The Strategic
Adoption of
Deification in the
Cappadocians
J.A MCGUCKIN
MICHAEL BOMBAK, 5832940
A WORKING DEFINITION OF THEOSIS

In the Greek Christian understanding, the concept of deification is
the process of the sanctification of Christians whereby they become
progressively conformed to God; a conformation that is ultimately
demonstrated in the glorious transfiguration of the “just” in the
heavenly kingdom, when immortality and a more perfect vision
(and knowledge and experience) of God are clearly manifested in
the glorification of the faithful.”- 95
Discussion: Your Guess is as Good
as Mine…

I’m not entirely sure what is mean by McGuckin’s next line:
“This should serve as a working definition and as a brief initial
introduction to a notion that moves with a tensile dynamic from the
moral domain into the anthropological in a profoundly suggestive way
that closely relates it to the parallel Christian notion of transfiguration
(metamorphosis).” -95
A Brief Prehistory

“…Christian deification theory assumes its true grandeur, for it breaks
down, at least in the best of Greek patristic thought, the limiting
“differentiation” between soteriology and creation theology.” – 96

The doctrine of Theosis allows for an integrated soteriology and
theology. Later on we also so how it also allows for an integrated
anthropology as well.

McGuckin refers to this as the “true life of the creature and the
restoration of communion.” - 96
Development Through Fathers of
the Church

“…it remains evident enough that the term Theosis itself is not
explicitly advanced by scriptural authority- something that makes
Gregory Nazianzen apologize for his “boldness” in using it to sum up
the message and meaning of the Scriptures.” -96

Although we have seen in class some examples of scriptures interpreted with
deification in mind, the concept originated in a Greek classical setting.

Discussion Question: How should we feel about Theosis being the message
and meaning of the Scriptures when they the concept itself is not explicitly
outlined there? What does this say about Revelation?
Irenaeus of Lyon

First to develop the doctrine imaginatively.

Developed:

1.
Its dynamic as a soteriological term
2.
Its rootedness in the concept of creation’s purposes
3.
Its close relation to the ideas of corruption and immortality
4.
Its essential closeness to the concept of transactive substitution in the
Incarnation of the Logos-96
“The Word of God was made man and He who was Son of God was
made Son of Man united to the Word of God, in order that man
should receive adoption and thereby become the Son of God. How
else could we have received incorruption?”- 96-97
Alexandrian Theologians

These theologians develop Theosis along Incarnational lines, each
contributing something to develop the doctrine further. – 97

Clement: Emphasizes that it is related to the Divine gift of salvation.
This will differentiate it from previous pagan ideas. – 110

Athanasius: Provides a “binary emphasis” for deification: It served a
“pedagogic” task in the Word showing humanity the lost Image of
the Father, and the “physical” task of entering humanity and
creation and restoring the gift of immortality. -111

Because of their “hypostatic” term of reference, Theosis would be
associated in the future with the communion of hypostases. - 97

Dionysius the Areopagite: By this time in history (early sixth century)
“deification” is used relatively frequently as a soteriological term. -97

Maximus the Confessor: Brought the concept of Theosis to a peak of
development in the early seventh century.-97
1.
The creature is called back to the original destiny of creation
2.
This is a totally free gift on the part of God
3.
This gift proceeds from God alone
4.
Amplified the ascetical context of the doctrine, saying that the practice of
love on earth can allow the mystery of divinization to shine out even in this
life. -98
“This fertile theme, therefore, beginning with Irenaeus, loops its way forward
rather than being linearly or progressively developed.” - 98
Discussion: Soteriological Models

The Syrians at the time of the Cappodocian Fathers flatly refused to
frame salvation in terms of Theosis, preferring instead the terms of
“adoptive sonship.” – 97

In the Western Church, there are many different models which
describe salvation, whereas in the east, it appears that much of our
theological formulations have been integrated with Theosis.

