Comments on: Justfication as Theosis

By: Phil Sumpter

Phil Sumpter — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 12:04:25 +0000

For what it’s worth, an Orthodox dialogue partner of mine recommended the following books on the subject (which I post along with his comments):

1.) Stephen Finlan and Vladimir Kharlamov, Theosis: Deification in Christian Theology.
2.)Michael J. Christensen and Jeffery A. Wittung, Partakers of the Divine Nature: The History and Development of Deification in the Christian Traditions
3.) Norman Russell, The Doctrine of Deification in the Greek Patristic Tradition

The first is the most general treatment of the three, giving a kind of overview of theosis East and West, and describing its subsequent fading from view in the West. The second is a collection of papers describing the perception of theosis in various traditions. The third, I’ve heard, is the most detailed and annotated of the three, in keeping with the Oxford Early Christian Studies series (as is the price: ouch).

By: Adrian Woods

Adrian Woods — Sat, 09 May 2009 00:01:54 +0000

Thanks Halden, any move to rediscover continuity with easterners sounds good to me. As long as theosis is not reduced to justification. My guess is that you would resist that as well.

By: Halden

Halden — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:40:16 +0000

Adrian, the reductive notion of justification as static is actually precisely what Gorman’s book protests. Rather than a static definition, Gorman proposes that we understand justification as “kinetic”. Hence his correlation with theosis.

By: Adrian Woods

Adrian Woods — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:28:52 +0000

I guess my limited understanding of Justifcation, traditionally, is that Justification is static.

While Theosis, as I read the patristics is fluid and evolving. So I’m thinking your title would be a better representation as, “Justification within Theosis”. Not as Theosis – Theosis necessarily implies a great deal more than Justification.

By: bruce hamill

bruce hamill — Thu, 07 May 2009 07:51:19 +0000

ok you got me. I’ve ordered the book

By: Bengt Rasmusson

Bengt Rasmusson — Thu, 07 May 2009 06:57:35 +0000

“…communal theosis–we become, in Christ, the righteousness/justice of God.” Interesting to see theosis explained in this context. I think (haven’t read the book yet) Gorman is referring to e.g. 1 Cor 5:21. The righteousness or justice of God is not something we own, is not some kind of transferred status, but something we live and embody together as community. Is it not precisely such a communal embodied righteousness that Paul describes as a “community of reconciliation” in e.g. Eph 2:11-19?