Food for ThoughtFood for Thought

Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph and said to Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph and said to him, “Abba, as far as I can, I say my little him, “Abba, as far as I can, I say my little office, I fast a little, I pray and meditate, I live in office, I fast a little, I pray and meditate, I live in peace and I purify my thoughts. peace and I purify my thoughts. What else can What else can I do?I do? ” ”Then the old man stood up and stretched his Then the old man stood up and stretched his hands towards heaven. His fingers became hands towards heaven. His fingers became like ten lamps of fire and he said to him, like ten lamps of fire and he said to him, ““If you will you can become all flame!”If you will you can become all flame!”

---Joseph of Panephysis---Joseph of Panephysis

Theophanes the Greek, late 14th c. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

The Doctrine of The Doctrine of Deification in the Greek Deification in the Greek

FathersFathers1.1. Biblical roots.Biblical roots.2.2. Deification and Deification and

Christology.Christology.3.3. Dimensions of Dimensions of

deification.deification.4.4. Objections to the idea of Objections to the idea of

deification.deification.5.5. Deification outside Deification outside

Eastern Christianity.Eastern Christianity.

2 Pet. 1: 3-4.2 Pet. 1: 3-4.““His divine power has given us His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. called us by his own glory and goodness. Thus he has given us through these Thus he has given us through these things, his precious and very great things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may world because of lust, and may becomebecome participants of the divine natureparticipants of the divine nature.” .”

Related biblical themesRelated biblical themes1.1. ““I have said you are I have said you are godsgods and sons of the Most and sons of the Most

High.” (Ps. 82: 6).High.” (Ps. 82: 6).2.2. Transfiguration (Mk 9:2-8 and par.) & OT Transfiguration (Mk 9:2-8 and par.) & OT

theophanies.theophanies.3.3. ““I came that they may have I came that they may have lifelife and have it and have it

abundantly.” John 10: 10.abundantly.” John 10: 10.4.4. ““I am the way, the truth, and the I am the way, the truth, and the lifelife.” John 14: .” John 14:

6.6.5.5. Pauline themes: salvation as incorporation into Pauline themes: salvation as incorporation into

and union with Christ (e.g., Rom. 6); acquisition and union with Christ (e.g., Rom. 6); acquisition of the of the mindmind of Christ (1Cor 2: 16; Phil. 2: 5-8). of Christ (1Cor 2: 16; Phil. 2: 5-8).

TerminologyTerminology1.1. Koinonia theou (fellowship, Koinonia theou (fellowship,

communion) with God.communion) with God.2.2. Metousia theou (participation in God).Metousia theou (participation in God).3.3. Mimesis (imitation) of God.Mimesis (imitation) of God.4.4. Theopoiesis (lit.: “becoming divine”).Theopoiesis (lit.: “becoming divine”).5.5. Theosis.Theosis.6.6. Apotheosis (problematic term).Apotheosis (problematic term).

Non-Christian useNon-Christian use Divinization Divinization

((apotheosisapotheosis) of the ) of the Emperor or his Emperor or his relatives.relatives.

Plotinus: realization Plotinus: realization of the essential self; of the essential self; soul is divine by soul is divine by nature.nature. Apotheosis of Hadrian’s

wife Sabina.

Exchange formula:Exchange formula: Christ was rich, “yet for your sake he Christ was rich, “yet for your sake he

became poor, so that by his poverty you became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” 2 Cor 8: 9.might become rich.” 2 Cor 8: 9.

““Because of his infinite love [God] became Because of his infinite love [God] became what we are in order to make us what he is what we are in order to make us what he is himself.” himself.” – Irenaeus, Irenaeus, Adv. HaerAdv. Haer. 5. Praef.. 5. Praef.

““He became human in order that we might He became human in order that we might become divine.”become divine.”– Athanasius, Athanasius, De incarnationeDe incarnatione, 54., 54.

Irenaeus: Irenaeus: Recapitulation & EducationRecapitulation & Education

““Man was a little one and his Man was a little one and his discretion underdeveloped. discretion underdeveloped. Wherefore he was easily mislead by Wherefore he was easily mislead by the deceiver.” (the deceiver.” (ProofProof, 12), 12)

As mediator, Christ accommodates As mediator, Christ accommodates God to humans and accustoms men God to humans and accustoms men to receiving God. to receiving God. Adv. HaerAdv. Haer. 3. 18. 7.. 3. 18. 7.

Athanasius: deification requires Athanasius: deification requires the Son’s full divinitythe Son’s full divinity

““For it is not possible that he who For it is not possible that he who merely possesses from participation merely possesses from participation should impart of that partaking to should impart of that partaking to others, since what he has is not his others, since what he has is not his own but the Giver’s; and what he has own but the Giver’s; and what he has received is barely the grace sufficient received is barely the grace sufficient for himself.” for himself.” De synodisDe synodis, 51., 51.

Cyril: deification as Cyril: deification as appropriationappropriation

““For unless He [Christ] had been afraid, For unless He [Christ] had been afraid, human nature could not have become free human nature could not have become free from cowardice; unless He had experienced from cowardice; unless He had experienced grief would never have been any grief would never have been any deliverance from grief; unless He had been deliverance from grief; unless He had been troubled and alarmed, no escape from troubled and alarmed, no escape from these feelings could have been found. And these feelings could have been found. And with regard to every human experience, with regard to every human experience, you will find exactly the corresponding you will find exactly the corresponding thing in Christ. The passions of his flesh thing in Christ. The passions of his flesh were aroused, not that they might have the were aroused, not that they might have the upper hand as they do in us, but in order upper hand as they do in us, but in order that when aroused they might be that when aroused they might be thoroughly subdued by the power of the thoroughly subdued by the power of the Word dwelling in the flesh, the nature thus Word dwelling in the flesh, the nature thus undergoing a change for the better.” undergoing a change for the better.” – Cyril of Alexandria, Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Commentary on the

Gospel of JohnGospel of John, 8., 8.

