“We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.” We confess these words in the Nicene Creed. They remind us that, as people who endeavor to trust the gospel and follow Jesus, expecting resurrection and new life is our stance in the world. In this season of division, when people don’t seem to be able to agree on anything, unless they agree on everything, we do well to remain vigilant for signs of resurrection, new life, unity, and hope, especially as we pass from Holy Week to Easter. Paul’s words strike me as most relevant: “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).
As I remain vigilant for signs of resurrection and new life, I yearn for signs of unity. They are hard to come by and they show up in unexpected places. So it happened that, a few weeks ago, I was moved emotionally by presentations that I expected would be dry, technical, and academic. I experienced unity and new life in, of all things, the ecumenical dialogue between the ELCA and the Orthodox churches.
Lutheran-Orthodox Dialogue
This Easter, I count as a special grace that Eastern and Western Christians—the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant churches—will all celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord on April 20. Most years, Eastern and Western Christians celebrate Easter on different days primarily because they use different calendars (Julian and Gregorian) to calculate the date of Easter, leading to a 13-day difference in the calendar and a divided witness to the world.[i] This year, however, all of Christianity celebrates Christ’s Resurrection on the same day—a sign of unity that might yield new life!
I also count as a special grace that, in this year of the 1700th anniversary of the first Christian Ecumenical Council, held in Nicaea, near Constantinople in 325 CE, Lutheran and Orthodox churches issued a statement expressing their shared understanding of the Holy Trinity.[ii] Another sign of unity.
For centuries, the Eastern and Western churches have been divided over the “Filioque” (Latin for “and the Son”), a phrase in the third article of the Nicene Creed. The Latin church added this phrase to the Nicene Creed in 1014 CE, so that, in the West, the Nicene Creed states that the Holy Spirit “proceeds from the Father and the Son.” This doctrine about the Trinity has been a major point of contention between the Eastern and Western churches.
Rather than moving quickly to our differences, the Lutheran-Orthodox dialogue intentionally honors the unity we share. “A Lutheran–Orthodox Common Statement on Faith in the Holy Trinity” recognizes that both the ELCA and the Orthodox Church believe in and worship the Holy Trinity by confessing our faith in the Trinity in the words of the Nicene Creed and encountering each of the persons of the Holy Trinity in their distinction from one another and their unity with each other as the one God. It might be fun this Easter season to consider how we experience God – Creator, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit – in our worship.
After celebrating what unites, the statement turns to the historical and theological issues surrounding the “Filioque,” the one point in the Creed on which Lutheran and Orthodox Christians have traditionally disagreed with regard to faith in the Holy Trinity. First, the statement demonstrates a united understanding of the differences. Lutherans, together with other churches rooted in Latin-speaking Christianity, have traditionally confessed the creedal faith in the Holy Trinity by saying that the Holy Spirit “proceeds from the Father and the Son [Filioque].” Moreover, many of the chief teachers of the Lutheran tradition, including Luther himself, vigorously taught this understanding of the Trinity; Lutheran theologians have traditionally defended both the addition of the phrase “and the Son” and the truth of the teaching embodied by this addition. Orthodox Christians have traditionally opposed both the addition of the Filioque clause to the Creed and the teaching that the Spirit proceeds from the Son. I found myself reminded that working to genuinely understand the differences that divide is a sign of unity, resurrection, and new life.
Then we arrive at some common ground. The 2024 Lutheran – Orthodox Joint Statement on the Filioque, issued by the international dialogue,[iii] acknowledges that Lutherans, together with many other Western Christians, now widely recognize that the addition of the Filioque (“proceeds from the Father and the Son”) to the Nicene Creed, which took place locally by a unilateral action of the Latin Church and without the action of an Ecumenical Council, was illegitimate and contributed to disunity among Christians. Moreover, many Lutherans are now convinced that the original Creed without the Filioque addition could and should be restored in their worship.
