The homoousios to patri divides opinion. The criterial function of the Symbolum Nicaenum

The maxim of greek philosophical thought, that multiplicity is a deficient mode of unity, was incompatible with the Christian belief in the true divinity of Jesus Christ. Because of its commitment to the unity and uniqueness of truth, early Christianity had to defend the compatibility of its creed with philosophical reasoning. The transformation of the biblical mode of thinking into the greek mode of thinking was mainly the result of a centuries-long debate between the theological schools of Alexandria and Antioch. The school of Alexandria has connected the subordination of three hypostaseis (Father; Son; Holy Spirit) with a docetic christology - the school of Antioch has connected a modalistic doctrine of the Trinity with an adoptianistic christology. All the problems of the early christological disputes, that were considered to be settled, arose again at the beginning of the 14th century. Nominalism was tied to the question: How could a contingent reality like the man Jesus be the revelation of God himself? The largely nominalistic christology of the Protestant reformers, the criticism of Lessing and Kant, the evolutionary theory, the historicism, the philosophy of language (linguistic turn) and the pluralistic theology of religions brought forth new versions of the docetic (Alexandria) and of the adoptianistic (Antioch) subordinatianism. In view of these challenges, the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea can raise a new awareness of the enduring relevance and significance of the Nicene phrase homoousios to patri.