Asian ecumenical response to enduring faith and embracing unity affirmed by Asian theologians on final day of CATS-X

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The final day of the Tenth Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS-X) opened with the last sub-thematic plenary session on “Enduring Faith and Embracing Unity - Asian Ecumenical Response”. Capturing the commitment of Asian theological voices to address modern challenges, the last session of CATS-X featured three experts sharing their perspectives on the values of Nicaean ideologies in the context of Christian life in Asia today.

Emeritus Professor of Constructive Theology at the United Theological Seminary in the Philippines, Rev. Prof. Dr Eleazar S. Fernandez presented a paper on “Nicaea’s Legacy: Ecumenical Witness in the Face of Existential Threats to Our Shared Flourishing”, exploring how the Council of Nicaea's legacy can inform the church’s response to current global crises.

Dr Fernandez, who has authored several books and essays, recognised the Council of Nicaea as a foundational “prototype” of ecumenism—a “breakthrough event” rather than an “archetype” fixed in the past. He asserted that the Council of Nicaea represents not only a religious milestone but also a moment where imperial power and colonisation shaped the trajectory of Christian orthodoxy. Emphasising the adaptive nature of today’s global challenges, he called for a shift from traditional ecumenism to a mission-driven approach. He stated, “Not only must our ecumenical movement take a world-centred turn, but it must also take a bio-centric or cosmo-centric turn—a crucial shift to unsettle or subvert anthropocentrism”. Dr Fernandez encouraged participants to think of themselves not only as citizens of particular nations but also as “Earthlings”, urging them to prioritise marginalised voices and extend compassion to all of creation.

Dr Shiluinla Jamir, a Monograph Fellow at the Polin Institute for Theological Research in Finland, delivered her presentation on “Living the Creed in Asia for the Flourishing of Life in a World so Loved by God: A Phenomenological Interpretive Analysis”, exploring how the Nicene Creed resonates within diverse and complex Asian contexts.

Employing Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, Dr Jamir examined how Asian Christians’ experiences of reading and embodying the Creed intersect with their lived realities, encompassing social, political, and personal struggles. Originally from Nagaland in Northeast India, Dr Jamir used case studies of three women, each encountering the Creed in unique ways. One woman connected the Creed’s unity to overcoming religious divisions in her community, while another viewed it as a pledge of faith that strengthened her amid hardships. A third woman found solace in the Creed’s promise of resurrection during personal grief, underscoring its power to affirm life even in times of suffering.

Dr Jamir argued that the Creed acts as a “living text” with transformative, pedagogical value, inspiring readers to respond to their social contexts with compassion, resilience, and unity. She emphasised that, in a Christian-minority landscape like Asia, the Creed also serves as a political statement, affirming allegiance to a God of justice and peace amid societal injustice. She added that it provides both a theological anchor and a vision for flourishing within the complexities of everyday life, encouraging an Asian form of ecumenism that prioritises community and practical acts of faith.

Concluding with, “If one can think of doing theology in various ways and interpret Christ through Asian eyes, then we know there is a possibility of reading the Creed through the lived realities of the people”, Dr Jamir advocated for a ‘lived theology’ in Asia, where God is understood through everyday experiences.

Rev. Dr Hyeong Kyoon Kim, from the Presbyterian Church of Korea and currently serving in New Zealand, presented “The Migrational Triune God: A study from Migrant Perspectives”, offering a reinterpretation of the Trinity from a migrant perspective and connecting the Nicene Creed's affirmation of the Trinity to contemporary issues of migration. He argued that migration is integral to the Gospel's spread and the global Christian experience, making the Trinity particularly meaningful to migrant communities that often face isolation, discrimination, and injustice.

Dr Kim illustrated God the Father as a "migrant Creator - who creates, protects, and sustains”, gathering and scattering migrants, emphasising God’s nurturing and protective role over all cultures and communities. He portrayed Jesus, the Son, as a "migrational incarnation", whose journey from divine to human form and experience as a refugee and marginalised person embodies migration. He described the Holy Spirit as the "migrating Spirit”, symbolising God's life-giving and supportive presence with migrants, empowering them to endure and transcend their struggles. “The doctrine of the Trinity emerges as a hopeful Gospel for migrants, offering solace and empowerment to those suffering from alienation, marginalisation, discrimination, and other injustices in the world”, stated Dr Kim.

The final session reinforced a shared ecumenical vision rooted in unity, justice, and practical faith, advancing a call for an adaptive, inclusive response to global and local challenges – essential takeaways for participants to bring back to their communities and ministries.

For more pictures of Day 6 of Tenth Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS-X) please click here.