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The Doctrine of Deification in the Greek Patristic Tradition
Abstract
Deification in the Greek patristic tradition was the fulfilment of the destiny for which humanity was created - not merely salvation from sin but entry into the fullness of the divine life of the Trinity. This book traces the history of deification, from its birth as a second-century metaphor with biblical roots to its maturity as a doctrine central to the spiritual life of the Byzantine Church. Drawing attention to the richness and diversity of the patristic approaches from Irenaeus to Maximus the Confessor, the book offers a full discussion of the background and context of the doctrine, at the same time highlighting its distinctively Christian character.
... In the description of the concept of theosis, I will refer to the four modern sources identified as influential in the contemporary study of theosis. Russell (2004) provides a concise survey of patristic perspectives of theosis. Gavrilyuk (2009) discusses its theological perception in the West. ...
... As Gavrilyuk (2009) claims, since the 8th-century, the concept of deification has stood at the centre of the soteriology by the majority of the Greek fathers. Russel (Russell 2004) adds that in that time, theosis attained its eschatological pinnacle and was proclaimed the ultimate spiritual goal of life. Later, with Symeon, the New Theologian in the 10th-11th centuries and Gregory Palamas in the 14th century, deification took on an experimental dimension in Hesychast prayer. ...
... The academic interest in theosis rose in the twentieth century and was renewed by Russian and Greek theologians (e.g., Vladimir Lossky, John Meendorf, John Zizoiulas). As a result of that arduous journey, theosis has become an important domain in Orthodox theology that presently garner interest in the West (Russel, Russell 2004). ...
... For a thorough bibliography on deification in the Christian tradition, see Kharlamov and Finian (2006) 247-265. The most comprehensive studies of deification in the writings of the Greek Fathers are found in Gross (1938) and Normal Russell (2004). For deification in Maximos, the classic study is that of Larchet (1996), and Russell (2004) has devoted a section of his study to Maximos,. ...
... The most comprehensive studies of deification in the writings of the Greek Fathers are found in Gross (1938) and Normal Russell (2004). For deification in Maximos, the classic study is that of Larchet (1996), and Russell (2004) has devoted a section of his study to Maximos,. The most recent study on deification in Maximos is found in Ivanovic (2019), 161-208, Tollefsen (2017), 158-170, and contribution to the Oxford Handbook of Maximus the Confessor, chapter 17, where he articulates the topic using the framework of logos-tropos, rather than person or nature (341-342); he argues in favor of the importance of 'nature' in understanding deification in Maximus, as opposed to 'person' (and includes a bibliography listing of the earlier studies on deification in Maximos, 357-359); and Mitralexis (2017) addresses the topic in his study, 192-200. ...
... Theōsis is articulated in early Christian writings through the exegesis of specific biblical passages: 2 Peter 1:4, which is not speaking of apotheosis as understood in the Greco-Roman sense where human beings advance to the rank of deity (McGuckin (2007), 95; Cicero describes the isotheoi timai, the god-equaling honors that the Greeks were awarding humans, see Spenser Cole, Cicero and the Rise of Deification in Rome (Cambridge, 2013), chap. 1; and Russell (2004) chap. 2), or in the sense of becoming a part of God's essence and thereby ceasing to be human, but as partaking in specific divine attributes as seen in Christ (Starr (2007), 85; for a Protestant interpretation of the passage where real participation takes place in God, see Olson (2007), 187); 4 Maccabees 18:3, where one receives a divine inheritance which signals a continued life for the soul, 'the martyr's reward' (Starr (2007), 85), and, interestingly, human reason is the source of knowledge in this text, while in 2 Peter, one gains new knowledge through deification; Wisdom 2:23, where human reason leads one to piety and holiness of life which is rewarded by God with incorruption (Starr (2007), 86); Psalm 81:6 (LXX); John 10:34-36. ...
For St. Maximos the Confessor, the seventh century Byzantine theologian, deification was the ultimate goal of the monk and an event that required action both on the parts of God and the individual. While God originally bestowed upon humanity his image and likeness (Genesis 1:26), as a result of the disobedience of Adam and Eve that takes place in the garden (Genesis 3), humankind loses its ‘likeness’ to God. According to the Confessor, by following the commandments found in the Christian Gospel, one is able to regain the likeness to God and, by doing so, one moves closer and closer to God, ultimately experiencing deification. This study will focus on the Commentary on the Lord’s Prayer but will also reference the Ascetical Life and the Centuries on Charity. For Maximos, deification will not take place without becoming ‘like’ God.
... 89 _ 26 _ nicSe da qristianoba: tradiciuli faseulobebis daZlevis mcdeloba am per so na Jis az riT, Rmer Ti mok vda `ga mou sa de ga ro bi sa da sa ku Ta ri Ta vis sibralulisgan~. 90 Cex no ve lists, milan kun de ras nic Ses ko laf sSi SeeZ lo dae na xa bu ne ba ze, flo ra sa da fau na ze ada mia nis umow ya lo ba to no bi sa da ma te ria lur -teq ni ku ri prog re si sad mi brma Tay va nis cemis wi naaR mdeg meb rZo lis simbolo. 91 nic Ses biog ra fis, ro nald hei me nis sit yviT, nic Ses SeS li lo ba ar un da iq nes aR qmu li mou lod nel Sedegad. ...
... vin ifiq reb da, rom aR niSnu li sce na mxat vru li na war moe bis fiq ciu ri per so na Jis cxov re bi dan rea lur sa be dis we ro Sem Txve vad gar dai saxe bo da fi lo so fo sis cxovrebaSi. 90 ase Tia nic Ses biog ra fii dan zo gier Ti sa xa sia To Strixi, rac, al baT, mi si zo gier Ti sak van Zo idei sa da su liskve Te bis swo rad ga ge ba sa da gaaz re ba Si dagvexmareba. axla ki ve ca doT im ga re moe beb sa Tu pi rov ne beb sac Se ve-xoT, rom leb mac, sa va rau dod, di di gav le na iqo nies mi si msof lmxed ve lo bis Camoyalibebaze. ...
