Meaning & use
Filioque
Last updated
Meanings
proper nounproperreligionformal
The Latin phrase 'and from the Son' added to the Christian creed to state that the Holy Spirit comes from both the Father and the Son.
Grammar: Used as a fixed proper noun; it does not take articles or plural forms.
Patterns
- the Filioque clause
- the Filioque controversy
- add the Filioque to the creed
The Eastern Orthodox Church objected to the addition of the Filioque to the Nicene Creed.
The Filioque clause was one of the main issues that led to the Great Schism of 1054.
Theologians still debate the precise meaning of the Filioque today.
noununcountablereligiontechnical
The theological doctrine that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, as expressed by the Latin word Filioque.
Grammar: Used as an abstract noun without 'a' or 'the' when referring to the doctrine itself.
Patterns
- the doctrine of the Filioque
- accept the Filioque
- reject the Filioque
Many Western theologians defend the Filioque as a necessary clarification of the Trinity.
The council discussed whether the Filioque should be accepted by all churches.
His book examines the history of the Filioque in both East and West.
Common combinations
- Filioque clause
- The Filioque clause was inserted into the Latin version of the creed.
- Filioque controversy
- The Filioque controversy divided the church for centuries.
- add the Filioque
- Some bishops wanted to add the Filioque to the creed, but others resisted.
- the doctrine of the Filioque
- The doctrine of the Filioque remains a point of disagreement.
- Eastern Orthodox view of the Filioque
- The Eastern Orthodox view of the Filioque rejects the addition as unauthorized.
Synonyms and how they differ
- and from the Son
- This is the literal English translation of Filioque, but it is not used as a technical term in theology; use Filioque when referring to the creedal phrase.
Commonly confused: Filioque or Filioque vs. filioque?
Filioque vs Filioque vs. filioque
The term is always capitalized when referring to the theological concept, even though it comes from Latin. Lowercase 'filioque' would be incorrect in English.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'Filioque' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 is correct because 'Filioque' is a proper noun referring to the Latin phrase added to the creed. Option 1 is wrong because it is not a music term. Option 2 is wrong because 'filioque' is not a verb. Option 3 is wrong because it is not a plural countable noun for churches.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Filioque”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.