Deification, or theosis, is a central doctrine in Eastern Orthodoxy that refers to the process of a believer becoming more like God through His grace and energy. The ultimate goal is union with God and sharing in His divine nature by grace, while still remaining distinct persons. This concept is rooted in 2 Peter 1:4 which states that through Christ, believers “may become partakers of the divine nature.”
Biblical Basis
In addition to 2 Peter 1:4, several other biblical passages point to the concept of deification:
– John 17:21-23 – Jesus prays that believers may be one with Him and the Father, just as He and the Father are one. This speaks to the intimate union between God and believers.
– 1 John 3:2 – “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” This verse indicates that believers will be made like Christ.
– Ephesians 4:13 – Refers to believers coming to “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” The idea is one of growing into Christ-likeness.
– Philippians 3:21 – Speaks of Christ transforming our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body. This implies being made like God.
– 2 Corinthians 3:18 – Says that believers are being transformed into the same image (Christ) from one degree of glory to another by the Spirit.
– 1 Corinthians 15:49 – Says that believers will bear the image of the man of heaven, referring to being made like the incarnate Christ.
So the biblical foundation for deification rests on the doctrine that through Christ, God shares His divine life and nature with believers, transforming them into Christ’s image and likeness by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Patristic Development
Many early church fathers helped develop the doctrine of deification:
– Irenaeus (c.130-202) – Said believers take on God’s likeness and are made sons of God through the incarnation. This happens by the impartation of the Holy Spirit.
– Clement of Alexandria (c.150-215) – Wrote that the Logos of God became man so that we might become gods. Grace effects the deification of man.
– Athanasius (c.296-373) – Stated that Christ became man so that humans could become God. Through grace, we are able to share in the divine nature.
– Cyril of Alexandria (c.375-444) – Emphasized that we are all called to become conformed to the image of God’s Son. Grace perfects what is lacking in human nature.
– Gregory of Nyssa (c.335-395) – Developed the idea that humans are created in God’s image and likeness. The goal is to become evermore like God through purification and illumination.
– Maximus the Confessor (c.580-662) – Wrote that deification entails the interpenetration of the human and the divine. Grace restores human nature so God may abide in man.
– John of Damascus (c.675-749) – Summarized that God became man so man could receive sonship by grace. Eternal life is deification.
So the church fathers built upon the biblical foundation to unpack the mechanics and implications of deification. The early articulations of this doctrine profoundly shaped Eastern Orthodox theology.
Theosis Distinctives in Orthodoxy
Deification in Orthodoxy involves some key aspects:
– It is a free gift of God’s grace, not something earned. Salvation is by grace alone.
– It is offered to all people potentially but will only be fully realized in the next life for those who cooperate with God’s grace.
– Humans do not become God in His essence. Human and divine natures remain distinct. It is union by grace and likeness, not fusion or absorption.
– It entails participating in God’s energies but not His essence. God shares His life without sharing His incommunicable essence.
– It involves both moral transformation and ontological change. Believers grow in God-likeness in their being and virtues.
– It means sharing in God’s immortality and transcendence but in a created way, not taking on divine attributes.
– It reflects God’s intent in initially creating humans in His image and likeness in the beginning.
– It is ultimately a mystery, surpassing human comprehension. The relationship between God’s essence/energies and human/divine natures reflects infinite transcendence.
So while deification reflects intimacy with God, boundaries between Creator and creature remain. Humans never become equally or identically God in Orthodox doctrine.
Means of Deification
The Orthodox teach that believers experience the transforming effects of deification through:
– The incarnation – Christ sharing human nature opens the path to sanctification.
– The Holy Spirit – Deification works by the indwelling Spirit uniting persons to Christ.
– The Gospel – Internalizing and living out Christ’s teachings deifies the believer.
– The Eucharist – Partaking conveys sanctifying grace and union with God.
– Icons – Serving as sacred windows into divine reality and grace.
– Ascetic practices – Voluntary self-denial purifies the passions and unites the heart to God.
– The Virtues – Growth in Christ-like virtues deifies human nature.
– Prayer – Unceasingly praying and invoking God sanctifies and glorifies.
– Keeping Christ’s commandments – Obedience to God’s commands transforms one’s being.
So from the Orthodox perspective, the process of theosis occurs through using Christ-centered spiritual disciplines, participating in the mysteries, and pursuing godliness in cooperation with grace.
Stages of Deification
Theosis occurs progressively in stages:
– Purification – Putting off the passions and sinful impulses through asceticism.
– Illumination – Receiving enlightenment and vision of God through contemplation.
– Glorification – Being fully united to God in His glory.
For the Orthodox, deification begins here and now through purification and illumination, but will only be completed at the resurrection in glorification. It is experienced partly in this life, but its fullness abides in the age to come.
Objections & Responses
Some object to deification in Orthodoxy as implying:
– Self-divinization – But theosis is divinization by God’s grace alone, not autonomous efforts.
– Loss of human identity – Yet human nature remains distinct even in intimate union with God.
– Absorption into God – However, Orthodox teach participation in God’s energies, not fusion with His essence.
– Elevating creaturely status too high – But deified creatures remain subordinate to and dependent on the Creator.
– Undervaluing the incarnation – Rather, the incarnation enables and exemplifies deification.
– denying justification by faith alone – Yet the Orthodox affirm salvation by grace through faith alone. Deification presupposes justification.
– Idolatry – But the Orthodox venerate icons not for themselves but for whom they symbolically represent and point to.
So the Orthodox respond that critics often misrepresent their actual doctrine of deification and its safeguards against misuse or heresy.
Implications for Christian Living
Some implications of deification for daily Christian living include:
– Motivation for holiness and growth in godliness.
– Greater sense of divine purpose and destiny.
– Deeper intimacy with and longing for God.
– Greater desire for purity and separation from sin.
– Heightened commitment to community and service.
– Increased participation in spiritual disciplines.
– Greater vision of the sacred in all things.
– Understanding suffering as a means of purification.
– Seeing Christ’s image in others.
– Hope for glorification in resurrection and the life to come.
So for Orthodox believers, the doctrine of deification represents the pinnacle of New Testament promises and Christian hope. It reflects their goal of attaining transfigured holiness in mystical union with God.
Conclusion
In summary, deification is a central Eastern Orthodox teaching on salvation and Christian life. It speaks to the marvelous truth that through Christ, believers can share in God’s own life and become “partakers of the divine nature.” This occurs by God’s grace and does not entail pantheism or loss of human identity. The process of being made like God begins now through spiritual disciplines but awaits final consummation at resurrection in glorification. The Orthodox believe deification captures the heart of the Gospel message and provides a vision for profound transformation in Christ.