This book is dedicated to one of the outstanding representatives of modern European thought, Friedrich Nietzsche, and to his attitude towards Christianity. First of all, the biography of the philosopher is examined in order to determine the potential motives for the development of his anti-Christian morality. It seems that an important role in the formation of Nietzsche's anti-Christian worldview was played by both his hostile reaction to the corrupted religious environment in which he grew up, and his acquaintance with the works of authors critical of religion (Schopenhauer, Wagner, Strauss, Feuerbach, etc.). The book also shows Nietzsche's exceptionally high sensitivity to the outside world and the tragic nature of his personality, which was largely due to his chronic physical ailments as well as to the misfortunes and failures of his career and personal life.
In the main part of the book, Nietzsche's critical ideas against Christianity are not simply presented and described, but also discussed and evaluated from a Christian perspective. The author analyzes the extent to which Nietzsche correctly understood particular ideas, notions, issues, concepts and facts of Christian theology and history, and, if necessary, the bias and the provocative nature of his approach are exposed. The contradictions, inconsistencies, and a certain superficiality characteristic of Nietzsche's views are also highlighted. The intellectual efforts of the German philosopher did not aim at a reasoned criticism of Christianity, but rather at its condemnation, “curse” and extirpation.
Furthermore, the book examines the so-called "positive ideas" in the philosophy of Nietzsche (self-affirmation, amor fati, eternal recurrence, etc.), and the influence of his works on the period to follow is also discussed. The results of the research are summarized at the end of the book.
Lastly, it is worth noting that the soundness and the persuasiveness of the arguments given in the work are largely determined by the author’s education in Christian theology, which allows him to discuss in adequate depth the issue of the correctness and exactitude of Nietzsche's views on Christianity. On the other hand, the philosophical and philological education of the editor and the reviewers confirms the compelling content of the book. It should be noted that they have pursued special research on Nietzsche as well, and have a great experience in working on the books written by the German philosoper.
... Cf., (Ortiz 2019) p. 3. 11 The word theosis (usually transliterating θέωσις, without the correct diacritics of theōsis) was coined in the 4 th century but came to its full use only from the 6 th century onwards. Cf., (Russell 2004). 12 (Finlan and Kharlamov 2006) p. 1. (My italics). ...
... Cf., (Finlan and Kharlamov 2006) p. 6. For the original summary of the various meanings, cf., the Appendix in (Russell 2004). Gavrilyuk mentions 'a cluster of notions and practices that shed light upon various dimensions of deification. ...
The union of human and divine wills is a concept that features abundantly in Christian spiritual literature. Yet, it gets very little hearing in most systematic works on theosis despite the fact that it offers a way of talking about the process of divinisation. I propose that the union of human and divine wills is the pinnacle of the virtue of obedience, and that the union in turn constitutes a pathway to divinization. I map this trajectory in St John of the Cross and plot his works as a vademecum on the way to deification. Finally, I consider John’s understanding of the impact of this supernatural union on the human body as well as the role of the latter in deification. Despite uncovering unexpected resources for embodied theosis in John’s writings, I also list major omissions with regards to his (reconstructed) spiritual theology concerning the body transformed by union.
... In Eastern Christianity, the idea of human perfection related to epistemological possibilities since the way of God-cognition was thought of simultaneously as personal selfknowledge, purification (Russell 2004), and acquisition of spiritual knowledge, at the top of which the individual is expected to meet God in a special state of love for the Lord. Yet, the elevation of the individual to this high stage of unity with God the Trinity was prescribed by the Church Fathers only through the attainment of love for another person, one's neighbor, even a stranger. ...
The article presents the theological ideas and mystical–religious teachings of the Greek-Byzantine Church Fathers, which, at the same time, are philosophical because Byzantine theologians also reflected on human and their life, on the relationship between man and God, on the possibilities of God-cognition and obtaining higher sacred knowledge. Based on the analysis of the anthropological and epistemological ideas of the Greek Church Fathers, we highlight that philosophizing was always at the heart of Byzantine theology. Therefore, the Byzantine tradition of the Church Fathers is considered a unique type of philosophy of religion, which originated in the historical formation of the Christian faith in the era of the Triadic and Christological theological debates of the 4th to 7th centuries. This article reflects the teachings of three of the brightest thinkers-theologians of Byzantium—John Climacus, Maximus the Confessor, and Symeon the New Theologian. Their teachings are the foundation and main source of the mystical–religious tradition of Byzantine theology and philosophy. John Climacus’s conception of human self-improvement and self-cognition on the path of theosis is revealed as one of the first philosophical and moral systems of early Byzantium and the source of subsequent Christian concepts of Eastern Christianity. Maximus the Confessor’s conception of the logoi—or energies—of God is presented as a system of symbols with profound philosophical and anthropological meaning. The human being in St. Maximus’s doctrine is the main and self-sufficient symbol of the universe, connecting the two worlds—the Divine and the earthly ones. The doctrine of Symeon the New Theologian on uncreated light is revealed as a personal comprehension of God in the perception of Divine Light. The transforming power of the Light is demonstrated, which changes the nature of a human being and raises an individual to the height of spiritual unity with God. Finally, conclusions are made about the beginning and formation of the philosophy of religion as a special type of philosophical–religious thinking found already in the period of early Christianity.
... A reviewer recommends that I explore the doctrine of theosis/apotheosis, often associated with the Eastern theological tradition, in connection with a degreed understanding of the imago Dei. Russell's (2004) study of this tradition indicates that the historical connection is surprisingly tenuous. I am not prepared to appropriate insights from this tradition for the present study, though I imagine that could help with specifying the manner in which we become more like Christ. ...
I explore the view that the imago Dei is essential to us as humans but accidental to us as persons. To image God is to resemble God, and resemblance comes in degrees. This has the straightforward—and perhaps disturbing—implication that we can be more or less human, and possibly cease to be human entirely. Hence, I call it the spectrum view. I argue that the spectrum view is complementary to the Biblical data, helps explain the empirical reality of horrendous evil, and offers an elegant rapprochement between the traditional view of hell and its rivals.
