17/06/2025
The Nicene Creed – a major statement of faith issued by the Early Church – is 1700 years old this year. In AD 325 Roman emperor Constantine called church leaders together at Nicaea in Turkey to discuss what the Church should believe about Jesus.
For more about Nicaea from an ecumenical perspective, see Churches Together in England
There are also resources on the Church of England website in the We Believe section
One of the most controversial aspects of the Creed is the Filioque Clause - "from the Son" which was became liturgical practice in the West in 1014 and became a significant factor in the schism between East and West in 1054.
Many western churches (including the Scottish Episcopal Church) no longer use the Filioque Clause in the Creed - as a sign of their ecumenical commitment. The Church of England has authorised a form of the Nicene Creed for "ecumenical occasions" which doesn't include "from the Son".
