Doctrine Matters with Kevin DeYoung What Does Filioque Mean?
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Mar 10, 2026 They unpack the meaning and history of filioque and why it mattered in East–West church disputes. They contrast procession and sending and explain perichoresis as mutual indwelling. They discuss taxis as the ordered relations within the Trinity and why precise theological vocabulary matters.
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What Filioque Literally Means
- Filioque means the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, a Latin clause added later to the Nicene Creed.
- Western churches added it centuries after Nicaea, thinking it reflected existing liturgy, which sparked Eastern objections about altering the creed.
Why Filioque Fueled East West Division
- East and West disputed filioque because East feared it implied two sources of divinity while West used it to guard against Arian diminishment of the Son's deity.
- The theological stakes tied to ecclesial authority and different emphases on Father's primacy versus Son's full deity intensified the split.
Four Biblical Reasons For Double Procession
- Kevin DeYoung advances four biblical-theological reasons supporting filioque: the Spirit is sent by Father and Son (John 16), called Spirit of Christ, glorifies the Son, and was breathed out by Christ.
- These scriptural connections suggest the Spirit's temporal sending reflects an eternal procession involving both Father and Son.