... Deviations should be corrected. In the Christian household the context correction is practised as 'justification' and 'healing', called 'deification', which means turning back to the once-given norm (Russel, 2004). Looking at it from a social work perspective, the concept of household contains three elements 'family-land-God-in-His-Blessings' as being vitally important for the sustainability of the nation. ...
The affiliation of the family with the land, ownership rights as necessary for a sufficient means of existence on one hand, and God’s blessings on the other, is a founding triangle constituting the basic principles of every ancient society. The triangle is also described in the Old Testament, the first part of the Bible. For many centuries, the ‘nation-land-God’ triangle has been an undisputed foundation for the sustainability of every society. The ancient intuition foresaw the inalienable constituents of society as still being worth remembering for modern man. However, in the 21st century, all three constituents could be described and named differently. Our reflections go far beyond the ancient book (or rather, collection of 39 books) composed more than 2,000 years ago for the needs of society in Ancient Israel. The house, the household, was the key concept for both the family, posterity and economics in Biblical times, and so it is today. We tend to think that family ties and economic relationships are separate concepts, but they are made by affiliation with the land, and changes in relations between the three elements have a deep impact on the stability of the nation, with far-reaching consequences.
... 69-70. On pseudo-Dionysios' concept of deification, see also Russell, 2004, pp. 248-262. ...
The alchemical philosopher “Christianos” (late 6th [?] – 8th cent. CE) demonstrates that alchemical knowledge is a gift of God and describes the virtues that a philosopher-alchemist must possess to receive it. These and other Christian elements should not be considered as a Christian gloss on alchemical ideas. As a result of his exposure to the Neoplatonic mathematization of philosophical ideas, Christianos develops a precise method for defining and classifying alchemical productions on a mathematical basis. This mathematization intends to legitimize alchemy as a licit philosophical field, by presenting it as sharing similar traits with the sciences of the quadrivium. Christianos appears to have regarded this mathematical approach as a path illuminated by God through which a worthy philosopher-alchemist could partake in divine knowledge. The virtuous conduct and the mathematical method serve as two intertwined prerequisites in the pursuit of alchemical knowledge, facilitating at the same time the demarcation between true and false pursuers of knowledge.
... The Royal Exchange is a common phrase by Irenaeus;Irenaeus 2004, 474. 4 The twenty years of research by Norman Russell is dedicated on theologumena of deification. He argues that the whole 'movement' of Imago Dei expresses and signifies other connotation then simply humanity becoming gods; Russell 2004. 5 Bulgakov 2008. ...
... Thus, the idea of deification in Eastern Christianity has a profound conceptual meaning, taking shape as an independent doctrine in the bosom of Christianity, inseparable from both theology and Christian anthropology. For details on the patristic understanding of deification as the essence of the human being please refer to: Nellas (1987), Khaled (2020); and on history of deification from the Bible origins with focusing on the patristic approaches, please refer to: Russell (2004). For perspective fundamental work, please see: Gavrilyuk (2021). ...
The article traces the formation of Eastern Christian anthropology as a new religious and philosophical tradition within the Early Byzantine culture. The notion “Patristics” is reasoned as a corpus of ideas of the Church Fathers, both Eastern and Western. The term “Eastern Patristics” means the works by Greek-Byzantine Church Fathers, who in the theological disputes with the Western Church Fathers elaborated the Christian creed. Based on an analysis of the texts of Greek-Byzantine Church Fathers, the most important provisions of Eastern Patristics are deduced and discussed, which determined the specificity of Christian anthropology. In this context, different approaches of the Eastern Fathers to the explanation of the Old Testament thesis on the creation of man in God’s image and likeness and the justification of the duality of human essence are shown. Particular attention is paid to considering the idea of deification as overcoming the human dualism and the entire created universe, the doctrine of the Divine Logoi as God’s energies, and the potential elimination of the antinomianism of the earthly and Divine worlds. The article reflects the anthropological ideas of the pre-Nicene Church Father Irenaeus, the non-canonical early Christian work The Shepherd of Hermas, and the teachings on the man of the classical Eastern Patristics period by Athanasius of Alexandria, Gregory of Nyssa, and Maximus the Confessor.
... In the Periphyseon, Eriugena uses resolvo to gloss the Greek term, αναλύω (to analyse), and explains why in some detail, N. ΑΝΑΛΥΤΙΚΗ a uerbo ΑΝΑΛΥΩ deriuatur, id est resoluo uel redeo; ΑΝΑ enim re, ΛΥΩ uero soluo interpretatur. Inde etiam nomen nascitur ΑΝΑΛΥCΙC, quod in resolutionem uel reditum similiter uertitur […] Est igitur reditus et resolutio indiuiduorum in formas, formarum in genera, generum 10 Theosis is a Greek term first used by Clement of Alexandria and defined by Pseudo-Dionysius as 'the attaining of likeness to God and union with him so far as is possible' (Russell 2004). There are two main forms of theosis, one is a union with God through prayer, and the other is a return to God after death (reditus). ...
This article identifies a passage from Eriugena’s Periphyseon as a source for an interpolation in the Old English Boethius . The interpolation introduces an unambiguous reference to the Neoplatonic idea of reditus , the return of all created creatures to God. This is not the first such evidence of Neoplatonic ideas in Old English texts and the article explores the significance of this new identification as further evidence for the presence of eastern mystical traditions in early English monastic and courtly circles, challenging the idea that English mysticism began in the Middle English period.
... Such practices were devised by the divine fathers merely as a kind of aid, helping us to achieve mental concentration… But through them the mind also gains the power to pray unceasingly and cleanly without scattering. 29 Father Dumitru Stăniloae, the great Romanian translator and commentator of Philokalia, explains this: "The authors of this writing distinguish between the gathering of the mind in itself and the bringing of grace into the heart. The latter is helped by the unceasing calling of the name of Jesus. ...
... The second type, however, 'returns to the more biblical focus of Athanasius and Cyril' and is 'focused more intensely on the incarnate son'. Modern representatives of this second type include Panayiotis Nellas, John Zizioulas, and John Behr (Keating 2015: 279;Russell 2004; see the same distinction in Williams 1983: 106). It is this second type that the revivalists of a Reformed doctrine of theology seem most in line with. ...
