filioque clause

The filioque clause is a phrase added to the Nicene Creed, a statement of Christian faith that was originally adopted in 325 AD at the First Council of Nicaea. The Nicene Creed was revised in 381 AD at the First Council of Constantinople, and it is this version of the Creed that is most commonly used in the Western (Catholic) and Eastern (Orthodox) churches.

The filioque clause ("and the Son") was added to the Creed in the Western church in the 6th or 7th century, and it states that the Holy Spirit proceeds not only from the Father, but also from the Son. The original version of the Creed affirmed that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone.

The addition of the filioque clause has been a subject of controversy between the Western and Eastern churches for many centuries. The Eastern Orthodox church rejects the filioque clause as an unauthorized addition to the Creed, and they believe that it alters the doctrine of the Trinity. The Catholic church, on the other hand, defends the filioque clause as a legitimate development of the Creed that reflects the Western church's understanding of the Trinity.