Dimensions of deificationDimensions of deification1.1. Deliverance, spiritual battle, liberation from the power of the Deliverance, spiritual battle, liberation from the power of the

demonic.demonic.2.2. Purification, forgiveness, justification.Purification, forgiveness, justification.3.3. Filial adoption.Filial adoption.4.4. Reconciliation, communion.Reconciliation, communion.5.5. Healing.Healing.6.6. Illumination, perfection, transfiguration, regeneration, (entire) Illumination, perfection, transfiguration, regeneration, (entire)

sanctification.sanctification.7.7. Imitation of Christ, incorporation into Christ.Imitation of Christ, incorporation into Christ.8.8. Second creation, regeneration, restoration of the image and Second creation, regeneration, restoration of the image and

likeness of God.likeness of God.9.9. Election.Election.10.10. Participation in the life of God, in divine energies.Participation in the life of God, in divine energies.

Appropriation of D. by Appropriation of D. by believers:believers:

1.1. Faith: direction of the will, Faith: direction of the will, acceptance of revelation, right acceptance of revelation, right belief, trust.belief, trust.

2.2. Ascetic practices and charitable Ascetic practices and charitable works.works.

3.3. Participation in the sacraments.Participation in the sacraments.4.4. Spiritual senses.Spiritual senses.

Eucharistic dimensionEucharistic dimension ““[The Word] enables us to participate in [The Word] enables us to participate in

divine life by making himself our food, in a divine life by making himself our food, in a manner understood by himself and by those manner understood by himself and by those who have received from him a who have received from him a noetic noetic perceptionperception of this kind. It is by tasting this of this kind. It is by tasting this food that they become truly aware that “the food that they become truly aware that “the Lord is good” (Ps. 34: 8), for he transmutes Lord is good” (Ps. 34: 8), for he transmutes those who eat it with a divine quality, those who eat it with a divine quality, bringing about their bringing about their deificationdeification (theosis)(theosis) since it is clearly the bread of life and of since it is clearly the bread of life and of power both in name and in reality.” power both in name and in reality.” – Maximus the Confessor, Maximus the Confessor, Or. DomOr. Dom. 2, 877C.. 2, 877C.

Deification as the main goal of Deification as the main goal of human lifehuman life

““Because [God] is truthful he will give us Because [God] is truthful he will give us everything that he has promised. This is ‘what everything that he has promised. This is ‘what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him’ (1 Cor 2: 9). For that is those who love him’ (1 Cor 2: 9). For that is also why he made us, that we might ‘become also why he made us, that we might ‘become partakers of the divine nature’ and sharers in partakers of the divine nature’ and sharers in his eternity and prove to be like him through his eternity and prove to be like him through the deification bestowed by grace.”the deification bestowed by grace.”

--Maximus the Confessor (7--Maximus the Confessor (7thth c.), c.), EpEp. 24.. 24.

Spiritual SensesSpiritual Senses1.1. Terminological problems.Terminological problems.2.2. Relation to the five ordinary senses: Relation to the five ordinary senses:

separation or extension? separation or extension? 3.3. Relation to mind and heart.Relation to mind and heart.4.4. Relation to the senses of scripture.Relation to the senses of scripture.5.5. Spiritual senses and religious Spiritual senses and religious

experience.experience.

Spiritual senses lost in the Spiritual senses lost in the Fall:Fall:

As a result of the fall, “instead of the divine and As a result of the fall, “instead of the divine and spiritual knowledgespiritual knowledge [Adam] received [Adam] received fleshly fleshly knowledgeknowledge. Since he had been . Since he had been blinded in the eyes blinded in the eyes of his soulof his soul and had fallen from the life and had fallen from the life imperishable, he imperishable, he began to look with his physical began to look with his physical eyeseyes. He turned the vision of his eyes on visible . He turned the vision of his eyes on visible objects with a feeling of objects with a feeling of passionpassion… Such knowledge … Such knowledge is in reality ignorance of all goodness, for had he is in reality ignorance of all goodness, for had he not first fallen from the knowledge and not first fallen from the knowledge and contemplation of God he would not have been contemplation of God he would not have been brought down to this knowledge.”brought down to this knowledge.”

--Symeon the New Theologian, --Symeon the New Theologian, DiscoursesDiscourses XV. 1. XV. 1.

Criticism of deificationCriticism of deification

1.1. Deification is not biblical.Deification is not biblical.2.2. Deification is a pagan idea imported Deification is a pagan idea imported

into Christianity by the Greeks.into Christianity by the Greeks.3.3. Deification is physical/ material, not Deification is physical/ material, not

moral/ juridical.moral/ juridical.4.4. Deification is impossible.Deification is impossible.

An account of deification An account of deification recently found in…Aquinasrecently found in…Aquinas

And in…Luther (wow!)And in…Luther (wow!)

And in…Calvin (wow! wow!)And in…Calvin (wow! wow!)

And, yes, in Wesley too!And, yes, in Wesley too!

Book needed!!!