The recent interest in exploring whether authoritative figures of the Reformed tradition employed a concept of theōsis or deification in their soteriology continues to grow. However, it is yet unclear how the supposed implicit Reformed doctrine of deification relates to the more explicit concept of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, many of the arguments for theōsis in the theology of John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, or T. F. Torrance seem to rely on confusing these two soteriological concepts. This makes it almost impossible to assess if it is theōsis or the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (or some interesting combination) that is being appealed to in Reformed thinking. This paper makes a step towards unpicking the knot between the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and theōsis in Reformed theology by offering five possible ways to demarcate these two concepts. It is concluded that the final ‘Mereological Demarcation’ is currently the most acceptable.
This article discusses Charles Stang’s understanding of a Pauline and Pseudo-Dionysian concept of deification prayer, and the role of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the believer, in light of both Neoplatonic metaphysics of participation and Paul’s understanding of the term “spirit”. It argues that this can be understood through a concept of divine indwelling, explicated theurgically through the Neoplatonic conception of the One of the soul. While the Christian and non-Christian Neoplatonic traditions diverge on the nature of this indwelling, particularly as it relates to divine revelation, it serves the same function for both. A theurgic perspective helps us not just discover parallels and divergences between Christianity and Pagan Platonism, but also provides us with a language and a metaphysics which helps us explicate the work of the Holy Spirit.
Celem artykułu jest próba przedstawienia rozumienia teologii przez Włodzimierza N. Łosskiego, jednego z najwybitniejszych myślicieli prawosławnych XX wieku. Wydaje się, że prezentowane przez niego podejście jest istotne nie tylko ze względów systematyczno-historycznych, ale może być inspirujące także w kontekście wyzwań ekumenicznych oraz pytań o znaczenie, miejsce i rolę teologii we współczesnym Kościele i świecie. Duchowa świeżość uprawiania teologii przez Rosjanina jest w stanie uwypuklić duchowy wymiar niejednokrotnie zbyt akademickiej myśli teologicznej. Jednak tym, co szczególnie zachęca do poświęcenia jej uwagi, jest postulowany związek teologii z komunią z żywym Bogiem, przeżywaną i poznawaną z jej wnętrza, a nie w formie niezaangażowanego i niejako przedmiotowego oglądu. Teologia, tak jak rozumie ją Łosski, a zarazem jak ją uprawia, jest mistyczna i tym samym teopoietyczno-apofatyczna. Rozjaśnieniu tych kwestii poświęcone jest niniejsze studium.
In this article I propose an erotic theosis as a fruitful possibility for conceptualising our final participation in union with God in the beatific vision and for imaging said participation on earth. Particularly, I propose a synthesis of recent work from Oliver Crisp on theosis with that of Sarah Coakley on sexual desire as an especially helpful way in which to conceive of our ever-deepening participation in God's love. Further, this synthesis uses contributions from Erin Dufault-Hunter on the intersections of sexual desire and ethics as a catalyst for its recommendations.
Scopul propus prin această cercetare este subliniat în mod direct
de către titlul lucrării. Teologia Pr. Prof. Ion Bria conține poziții
eclesiologice și misionare sau misiologice. În acest sens, mi-am propus să analizez relația sau raportul dintre misiune și eclesiologie, cu scopul de a înțelege dimensiunea misionară a Bisericii Ortodoxe. Prezenta teză se află în aria de cercetare a domeniului Teologie, specializarea Misiologie și Ecumenism. În mod evident, cercetarea va implica și elemente de eclesiologie, hristologie și pnevmatologie, care aparțin de specializarea
Teologie Dogmatică.
Premisa de cercetare are în vedere poziția oficială a Bisericii
Ortodoxe care consideră că misiunea este parte integrantă a eclesiologiei. Din această perspectivă, există o unitate indisolubilă între misiune și eclesiologie, într-atât de mult încât din poziția teologilor dogmatiști separarea pentru analiză a celor două dimensiuni prezintă anumite riscuri. Din perspectivă misiologică, tema nu este una nouă, însă rămâne de actualitate. Dacă din punct de vedere protestant nu există Biserică fără misiune, din perspectivă ortodoxă nu există misiune fără Biserică.
Pornind de la această permisă a teologiei ortodoxe, teza fundamentală pe care o voi demonstra în această lucrare este aceasta că în viziunea Pr. Prof. Ion Bria relația dintre misiune și eclesiologie este definită de conceptul liturghie după Liturghie. În consecință, acesta nu este un concept misionar, ci unul eclesiologic-misionar par excellence, exprimând cât se poate de clar că există o unitate între eclesiologie și misiune.
Altfel spus, obiectivul principal al acestei lucrări este să demonstrăm că sintagma liturghie după Liturghie este un concept
eclesiologic-misionar, care definește relația dintre misiune și eclesiologie în viziunea Pr. Prof. Ion Bria. Pentru atingerea acestui obiectiv principal, vom avea nevoie de câteva obiective secundare și anume: a) prezentareaactivității și itinerariului misionar-ecumenic al Pr. Ion Bria; b) analiza critică a ideilor eclesiologice ale Pr. Ion Bria și a deschiderii sale ecumenice; c) clarificarea paternității sintagmei liturghie după Liturghie; d) definirea teologică a sintagmei liturghie după Liturghie și a legăturii dintre misiune și eclesiologie prin prisma acestui concept; e) receptarea sintagmei liturghie după Liturghie în diferite documente, consultații și în
lucrările diferiților teologi.
Pentru îndeplinirea obiectivului principal, dar și a celor secundare,
planul lucrării va cuprinde trei capitole și anume: Itinerariul misionar, activitatea ecumenică și opera scrisă ale Pr. Prof. Dr. Ion Bria (capitolul 1); Eclesiologia Pr. Prof. Dr. Ion Bria și valoarea ei ecumenică (capitolul 2) și Concepția eclesiologic-misionară a Pr. Prof. Dr. Ion Bria: liturghie după Liturghie (capitolul 3). În mod evident, fiecare capitol va avea subcapitolele aferente, în funcție de specificul temelor abordate.
