Filioque
Two words added to the Creed — "and the Son" — that still mark the line between East and West
The Filioque is the Western addition to the Creed stating that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father "and the Son." It entered Western creeds over time, appearing in settings such as the councils of Toledo. This remains a major doctrinal and ecclesial divide: the West affirms the phrase, while the East rejects both its insertion into the Creed and, often, the doctrine itself, holding that the Spirit proceeds from the Father. It is among the deepest East–West differences.
How it traveled
- Treatise on The Most Holy Trinity (QQ[27-43])Paris · 1274explains
Key passages(11)
Treatise on The Most Holy Trinity (QQ[27-43]) · Thomas Aquinas
The Second Ecumenical Council: The First Council of Constantinople · The Ecumenical Councils
Treatise on The Most Holy Trinity (QQ[27-43]) · Thomas Aquinas
Treatise on The Most Holy Trinity (QQ[27-43]) · Thomas Aquinas
Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John · Augustine of Hippo
On the Holy Spirit · Ambrose of Milan
The Third Ecumenical Council: The Council of Ephesus · The Ecumenical Councils
Treatise on The Most Holy Trinity (QQ[27-43]) · Thomas Aquinas
On the Holy Trinity · Augustine of Hippo