Theosis: Partaking of the Divine Nature

In the Orthodox Church, this concept is neither new nor startling. It even has a
name: theosis. Theosis is the understanding that human beings can have real union with God, and
so become like God to such a degree that we participate in the divine nature. Also referred to
as deification, divinization, or illumination, it is a concept derived from the New Testament
regarding the goal of our relationship with the Triune God. (Theosis and deification may be used
interchangeably. We will avoid the term divinization, since it could be misread for divination,
which is another thing altogether!)
Many Protestants, and even some Roman Catholics, might find the Orthodox concept of
theosis unnerving. Especially when they read a quote such as this one from St. Athanasius: God
became man so that men might become gods, they immediately fear an influence of Eastern
mysticism from Hinduism or pantheism.
But such an influence could not be further from the Orthodox understanding. The human
person does not merge with some sort of impersonal divine force, losing individual identity or
consciousness. Intrinsic divinity is never ascribed to humankind or any part of the creation, and
no created thing is confused with the being of God. Most certainly, humans are not accorded
ontological equality with God, nor are they considered to merge or co-mingle with the being of
God as He is in His essence.
In fact, to safeguard against any sort of misunderstanding of this kind, Orthodox
theologians have been careful to distinguish between Gods essence and His energies. God is
incomprehensible in His essence. But God, who is love, allows us to know Him through His
divine energies, those actions whereby He reveals Himself to us in creation, providence, and
redemption. It is through the divine energies, therefore, that we achieve union with God.
We become united with God by grace in the Person of Christ, who is God come in the
flesh. The means of becoming like God is through perfection in holiness, the continuous
process of acquiring the Holy Spirit by grace through ascetic devotion. Some Protestants might
refer to this process assanctification. Another term for it, perhaps more familiar to Western
Christians, would be mortificationputting sin to death within ourselves.
In fact, deification is very akin to the Western understanding of holiness or perfection,
with the added element of our mystical union with God in Christ as both the means and the
motive for attaining perfection. Fr. David Hester, in his booklet, The Jesus Prayer, identifies
theosis as the gradual process by which a person is renewed and unified so completely with God
that he becomes by grace what God is by nature. Another way of stating it is sharing in the
divine nature through grace.
St. Maximos the Confessor, as Fr. Hester notes, defined theosis as total participation in
Jesus Christ. Careful to maintain the ontological safeguard noted above, St. Maximos further
stated, All that God is, except for an identity in being, one becomes when one is deified by
grace.
C. S. Lewis understood this concept and expressed it compellingly in Mere Christianity:
The command Be ye perfect is not idealistic gas. Nor is it a command to do the impossible. He
is going to make us into creatures that can obey that command. He said (in the Bible) that we
were gods and He is going to make good His words. If we let Himfor we can prevent Him,
if we chooseHe will make the feeblest and filthiest of us into a god or goddess, dazzling,
radiant, immortal creatures, pulsating all through with such energy and joy and wisdom and love
as we cannot now imagine, a bright stainless mirror which reflects back to Him perfectly
(though, of course, on a smaller scale) His own boundless power and delight and goodness. The
process will be long and in parts very painful; but that is what we are in for. Nothing less. He
meant what he said. (Macmillan, 1952, p. 174)
With the Incarnation, God has assumed and glorified our flesh and has consecrated and
sanctified our humanity. He has also given us the Holy Spirit. As we acquire more of the Holy
Spirit in our daily lives, we become more like Christ, and we have the opportunity of being
granted, in this life, illumination or glorification. When we speak of acquiring more of the Holy
Spirit, it is in the sense of appropriating to a greater degree what has actually been given to us
already by God. We acquire more of what we are more able to receive. God the Holy Spirit
remains ever constant.