This article reconstructs the categorical apparatus used by Gregory of Nazianzus to form notions of the ἀρχή of the priest. It has been shown that logic of religious leadership, developed by Gregory, is deeply rooted in paradigms of Late Antiquity. He connects the idea of the divine origin of the institution of the clergy with the notion of a world hierarchy (ἀρχὴ καὶ τάξις). In this context, oppositions between ministry/absolute authority (λειτουργία/ἡγεμονία) and force/persuasion (βίᾳ/πειθοῖ) are analyzed, showing that the priest is defined by his position between God and the laity, which is often described using the pastoral metaphor: Chief Shepherd Christ — shepherd — flock. At the same time, the category of “mediation” itself (μεσιτεία Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων) refers in his text exclusively to the cultic function of the priest, i.e. bringing people to God through the sacraments. Another way of achieving this goal is to help people through “spiritual guidance,” i.e. different practices of communication (conversation, sermon, instruction, etc.). This path is described by Gregory in Neoplatonic categories and implies that only someone who is close to God can lead others to Him. These two methods of influencing lay people have a different theological-ontological basis, however both of them constitute the ἀρχή of the priest. The performance of the sacraments is considered as that which places a priest closer to God, that is to say what includes him in ἀρχὴ καὶ τάξις on a level distinct from ordinary people. Moreover, the priest is thought of as a person who occupies in the New Israel — the Church — the place of the rulers of ancient Israel, and for this reason his position is described as authoritative, although this authority has to do with the government of souls (ἡγεμονία ψυχῶν), accomplished in this case exclusively through persuasion.
This article analyses the role of the spiritual path of theosis in the mission of the Eastern Orthodox church. It evaluates the main directions in which the church could have a fundamental role in the world, such as peace, human dignity or the ecological crises, and does so through the lens of the deification process. The spiritual exercise of deification contributes to a fundamental change in the way that we act, think, and understand reality and this plays an essential part in missionary work as understood by the Eastern Orthodox church. Because of this approach, the theological term martyria/witness is considered more suitable than the term mission, in order to describe the process of transformation of the human persons and, through those who engage on the path of deification, the transformation of the entire creation.
Genesis expresses human creation in God's image and likeness. This Divine image— imago Dei—given to humanity, was an important notion in the liturgical prayers of early Christians. This paper shows that early Christian anaphoras of the first five centuries utilize image language to introduce the economy of salvation, emphasizing a need for Christ's salvific incarnation, while highlighting traditional descriptions of the imago Dei. Two descriptions of the imago Dei emerge in early anaphoras. One focuses on the immortality and rationality of the human soul as the depiction of the Divine image, seen in the anaphora of St Mark, the Armenian Anaphoras of St Basil, the Byzantine Anaphora of St Basil, and the Apostolic Constitutions. The second description of the imago Dei—best seen in the anaphora of St Gregory the Theologian and the Apostolic Constitutions—ties image to authority and complements Genesis 1:26, which references humanity's dominion after creation in the Divine image. These descriptions seem to take a secondary role, since introducing the salvation narrative remains the most dominant use of the imago Dei language, which highlights the link between creation and incarnation.
This essay represents the first formal attempt to identify themes of theosis within the Ethiopian Orthodox Tawāḥǝdo Church (EOTC). The first half explores four historical phases in the development of the doctrine of theosis: Ancient Pagan, Biblical, Patristic, and Medieval and Modern. It is argued that theosis finds strong support in the biblical corpus but that it is best to clarify which historical type one has in view due to its complex development. The second half of the paper considers themes of theosis within three genres of Ethiopic literature: Hagiography, Liturgy, and National Epic. New discoveries and insights are leveraged in order to demonstrate that although theosis lacks a precise equivalent in Classical Ethiopic, the literature of the EOTC demonstrates a strong familiarity with the basic contours of the doctrine of deification.
The doctrine of apokatastasis, which he describes as the return of all souls to their original pure state of mind, is an important example among Origen's theological teachings. However, this doctrine is also one of the most controversial issues in his theology. Believing that the end should resemble the beginning, Origen offers a universal understanding of salvation in which all beings will ultimately be saved by reconciling human freedom and the plan that createdby God for humanity. The effect of this teaching of Origen on the period after him is especially evident on theologians who were supporters of the apokatastasis doctrine, such as Didymus The Blind, Gregory of Nyssa, Evagrius and Gregory of Nazianzus. In this context, he is one of the main figures whose views are included not only in the early period, but also in the discussions with the understanding of universal salvation within the church from past to present. In this study, our aim is to reveal the nature of the apokatastasis phenomenon by examining Origen's statements on the subject in a comprehensive and analytical manner based on his works. There is no independent study in this framework in our field. In this context, it is important to consider the early views and interpretations of the salvation theory, which are related to modern thoughts, both in terms of helping us retrieve a fuller picture of the patristic mindset and laying the groundwork for further studies on the doctrine of apokatastasis and the understanding of universal salvation.
Early 20th century Russian academic theology showed considerable interest in St. Augustine’s theology. Among a significant number of works on the latter, one that stands out in terms of its scale and being well-founded, the doctoral thesis “The personality and legacy of St. Augustine” (1916) by I. V. Popov, a professor of the Moscow theological academy. Although the first volume of the Popov’s work is the only one that remains, it is of substantial interest because it witnesses the continuous intellectual evolution of its author, who made a sharp turn from the Eastern patristics towards the Western patristics in his studying the topic of “deification.” However, today there is no unanimous agreement among scholars on the presence of “deification” concepts in the Western theology, and Popov himself does not use the term “deification” in his doctoral thesis. Nevertheless, Popov’s conclusion that “ontologism,” being understood as the possibility of a direct communication with God in this life, was characteristic of St. Augustine represents in some sense the next stage of Popov’s search for an organic integration of the moral and mystical contents of Christian life. Containing an implicit but relevant for the early twentieth century critique of Harnack’s rationalism, Popov’s work had as well an impact on the mid-twentieth century Russian thought, having been in demand in the diaspora. It should be especially noted that, despite its unconditional significance both for the history of Russian patristics and of Russian theology in the twentieth century Popov’s “Augustine” has not attracted special attention of researchers so far.
