Formal Debate - The Filioque

[MarkRohfrietsch]

1. Title: The Filioque
2. Introduction (complements of judechild):
   Included in the fruits of the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church, the First Council of Nicaea, is the Nicaean Creed. This creed, known as the ''Symbol of Faith'' was approved by the bishops in AD 325, and was used primarily as a testament professed by adult converts to the faith before baptism. Over the course of the following decades, changes were made to the Symbol of Faith by several persons and councils, the most notable of these are several changes made by what has become known as the Second Ecumenical Council: the First Council of Constantinople, in AD 381. Among the additions made to the Symbol of Nicaea, was a much-expanded section on the Holy Spirit (which the Symbol of Nicaea barely mentions). The being of the Holy Spirit, in the newly-created Nicaea-Constanapolitan Creed, is said to ''procede from the Father.'' The newly reformulated Creed fulfilled the same function as its predecesor: primarily, it was used as a liturgical testament of faith before baptism.
   
   ''Filioque'' is a Latin phrase translated ''And the Son.'' It was a clause added to the Symbol of Nicaea-Constaninople by a Western council held in the Iberian city of Toledo in the 6th century. in the insuing centuries, it was incorporated into the Western profession of the Creed, but not the Eastern. As a result, the Western version of the Symbol of Nicaea-Constantinople reads ''The Holy Spirit... proceeds from the Father and the Son,'' while the Eastern version reads ''The Holy Spirit... proceeds from the Father.''
   

   I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
   And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.
   Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
   And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.
   And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

3. Topic: The inclusion of the Filioque in the Nicaea-Constantinopolitan Creed is legitimate both in juridical and theological terms.
4. judechild will betaking the affirmative postition;__________________ will be taking the negative.
5. The structure of this debate will be as follows: Three alternating rounds discussing the juridical legitimacy of the Filioque (six posts total) followed by three alternating rounds discussing the theological legitimacy and implications of the Filioque (total of six more posts); one additional round of one post each for summations (a total of 14 posts for the two parts and the summation)
6. 1200 word limit-per-post.
7. Maximum time between posts will be one week from the time each post is approved (becomes visible)
8. Outside references are allowed. Please note that all quotes will fall under the 20% copyright rule; providing links to the whole documents is always a good idea.
9. Start date; on or about June 13, 2014.

Peanut Gallery is located here: http://www.christianforums.com/t7826593/#post65773846