nicene creed still awaits final resolution. The image controversy in the west 458 chapter xi theology of st. Calvary baptist church a synthesis of biblical doctrine.
The filioque clause is one of the major differences between the orthodox and catholic churches. The filioque clause was, and still is, a controversy in the church in relation to the holy spirit. It has been the subject of great controversy between eastern and western christianity. The case of the fourth century johannes zachhuber it is difficult to imagine a student approaching the history of the early church who would not, at an early stage of his involvement with this subject, be struck by the observation that he is dealing with an age of innumerable controversies. Some, such as maximus the confessor, a seventhcentury byzantine monk, defended it as a legitimate variation of the eastern formula that the spirit proceeds from the father through the son. Even general church history must take considerable note of the doctrinal controversies of this period.
The filioque clause, properly understood, is the addition to the latin text of the nicenoconstantinopolitan creed which was first made in spain at some time in the late fifth or early sixth century. 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 doctrinal statement of the world conference on. The filioque debate is of importance, both as a theological issue in itself, and also as a matter of. 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. The filioque controversy tim staples tackles the question. Siecienskis subsequently outlines his thesis as follows. Karl barth on the filioque david guretzki download. Spirit from the father, and the historical mission of the spirit by the son. A doctrinal exposition by the first presidency and the twelve.
We believe in the scriptures of the old and new testaments as verbally inspired of god, and inerrant in the original writings, and that they are the supreme and final authority in faith and life. Nick needham, central baptist church, walthamstow, london in this essay, i intend to examine the filioque clause and its underlying theology from a historical and scriptural angle. It is not a defense or condemnation of the filioque or filioquist theology, although siecienski recognizes it as first and foremost, a theological work. The filioque controversy was a controversy over the fundamentals of theology who god is and who has authority to say so that was exacerbated by the mess of two diverging cultures. The history of christianity concerns the christian religion, christendom, and the church with its various denominations, from the 1st century to the present christianity originated with the ministry of jesus in the 1st century roman province of judea. Edward siecienski has written a valuable history of the doctrinal controversy of the filioque, the western addition to the creed of. Church the filioque should not be in the creed or in the liturgy or in the theological teaching for doctrinal and. According to reinhard slenczka, however, the documents of. Feb 27, 2017 a prime example of both of these trends is the filioque controversy which began in the fifth century. History of a doctrinal controversy oxford scholarship. 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. The paper deals with the most controversial in the modern scholarly discussion episode within the byzantine polemics on the filioque, nicephorus blemmydes acknowledgement of proceeding of the spirit through the son providing that the son be. The procession of the holy spirit in orthodox trinitarian.
Why does the eastern orthodox church dislike the idea that. These survey chapters include the central historic councils such as the council of lyons, the council of ferraraflorence, and key theologians on the eastern, catholic, and protestant wings of the debate. The decision of the catholic church to add the filioque clause in the creed not only caused many. 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. Robert miner baylor university waco, texas the filioque. The filioque clause this essay is an appendix to the essay called creed nicene. The orthodox along with some eastern rites in the catholic church do not recite this part of the creed. Chapters 510 are a survey of the filioque controversy from the seventh century through to early twentyfirst century theologians. Bonocore the filioque controversy which has separated us for so many centuries is more than a mere technicality, but it is not insoluble. And in the holy ghost, the lord and giver of life, who proceedeth from the father. The filioque controversy which has separated us for so many centuries is more than a mere technicality, but it is not insoluble. It deals with one particular line of the nicene creed.
History of a doctrinal controversy is the first complete english language history of the filioque written in over a century. He sort of serves as gods regent on earth and he doesnt answer to any secular nonreligious ruler. Here we see how the filioque lies at the root of the westeast schism. When the council of constantinople met in 381, it officially adopted.
The history of the filioque controversy biblical, theological and. Eschatology 493 chapter xii latin theology in the age of charlemagne 1. Edward siecienski dutifully reminds us that his account is by no means a complete history of the filioque pp. History of a doctrinal controversy is exactly that, a history of a doctrinal controversy. Augustine is careful to point out that there can be. Jul 03, 2011 robert miner baylor university waco, texas the filioque. Full text views reflects the number of pdf downloads, pdfs sent. At least seven crucial points in the narrative of luke 24 and acts 1 and 2 are instructive for dealing with doctrinal issues. The latin term filioque describes the double procession of the holy spirit and is translated into the english clause and. The controversy contributed to the split between the eastern and western churches in a. All the other divergences which, historically, accompanied or followed the first dogmatic controversy about the filioque, in the measure in which they too had some dogmatic importance, are. 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 emergence of a papal model of authority would in time clash with orthodoxys conciliar model of authority. Jan, 2015 does this sound like a doctrinal controversy.