This study explores the often-posited distinction between Alexandrian and Cappadocian approaches to deification in the fourth and fifth centuries. Athanasius of Alexandria has been selected to represent an Alexandrian approach and Gregory of Nazianzus, to represent a Cappadocian one. Comparison of their respective theologies of deification reveals a diversity in opinion on what exactly deification involved among the Fathers and the inadequacy of the interpretive categories of “moral” and “realistic” approaches to distinguish between them. The study observes areas of convergence and divergence at each stage of their respective narratives of deification, beginning with Creation and the Fall; then the Redemptive work of Christ; Pneumatology and Baptism; the Christian life, and finally the Deified State. What should become apparent throughout this study is that while both Fathers are espousing ideas which should rightfully be considered deification, the substance of their ideas and their focuses differ dramatically in places and while they are not necessarily contradictory or unsynthesizable, it is necessary to recognise their significant differences.
In the context of Roman masculine ideals, characterised by mastery over self and others, crucifixion proved a conundrum for early Christians who understood Christ as the exemplary human, or Man. Christian writers may have crafted apologia that recast crucifixion as a masculine act of endurance leading ultimately to glory, as in the so-called Christ hymn of Philippians 2. Yet, visualisation of the crucifixion confronted Christians with the problem that Christ might be viewed, literally, as unmanly, non-ideal. This article elaborates angst over shoring up Christ’s masculinity by juxtaposing early Christian interpretations of the Christ hymn, in particular its image of Christ in the form of a slave, and the Alexamenos graffito. Christ’s enslaved form, marked in the Roman world as crucifiable, was re-presented by writers such as Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian as a model of self-control, mastering and purging slavishness. In contrast, the Alexamenos graffito, etched within a context of enslavement, put the crucified Christ on full display, complete with a donkey head and its attendant associations with both slavery and the mockery of philosophical figures. Instead of taking the graffito to represent only the ridicule of Christ, or Christians generally, this essay takes seriously its satirical resonances, making a mockery of masculine ideals in ways that may have suggested solidarity with the enslaved. The article thus underscores early Christian anxiety over Christ’s masculinity, potential alternative responses among the enslaved, as well as new possibilities for making sense of the Alexamenos graffito within its context.
This article studies the role and identity of the Spirit of resurrection in Rom. 8. First, possible references to the Spirit of resurrection in the OT and Jewish literature of the Second Temple period are explored. Next, the argumentation of Rom. 8 is analysed, where the apostle links the Spirit of resurrection with the work of Christ (Rom. 8.1-4, 10-11), describes its function of making believers resemble the Son (Rom. 8.5-6, 9-11, 14-17) and shows it as sustaining hope for the legacy of glory with the Firstborn (Rom. 8.18-30). The Spirit of resurrection is argued to be a specifically Pauline idea which differs both from the OT and from the Jewish literature of the Second Temple period.
Although Political Theology examined mainly the political dimension of the relationship between God-Father and God-Son, it is paramount to consider the political performance of the Holy Spirit in the Economy of Redemption. The Holy Spirit has been characterized as the binding cause and the principle of relationality both referring to God’s inner life and to God’s relationship with His creatures. As the personalization of relationality, the Holy Spirit performs a unique task: to bring together what is apart by means of organisation. This power of the Spirit to turn a plurality into a unity is manifested in the Latin translation of oikonomía as disposition, that is, giving a special order to the multiple elements within a certain totality. Within this activity of the Spirit, Theodicy can be regarded as the way to depict God’s arrangement of the world and of history, bringing everything together towards the eschatological Kingdom of God. The paper aims at showing this fundamental activity of the Holy Spirit in Christian Theology, and intends to pose the question on how to think on a theology beyond theodicy, that is, how to think on a Trinitarian God beyond the categories of sovereignty and totalization.
The book investigates how the concept of time was understood in the period between the second and the seventh centuries. It also focuses in chapter 8 on the manner in which this notion was reconsidered by some modern and contemporary scholars, in particular Paul Tillich.
U ovom tekstu ćemo istražiti na koji način i na kojoj osnovi je ideja napredovanja doživela svoju transformaciju u neoplatonizmu i hrišćanskoj teologiji. Pokazaćemo da se elementi ove ideje javljaju kod Plotina i pojedinih patrističkih autora, ali da je konačno uobličenje i razradu doživela prvenstveno u delu svetog Grigorija Niskog, koji je priznat kao najzaslužniji za njeno postuliranje. ključne reči: Grigorije Niski, epektasis, Plotin, neoplatonizam, napredovanje. Ideja napredovanja i usavršavanja na putu dostizanja savršenstva ponajviše je razvijana u kontekstu stoičke filozofije (Dobrijević 2021: 83-90). U okvirima neopla-tonizma, hrišćanske teologije i hrišćanskog platonizma, ova ideja je doživela specifi-čan razvoj, i iz sfere etičkog premeštena je u oblast metafizike i soteriologije. Među sholarima postoji saglasnost da je Grigorije Niski taj koji je ovu ideju promovisao i do kraja formulisao i razradio, naročito kroz upotrebu specifičnog pojma epektasis. Njegova pozicija se međutim, ne može razumeti bez osvrta na ključni koncept kreta-nja, kao i ukazivanja na okvire u kojima se njegova misao razvijala i zaleđe koje mu je prethodilo. Grigorije je pre svega bio biblijski teolog, egzegeta, ali je takođe bio verziran i u filozofskim pitanjima svog vremena. Detaljna analiza složenog problema nasleđa koje je na njega uticalo uveliko bi prevazišla okvire članka, zbog čega ćemo se ograničiti samo na nekolicinu ključnih aspekata. Hrišćansko shvatanje vrline i poroka (greha) suštinski je povezano sa semitskim-starozavetnim nasleđem, gde vrlinski život nije posmatran kao individualno usavr-šavanje i staranje o sebi, 1 već kao korporativno učešće u savezu sa Bogom, pri čemu je vršenje Njegove volje ujedno i izvor i potvrda toga saveza. "Činićemo i slušaćemo" (Izl. 24, 7) stoga predstavlja paradigmu (staro)zavetnog etičkog diskursa (Rogerson 2004: 29-39).
