How Theology Shapes Society

Concerning the filioque clause in the Nicene Creed:

"This change also shows a subtle difference between Western and Eastern Christianity. In the East, it seemed that power and dominance in the Trinity resided with the Father. The Son was begotten of Him. The Spirit proceeded from Him. Unity and power were at the roots of the Trinity. In the West, this change highlighted the Western view that emphasized the diversity of power within Trinity. 'The Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.'

While this change might seem small over the centuries, it was at least symptom of and probably contributed to very different views of authority in the East and West. In the East, power and dominance became the goal and power was increasingly unified. The emperor claimed power over the church, and the church became the servant of the emperor. In the West, the power of the church and the power of the government balanced each other. The West recognized greater diversity. Imperial power reigned in the East; a more shared view of power, although not without its own problems, resulted in the West, where both the king and the pope dominated from time to time."

- I want to give credit where credit is due, and I think this was written by G. Tyler Fischer. I could be wrong, however.