Theosis in the New Testament

Many passages in the New Testament speak to the Orthodox understanding of deification/theosis.
First is 2 Peter 1:34, which states that Gods divine power has given to us all things that
pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of God, who called us by His own glory and
goodness. Through these things, He has given us His great promises so that we may be
partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
This verse clearly and unequivocally states that we can become partakers of
the divine nature. How so? Through Gods divine power at work in us, we gain life and godliness
and are given His promises so that we can escape from corruption. There is Gods action in and
upon us, and there is response and corresponding effort on our part.
This brings to mind Philippians 2:1213, where St. Paul tells us to work out [our]
salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in us both to will and to do for
His good pleasure. Thus we get a clear picture here of the process by which we are renewed and
unified so completely with God that we become by grace what God is by nature. God works in
us, and we cooperate with His grace.
Another passage of note is John 10:3436. In a dispute with the Pharisees, Jesus refers
to the verse quoted above, Psalm 82:6, where human beings are referred to as gods. The Jewish
leaders accuse Jesus of blasphemy and are ready to stone Him for equating Himself with the
Father (vv. 2233). Jesus replies, Is it not written in your law, I said, You are gods ? If He
called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), then
why do they label as blasphemy Jesus calling Himself Gods Son? Jesus is truly Gods Son, and
we are gods because we share in His sonship.
Consider Acts 17:2829, where St. Paul approvingly quotes the Greek poets, who state
that we are Gods offspring. Paul concludes that since we arethe offspring of God, we ought
not to think that the Divine Nature is like some lifeless object.
Throughout Pauls epistles, we find many descriptive passages referring to the same
concepts that we have been considering: union with God, sharing in the divine nature through
grace, and total participation in Jesus Christthe biblical concept of theosis/deification. In
Ephesians 1, Paul states that we have been given every spiritual blessing (v. 3) so that we
should be holy and without blame (v. 4); we are His sons (v. 5). He made the riches of His
grace . . . to abound toward us (vv. 67). We are given wisdom and insight into the mystery of
His will (v. 9), which is to gather together in one all things in Christ (v. 10).
Furthermore, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (v. 13), the guarantee of
our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession (v. 14). We are recipients of
wisdom and revelation (v. 17), having the eyes of [our] understanding . . . enlightened (v.
18); knowing the exceeding greatness of His power toward us (v. 19). We are the body of
Him who is the head and the fullness of Him who fills all in all (v. 23).
These are descriptions of sonship, of human beings as children of God with full pedigree and
inheritance rights. We are brought into Gods intimate inner circle to know the mystery of His
will, being given wisdom and enlightenment. We have grace lavished upon us and are His body,
His fullness. The whole purpose of Gods mystery is that all things will be united in Christ and
that He will be all in all. Does this not describe partaking of the divine nature, becoming by grace
what God is by nature?
Certainly there is much more being described here than growing in faith and good
works, progressing in sanctification or mortifying sin. Those are indeed excellent enterprises,
but not ends in themselves. They are means employed toward a greater end. St. Paul is outlining
this compelling, inspiring description of our identity in Christ, indeed showing us what total
participation in Christ actually is. Ephesians 1 is a description of theosis.
In other verses in Ephesians, St. Paul continues: we are to be filled with all
the fullness of God (3:19) and to attain to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ
(4:13). We are to grow up in all things into Him who is the headChrist (4:15). Again, this
describes the process of being deified by grace, acquiring the fullness of Christ.
In Romans 6, Paul gives us a wonderful picture of deification. Through baptism we walk
in newness of life (v. 4). We are not to let sin reign in [our] mortal bod[ies] (v. 12), but are to
present [ourselves] to God (v. 13) so that sin will not have dominion over us (v. 14). Our
members are to be yielded to righteousness for holiness (v. 19). Therefore we have been set
free from sin, and hav[e] become slaves of God (v. 22). Our hope is to share in the glory of
God (5:2). Even the very creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God (8:19).
Continuing in chapter 8, we are indeed called sons of God (v. 14) who have received a
Spirit of adoption, crying (as Jesus did) Abba, Father (v. 15). The Spirit bears witness with
our spiritunionthat we are children of God (v. 16). We are children, heirs of God and
joint heirs with Christ . . . that we may also be glorified together (v. 17). Verse 17 also
stipulates, if indeed we suffer with Him. We will come back to that in relation to the
experience of the saints who have attained deification.
 In verse 29, St. Paul writes that we are destined to be conformed to the image of His
Son. Furthermore, those He justified, these He also glorified (v. 30). Note that he did not say
God will glorify them only after they die, at the final resurrection. This glorifying can be a
present reality. Verse 32 says that God will with Him also freely give us all things.
Does this not get you just a little bit excited? Does it not describe something more than
being saved or going to heaven when I die? Is your heart racing just a little? If so, you are
starting to grasp theosis. It is an understanding of our purpose as believers that is not just
Orthodox, it is thoroughly biblical.
Before we briefly note some other New Testament passages, lets consider an additional
way to understand deification from the Book of Genesis. There we learn that we are created in
Gods image. Through sin, that image has been greatly broken and damaged, but through
redemption in Christ it is renewed according to the image of Him who created it, as Paul notes
in Colossians 3:10. Add all these other motifssonship, being fellow heirs, union, being made
like Christ, partaking of the divine natureand we see that these describe the divine image,
broken and marred (but not altogether lost) through Adams fall, being remade in us through
Christs redeeming work, so that we become like God. Thus in Genesis we are created in
Gods image; through Christ we are given the opportunity to acquire Gods likeness.
In Ephesians 4:2324 this very idea is reinforced: be renewed in the spirit of your mind and
put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
And in 5:1 we are enjoined to be imitators of God.
A number of other New Testament passages describe theosis:
Romans 12:12: We are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, doing so as part of our
spiritual worship. And we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds into the likeness
of God.
1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:17: We are reminded that we are Gods temple and that he who is
joined to the Lord is one spirit with Himunion with God.
Galatians 2:20: It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.
Philippians 1:21: For me, to live is Christ.
Colossians 3:3: We have died and our lives are hidden with Christ in Godtotal
participation in Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:23: May God sanctify you completelycomplete conformity to the image
and likeness of God.
2 Thessalonians 2:14: We were called by God for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
1 John 4:17: Because as He is, so are we in this worldthe possibility of deification, total
participation in Christ this side of eternity.
John 17:22: In His high priestly prayer, Jesus says that He has given us the glory that the Father
gave Him.
Revelation 21:7: At the beginning of the eschaton, Christ says of each of us, I will be his God
and he shall be My son.
1 John 3:2: We know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as
He is.
Philippians 3:21: Christ will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious
body.
These passages promise to all Christians an ending like Christ at the consummation of
history. Since that is our endactually a new beginning, for which we were created and
redeemedwe are urged throughout the New Testament to obtain more and more of that reality
in this life, as a dress rehearsal for the life to come. In short, this is what theosis/deification is:
the possibility that we can acquire in this life that state that we will have as resurrected, glorified
persons in the presence of God in eternity.
Finally, we must consider our Lords transfiguration on Mt. Tabor (Matt. 17:1ff; Mark
9:2ff). One of the twelve major feasts of the Orthodox Church, it provides great insight for our
understanding of theosis. Jesus went up the mountain with Peter, James, and John and was
transformed before their eyes. He appeared to them in His glorified humanity and was illumined
with the light of divinity. Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets, appeared
with Christ as He was enveloped by the glory cloud, the presence of the Holy Spirit. As at His
baptism, the Father spoke, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear
Him! (Matthew 17:5).
Here we have the whole Bible summed up in this one event. The Old Testament, the Law
and the Prophets, point to Christ, the eternal Son come in the flesh. He appears with the Holy
Spirit and the Fatherthe Trinity. Through His Incarnation He is joined to our humanity and
glorifies it in Himself, uniting us to God, fulfilling the purpose of our creation in Genesis. We are
to listen to Him because He is Gods ultimate revelation of Himself to us (cf. Hebrews 1:1; John
1:14). Furthermore, this event occurred to prepare the disciples for Christs crucifixion, which
would deliver our fallen humanity from sin and death and raise us up with Him in His
resurrection.
Thus we may be glorified together with Him. We are joined to Christ in His glorified,
deified humanity and so are united to God. Through this union we are made partakers of the
divine nature. Through grace we can become what He is.