The paper discusses Jerome’s attack against the belief that human beings share the same substance as the heavenly powers and even as the Trinity, according to the dignity (dignitas) of the soul: in polemical texts such as Ep. 124.14, Jerome attributes this belief to Origen. Jerome’s intent clearly to demarcate the difference in nature between human and divine beings is also reflected in his exegetical writings, especially when dealing with Psalm 81, where human beings are addressed as “gods.” The paper investigates Jerome’s understanding of the dignitas of humanity as it emerges from his Homily on Psalm 81: the comparison with Origen’s own passages on Psalm 81 reveals that Jerome closely follows Origen’s exegetical argument. However, through a careful definition of human dignitas Jerome intentionally distances himself from Origen when it comes to associating human beings with immortal beings, most notably Christ.
Christian asceticism assumes that human beings can profoundly transform themselves over years of systematic training, with divine aid. This contribution joins recent scholarship in stressing the therapeutic and transformative dimensions of asceticism, but argues that it was not solely or primarily through bodily training that asceticism implemented this program. In the Eastern monastic tradition of late antiquity, it was primarily the mind that needed to be transformed and renewed through ascetic practice. The form of asceticism at the center of this study thus involves a disciplined and systematic attempt to purify the mind and train attention, in the service of contemplation.
The abuses of persons with intellectual disabilities in Romania’s state institutions has been in the attention of European human rights system for many years. Still despite the best efforts put into changing this deplorable situation nothing changed. The article argues that there are two main reasons for the unsuccessful attempts made to improve the care of persons with intellectual disabilities in Romania. On the one hand, the notion of human rights at the heart of the European vision does not resonate well with the dominant ethical discourse issuing from the Orthodox Church. On the other hand, the main paradigm of Orthodox theology either implies they are defective – because they lack the consciousness and the moral freedom needed to attain deification (the very goal of their existence) – or sees them as instruments for spiritual healing and deification of their carers.
Almost every church or Christian community is affected by the presence of autism, as it is now understood. Christians who consider the Bible to be the normative guide for matters of thought and practice turn to this body of Scripture as they seek to deal Christianly with this recently-labelled reality. Because the condition of autism was not known as such in the ancient world, the attempt to “think biblically” about it cannot be reduced to the exegesis of texts that obviously describe it, and this quickly exposes the limitations of the exegetical methodologies practiced within the discipline of Biblical Studies, even by faithful scholars and pastors. Christians may develop well-intentioned and creative attempts to apply biblical teaching to autism, but if these are not regulated by good interpretative and theological principles, such accounts can be inappropriate and pastorally destructive. Autism, moreover, does not stand alone, but exemplifies a range of developmental conditions not known as such in the ancient world, particularly those involving cognitive development.
A tradução aqui disponibilizada de Diógenes Laércio, livro III: Platão é antecedida de algumas observações sumárias. Aborda-se vários aspetos, como fontes, estilo e transmissão do livro. A obra não é meramente laudatória. De facto, Laércio estende a sua exposição a diversos aspectos da vida de Platão, como carácter; Escola; amores; plágio; posses; testamento, sem omitir algumas informações menos abonatórias a Platão enquanto figura antitética, amado por uns, odiado e acusado por outros.
This study aims to examine how becoming like God is handled in Avicenna’s philosophy. Basically the article is based on the need to interpret that Plato and Aristotle and Plotinus are philosophers that complement each other, not diverge, in terms of the topic of becoming like God. First and foremost I present Avicenna’s arguments using the concepts of becoming like god (teşebbüh billah) and becoming like the First (teşebbüh bi’l-evvel) as a springboard. Moreover, based on the context in which Avicenna uses the concept of manifestation (tecelli), I examine how the idea of unification with God is transformed into an intellectual ideal. In the last section, I present the connection between the journey of becoming a perfected human and becoming like god which was established in the Metaphysics volume of The Book of Healing (eş-Şifa) as a section of the matter which is related to ethics.
Dezessete tratados herméticos foram conservados em um corpus. Deve-se perguntar a razão pela qual todos os dezessete tratados foram coligidos nesse corpus. Não obstante haver uma incidência de tratados πρὸς Τατ, πρὸς Ἀσϰληπιόν, πρὸς Ἄμμωνα tanto no Corpus Hermeticum como nos Stobaei Hermetica, deve-se salientar três pontos importantes: a) não se pode presumir facilmente nada, além dessa incidência, sobre as fontes que Estobeu empregou sem qualquer tipo de atestação; b) deve-se entender que o próprio Corpus Hermeticum é uma coletânea de textos de que não se pode pressupor uma fonte única e unívoca de todos os tratados ali coligidos; c) ao empregar as mesmas fontes, não está clara a razão pela qual se emprega alguns textos em detrimento de outros. Ao que tudo indica, o Corpus Hermeticum, embora compreendendo um conjunto de textos que remontam aos primeiros séculos da Era Cristã, é uma produção redacional seletiva e arbitrária do Período Bizantino no que diz respeito a sua formação enquanto coletânea de textos herméticos e unidade literária distinta. Assim, o ponto capital é a maneira como os textos herméticos foram reunidos e transmitidos e a motivação pela qual se optou por um conjunto de tratados herméticos, sinalizando, assim, o interesse pelas doutrinas e a sua interpretação em um determinado contexto.
Gregory of Nyssa presents the conception of human deification in an extraordinarily clear and concious way, using special verbs and characteristic expressions to emphasize the dynamism of the change of humanity into more divine. The Cappadocian Father, in order to maintain the apophatic nature of his doctrine, more and more often rejects the term of deification and describes it in his writings as participation of man in the divine nature, therefore the nominal term of deification never occurs in his literary works. However, the analysys of Gregory of Nyssa’s descriptions in which he refers to the terminology of deification has revealed a precisely chrystological and collective dimension of this process, which is possible to be taken up by man only owing to the energetic union connecting God and the world.
