c. 414

Augustine: The Spirit as Gift and Bond of Love – The Roots of the Filioque; the "Athanasian" Creed

Theologians found it hard to express the difference between the generation of the Son and the procession of the Spirit, and the Arians took advantage of this. Augustine at first confesses his ignorance but then proposes a theory that became common in the West: the Holy Spirit is the bond of love between the Father and the Son and the "Gift" given by both and related to both equally. Hence the idea that the Father and the Son are one "principle" (principium) for the Spirit, who proceeds from both outside time. According to González, the medieval dispute over the Filioque has its roots here, and Hall holds that the blame for the emergence of the new dogma lies with Augustine. The idea entered the "Athanasian" Creed, in which the Spirit proceeds "from the Father and the Son."