Theosis in the Writings of the Fathers

We began with a somewhat startling quote by St. Athanasius: God became man so that
men might become gods. Keep in mind that this is the same Athanasius who championed the
orthodox (in its common sense of correct) understanding of the full divinity of Christ in
opposition to the Arian heresy. Numerous other early Church Fathers made similar statements.
Gregory of Nazianzus, another great champion of correct views about the Trinity and Christs
divinity, stated: Man has been ordered to become God. His close friend, Basil the Great, said,
From the Holy Spirit is the likeness of God, and the highest thing to be desired, to become
God.
Origen noted that the spirit is deified by that which it contemplates. And Cyril of
Alexandria commented that we are all called to take part in divinity, becoming the likeness of
Christ and the image of the Father by participation. Irenaeus noted, If the Word is made man,
it is that man might become gods. Finally, John of Damascus taught that Christs redemptive
work enables the image of God to be restored in us so that we become partakers of divinity.
These are not just Eastern Church Fathers being quoted. Most, if not all, are recognized
by East and West. Theosis is a truly catholic understanding of the goal of our relationship with
God in Christ.

Theosis in the Lives of the Saints

 Finally, countless saints throughout history have demonstrated the possibility of
deification as a reality in their lives. They attained deification only after intense suffering. Their
sufferings came through persecution and martyrdom, intense ascetic discipline and countless
nightly prayer vigils wrestling with evil spirits to obtain victory in the spiritual life. Through
suffering such blessed victory was won.
Two stories of two saints show the effects of theosis on the body. Some may wish to
discount these accounts as hero worship or mythology or hagiographic exaggeration. I
prefer to offer them as inspiration to strive toward theosis in each of our lives.
St. Seraphim of Sarov, a Russian monk of the nineteenth century, went into the forest
with his disciple, Motovilov, during a snowstorm. While praying, St. Seraphim became iridescent
in appearance, to the point of emitting what was for Motovilov an almost blinding light.
Accompanying this glow was a warmth in the midst of the Russian winter snow, along with a
beautiful fragrance and unspeakable joy and peace. St. Seraphim attributed this blessed state to
his having acquired the Holy Spirit, or deification.
Abba Joseph, a desert father, was approached by Abba Lot, who informed him that he
had kept his rule of prayer, fasted, purified his thoughts, and lived peaceablywhat more could
he do? Abba Joseph held out his hands toward heaven, fingers extended, and said, You can
become fire. Each fingertip blazed like a candle. Abba Josephs point was that the younger
monk could be set ablaze by the Holy Spirit.
May we all be set ablaze by the Spirit, the Heavenly King, the Comforter . . . Treasury of
blessings and Giver of lifeas the Orthodox prayer addresses Him. And through that same
Holy Spirit, may we come into union with God and experience total participation in Jesus
Christ. May our lives be unified so completely with God that we become by grace what God
is by nature, so that we share in the divine nature through grace. So much so that we become
not just Christ-like, but the likeness of Christ.