In the article the author reflects on the problem of the ontological distinction between the transcendence and immanence of God in the theological thought of Macarius of Egypt. The focus of his analysis is on the apophatic approach to the interpretation of the unutterable, inaccessible and unknowable nature of God and the conceptual and terminological ways in which God’s presence is expressed in created being. The main terms by which Macarius expresses God’s absolute remoteness from the world, on one hand, and His presence in the world on the another, are analyzed. The researcher considers the spiritual and ascetic dimension of the anthropological and soteriological views of Macarius’ theology through the prism of the pneumatology and christology.
На цю тематику написано велику кількість монографій та статей. Проте, у цьому дослідженні я не намагатимусь синтезувати попередні дослідження в цій тематиці. Радше спробую подивитися на цей образ з цілком иншої перспективи, яка тісно пов'язана з образом досконалого християнина і ґностика, але на яку дотепер мало хто звертав увагу, а саме погляд на цей образ через призму Климентового розуміння християнського служіння та дияконії у спільноттєвому, екклезіолоігічному та христологічному значеннях цього поняття.
Jonathan Kvanvig has proposed a non-cognitive theory of faith. He argues that the model of faith as essentially involving assent to propositions is of no value. In response, I propose a Thomistic cognitive theory of faith that both avoids Kvanvig’s criticism and presents a richer and more inclusive account of how faith is intrinsically valuable. I show these accounts of faith diverge in what they take as the goal of the Christian life: personal relationship with God or an external state of affairs. For this reason, more seriously, the non-cognitivist project likely requires rejecting traditional Christianity and its picture of salvation.
The beatific vision is widely perceived as a Roman Catholic doctrine. Many continue to view deification as a distinctively Eastern Orthodox doctrine incompatible with the Western theological tradition, especially its Protestant expressions. This essay will demonstrate that several Reformers of the first and second generation promoted a vision of redemption that culminates with deification and beatific vision. They affirmed these concepts without apology in confessional statements, dogmatic works, biblical commentaries, and polemical treatises. Attention will focus on figures in the Reformed tradition though one could produce similar surveys for the Lutheran and Anglican branches of the Reformation as well. John Calvin will receive extended treatment because some scholars dispute whether he affirmed deification. This essay presents important evidence thus far overlooked which should settle the question.
Es soil nicht nur die allgemeine , religionsgeschichtliche Frage gestellt werden, wie weit Paulus faktisch in der Tradition der jüdischen Weisheit steht. Die Frage soil präzisiert werden: Wie geht Paulus aktiv mit dieser Weisheit um, indem er ihre Methoden verwendet, ihre Gedanken verarbeitet, im Stil der Weisheit literarisch gestaltet? Vielleicht ergeben sich aus dieser Fragestellung Gesichtspunkte für ein Urteil in dem immer noch offenen Streit darüber, wie das sachliche Zentrum seiner Theologie zu bestimmen sei: Ist er der Theologe der Rechtfertigung, hellenistischer Mystiker, apokalyptischer Pneumatiker oder in einem allgemeineren Sinne theologischer Weisheitslehrer? Umstritten sind: die Struktur seiner Eschatologie, das Verhältnis von Eschatologie und Heilsgeschichte, Eschatologie und Ethik, Soteriologie und Ethik usw. Vor allem: 1st seine Theologie wirklich als ‘Anthropologie’ zu bestimmen (Bultmann) oder ist sie primär Entwurf eines (eschatologisch bestimmten) Weltbildes bzw. Geschichtsbildes?
Presents a comprehensive account of sanctification and divinization in Cyril as set forth in his New Testament biblical commentaries. By establishing the importance of pneumatology in Cyril's narrative of divine life and by showing the requirement for an ethical aspect of divinization grounded in the example of Christ himself, this study brings a corrective to certain readings of Cyril that tend to exaggerate the 'somatic' or 'physicalistic' character of his understanding of divinization, by arguing that Cyril correlates the somatic and pneumatic means of our union with Christ, and impressively integrates the ontological and ethical aspects of our sanctification and divinization. The final chapter offers brief sketches of Cyril in comparison with Theodore of Mopsuestia, Augustine, and Leo the Great, with the aim of gaining further clarity to the Christological debates of the fifth century, and a better grasp of the theological similarities and differences between the East and West.
Evolution de cette doctrine qui, chez Augustin, n'est pas au premier plan, mais qui est cependant une composante non negligeable de sa pensee| issue du neo-platonisme, la notion se trouve plus tard incorporee dans la reflexion theologique d'Augustin
213: 'the whole thought-world of the Hermetic Corpus is alien to that of Plato'. Fowden 1993: 73: Hermetism according to Mahé is 'mythical Egyptian thought translated into Greek'. Frankfurter 1998: 240: The Hermetic Corpus was composed by 'some shadowy conventicles of Greek-proficient
- Cf
- Dillon
Cf. Dillon 1996: 213: 'the whole thought-world of the Hermetic Corpus is alien to that of Plato'.
Fowden 1993: 73: Hermetism according to Mahé is 'mythical Egyptian thought translated into Greek'.
Frankfurter 1998: 240: The Hermetic Corpus was composed by 'some shadowy conventicles of
Greek-proficient [Egyptian] priests'.
To become fully conscious is to become aware of the divine within oneself, for divine consciousness is found only in God and human beings (Ascl. 7, 32). The opposite to gnosis is ignorance
- Ascl
Ascl. 41).
The return to God, the 'way of immortality' (NHL vi. 6. 63), has been
described as a journey with three stages: gnôsis, the awakening; logos, the
process of attaining maturity; and nous, the vision of the divine intellect
(Mahé 1991: 351). Gnosis is a spiritual awakening that is stimulated by
amazement at the powers of the human mind. Consciousness is divinity
itself (Ascl. 18). To become fully conscious is to become aware of the divine
within oneself, for divine consciousness is found only in God and human
beings (Ascl. 7, 32). The opposite to gnosis is ignorance, which is likened to
drunkenness or sleep (CH viii. 1). Ignorance is the worst evil (CH viii. 2; x.