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"From an Asian standpoint, one can argue that the language of metaphysics and trinitarian ontologies arising from the debates in the Council of Nicaea is irrelevant. They are antiquated and too European. Although consubstantial made it to the creed, it is challenging for believers to find it meaningful in their faith lives. In Asia, the moral and devotional dimensions of the Christian faith matter more than rational ontologies. To address this issue, some Asian theologians use local and cultural concepts (e.g. yin-yang, advaita, dao) to make the truths about the Trinity more significant to believers. However, they face theoretical problems related to orthodoxy. The issue is not merely linguistic; the solution is not confined to translation approaches. For instance, the debates surrounding consubstantial point to a revealed truth that Father and Son share the same divine nature. This should be captured with precision when expressed in local concepts that some Asian theologians suggest.Does the Council of Nicaea still matter for developing Asian trinitarian ontologies? I argue yes. This paper examines the development of a faith-based ontology of a triune God, the centerpiece of the Nicene Creed. I advance the claim that the Nicene Trinitarian ontology is rooted in faith-revelation that frames a novel construal of consubstantial (homoousios). This led to proposing the concept of relation as a co-principle in being among others. Giulio Maspero calls this the objective genitive sense of the term trinitarian ontology: Christian thinkers made innovations on the dominant metaphysics of their time by discerning God’s being according to revelation.  Part of the failure of those who did not subscribe to the Nicene Creed (e.g. Arius) is their unbelief in a triune God. This unbelief, so I shall argue, promoted ontologies that the Council would later anathematize as heresies. They are examples of ontology-driven faiths. This lesson from the Nicene case is necessary in developing sound Asian trinitarian ontologies."

Nicene Creed, Trinitarian Ontology, Faith-based Revelation, Asian Theological Perspectives