It is concerned with the analysis of the legal doctrine and how it. This is unfortunate because truth is not neutral but is rather an articulation of the biases of god, as it were. The question is, from whom did the holy spirit proceed, the father, or the father and the son. Talmage provides insigh t into the possibl e reason or rational e for the issuance of the exposit ion, yet leaves. Qualifying the firm position taken when i wrote the orthodox church twenty years ago, i now believe, after further study, that the problem is more in the area of semantics than in any basic. The controversy contributed to the split between the eastern and western churches. Eastern orthodox bishop kallistos ware formerly timothy ware, who once adamantly opposed the filioque doctrine, states. Christians today the filioque controversy appears remote and the ejes. We believe in the holy spirit, the lord, the lifegiver, who proceeds from the father and from the son, who with the father and son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets from spain, the filioque spread to the germanic tribes of the franks modern day france.
Introduction a common belief exists today that one of the byproducts of the reformation was unity on the doctrine of sola fide. Makidon director of publications grace evangelical society irving, texas i. We believe in the holy spirit, the lord, the lifegiver, who proceeds from the. Eastern christendom, it is fair to say, found the clause unsettling and promptly challenged it. Calvary baptist church a synthesis of biblical doctrine a statement presented in hope of glorifying christ and being approved by local church leadership. The filioque clause one of the things which has historically been a point of polemic and conflict between the orthodox east and the roman catholic west is the use of the filioque clause in the creed. After the council, the filioque continued to be used in the creed in parts of western europe, despite the intentions of pope john viii, who, like his predecessors, maintained the text sanctioned by the council of 381. There are chapters on the greek and latin fathers, the ninth century debates, the.
This work is still valuable for understanding cultural and theological estrangement of east and west by the turn of the millennium. The creed as formulated at nicea in 325 ended with the words and we believe in the holy spirit. It is not in the original text of the creed, attributed to the first council of constantinople, the second ecumenical council, which says that the holy spirit proceeds from the father, without additions of any kind, such as and the son or. Filioque controversy in the patriarchate of gregory ii of cyprus, ngiens apologetic for. I have seen enough of the book that i am considering acquiring it for my personal library. 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. The english translation of the latin term filioque is and from the son. According to the gospels, jesus was a jewish teacher and healer who proclaimed the imminent kingdom of god, and was crucified c. After all, the message of faith alone in christ alone was the very cry of the reformers. Our period is far behind the preceding patristic and the succeeding scholastic in doctrinal importance, but it mediates between them by carrying the ideas of the fathers over to the acute analysis of the schoolmen, and marks a progress in the development of the catholic system.
Siecienski asserts that it is important to recognize that the new testament does not explicitly address the procession of the holy spirit as later theology would understand the doctrine. In the west there was a pope and in the east there was a patriarch. The filioque controversy catholic stuff you should know. Ministry magazine dealing with doctrinal issues in the church. The filioque controversy durham etheses durham university. The filioque doctrine the latin word filioque, meaning and from the son, recited in the west in the part of the nicene creed referring to the holy spirit, expresses a concept first clearly enunciated by st. For those not familiar with the debate, filioque is latin for and from the son. History of a doctrinal controversy oxford studies in historical. Whether we like it or not, the question of the procession of the holy spirit has been the sole dogmatic grounds for the separation of east and west. They entered too deeply into the life of the age, were too large a factor in the great events of the christian empire, that they should be left entirely to the history of doctrine. As christians we should hope to become worthy of suffering great pain at the rebuke of jesus christ. The philosophy of filioque religious studies cambridge.
How pure does doctrine need to be to ensure there is true unity among gods people. At the second synod of toledo 447 they affirmed but the doctrine of the holy spirit page 1 of 5 file. The word filioque is latin for from the son, and it is used in the classically western version of the creed to describe the person and. From spain this form of the nicene creed spread to england and gaul, where it was strongly promoted by the holy roman emperors, beginning with charlemagne. The result was the largest schism the church has ever witnessed to date. While this is a competent and thorough overview of the history of the doctrinal controversy that is the filioque, it unfortunately adopts the neutral stance of the modern academic historian.
978 1286 294 1453 259 441 628 352 1037 623 1357 1060 262 1256 992 1116 1032 1492 1668 1526 326 892 395 1319 940 816 1007 1396 1455 1393 210 1205 1280 692 912 111