This conviction need not contradict the Lutheran Confessions, which commit Lutherans to “the decree of the Council of Nicaea.” Article I of the Augsburg Confession commits Lutherans to the decree—the text—of Nicaea, which does not include the Filioque. The decree simply says that the Holy Spirit is “the one proceeding from the Father,” consistent with John 15:26. On this basis, Lutherans can now acknowledge that the Filioque is not ecumenical dogma, but has the status of a local tradition that is not binding on the universal church.
Orthodox Christians may accept the teaching of the “double procession” of the Spirit from the Father and the Son in the patristic sense that the Spirit is sent from the Father through/and the Son in the mystery of our salvation in Christ. The relation of the Son to the Spirit in the context of salvation is not the same as the relation of the Son to the Spirit in the eternal Trinity, where the Spirit proceeds from the Father. Thus for Orthodox Christians, the dispute over the Filioque can be narrowed down to accepting or rejecting the distinction between how the Trinity as eternally in themselves and how they appear in Christ. In terms of the Trinity Godself, both the Son and the Spirit proceed from the Father. In terms of entering the world for the work of salvation, the Spirit proceeds from the Father through/and the Son.
As I listened to the Lutheran – Orthodox presentation, tried to wrap my mind around it, I felt my body relax, and I wiped away some tears. The Nicene Creed and the Council of Nicaea bring me joy that many people cannot comprehend. Bishops have a special responsibility to care for the apostolic faith and the unity of the Church, which the Nicene Creed has represented for 1700 years. I sometimes get choked up in worship when an assembly says the creed or sings “The Church’s One Foundation” so passionately that I can hear the words. Saint Ambrose (d. 397 CE), the fourth century bishop of Milan (the subject of my dissertation and my patron saint), is known for his strong defense of the Nicene Creed and the faith it represents against Arianism, a heresy declaring that Christ is not truly divine but a created being and therefore not entitled to the honor and worship owed to God. Thus, with Luther and many others, I insist that the church and its preachers proclaim Christ as Savior before we make Jesus, a teacher, example, or role model. Finally, I like to dabble in contemplating the Holy Spirit; check out Chapter 2 in My Burden is Light. All this is to say that the Lutheran and Orthodox churches coming together in a renewed, common understanding of the faith of Nicaea brings me joy, hope, and strength in these divided times. This is for me a sign of resurrection and new life.
Where Are You Looking?
“We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.” Where are you looking? Creeds, councils, and ecumenical dialogues aren’t for everyone. So where are you looking for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come? What sign of resurrection and new life speaks to your heart and brings you joy, hope, and strength in these times?
Some experience these signs in nature in ways that, because of my visual limitations, I cannot completely comprehend. Some experience these signs in art. Someone recently told me about driving by their now-closed congregation. I heard in their voice both love and grief as they shared that it was good to see a full parking lot and know that, inside the building, people are gaining reading, language, and math skills that will change the trajectory of their lives. Resurrection. New life. The signs may be hard to find. And they may show up unexpectedly when we remember our stance in the world.
“We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.” Remain vigilant until you find resurrection and new life. Then share what you discover or encounter or experience. People need resurrection these days. If you share it with joy, strength, and hope, they will appreciate even ecumenical relationships and Trinitarian theology. Don’t worry if finding a sign of resurrection doesn’t happen quickly. Beginning Sunday, we have seven weeks to celebrate Easter.
We published the April newsletter on Tuesday of Holy Week. I am praying for the people of our synod this week, especially those who plan and lead worship, that you experience Jesus and the salvation Christ brings in personal and meaningful ways.
The Rev. Craig Alan Satterlee, Ph.D., Bishop
[i] https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/documents/towards-a-common-date-for-easter
[ii] https://resources.elca.org/wp-content/uploads/A_Lutheran_Orthodox_Common_Statement_on_Faith_in_the_Holy_Trinity.pdf?_ga=2.184895209.1146749827.1742306083-864482065.1742306082
[iii] https://lutheranworld.org/sites/default/files/2024-07/Lutheran-Orthodox-Joint-Statement-Filioque-EN.pdf