Has the east “put all her eggs in one basket?” What implications
does that have when approached with “Justification” or “Adoptive
Sonship” or “Atonement”? If Theosis is true are these false, or are
they different vantage points on Theosis?
Cappadocian Fathers

“…they are probably best understood as the theologians who
successfully transformed this largely Alexandrian theologoumenon
into a universalized tradition of the church.” – 97

Both Gregory Nazianzen and Basil wished to re-present Plato as a
“door into Christianity.” – 99

Basically, they wanted to Christianize Plato to help evangelize the
educated classes of their day. - 99
New School Platonism

Plato’s core contribution to the doctrine of Theosis:
“The theme of initiation signifies also that the philosopher has the
opportunity to return, by spiritual ascent, to the clarity and radiance of the
authentic state of being, which was the stasis, the foundational condition,
of the transcendent mind, and to this extent the real and godlike nature of
noetic being.” – 100

Present in Plato is the idea that there is an ideal which we can strive for
and achieve.

Origen would interpret this as a return to the pre-fallen state of man –
100

Gregory Nazianzus would take this further saying there is a post-death
transfiguration, a “third creation” which will make us more able to
contemplate God. - 100

“Contemplation is the engine that drives the process of Theosis” –
100

Origen even states:
“…even the Logos is deified by his incessant contemplation of the Father’s
divinity.” -101
With the Arian crisis the two Gregories are careful to nuance what Origen
said using an idea of “degrees of participation” regarding this.
(although the author does not explain how this works)
Gregory of Nazianzus

Revises Athanasius, making the syllogism:
“And since, then, God is made man, so man is perfected as God, and
that is my glory.” – 101

Adam was deifiied by his “inborn propensity toward God” and this is
the root of our return to God in the deified life. – 102

The key to deification for Gregory of Nazianzus is a sort of “Divine
orientation.”

In this life the process is begun, but the greater glory will come in the
next life. - 102

Approaches Theosis, as Athanasius did, from a Trinitarian
perspective. He emphasizes the work of the Holy Spirit.

He may have found Plato’s phrase “assimilation to the divine”
troubling. He emphasized that it is a gratuitous gift far above the
limits of material natures.” He did not want people to be confused
with immortality the way Socrates spoke of it in Phaedrus. - 102

Gregory’s statement would later bother Maximus the Confessor
because it could be misread in a way that would dispense with
asceticism and moral effort.” – 113

Gregory says that there is an ontological change and the saint is
transfigured into angelical form. This is not possible for earthbound
intellects (because he is talking about the nous) -103
How does this line up with St. Seraphim of Sarov and other saints who
have been transfigured?

Gregory of Nazianzus synthesized:
Platonic- Assent, communion and contemplation
With
Biblical themes- Generous love of the Trinity, access of Divine Presence
through images of liturgical service (Holy of Holies.) - 104
Gregory of Nyssa

Is more constrained than the other Gregory when discussing Theosis.
– 104

He describes how humanity was created to find communion with
God. – 104

His view of “spiritual kinship” is taken much further than Plato’s idea
of “ontological assonance” as a person is called to transcendent
life. – 105
Disagrees with Origen:
“[both Gregories] reject the presupposition that sin happened before
embodiment, and thus that the fall of the body to mortality is a
punishment of guilt.”- 105

The Resurrection plays a key role in the restoration of the original
design of the human race. – 105

Gregory called the return of the alienated created order to unity
with God “the reconstitution.” – 105
(We see here again the integrated aspects of cosmology, soteriology
and anthropology)
More disagreements with Origen:

“…replacement of [Origen’s] concept of perfection as a
conditional stasis with his own dynamic notion of perfection as an
endless progress into the divine life.” - 106

“But whereas there perfections are found in God ontologically, or
essentially, and as something that is proper to him, humans possess
the same things, or at least their copies (as types from the
archetype), as a gift by participation.” - 107

Participation of humans in the being of God is the whole purpose of
life. Humanity is called to become “Priests of the cosmos” rendering
dynamic engagement with the world’s order.
(This is reminiscent of Catherine Doherty and the “Restoration” of the
world, or Schmemann’s approach to Sacraments in “For the Life of the
World.”)
Conclusion

The two Gregories were enthusiastic disciples of Origen, who used
him to help evangelize. They were not uncritical however.

Gregory of Nazianzus enthusiastically endorsed Theosis language to
deliberately (McGuckin’s opinion) appeal to intellectuals of his time
and encourage them to come to Christianity. - 108

“Gregory’s [of Nyssa] doctrine of metanoia theo (I think) is clearly
the Origenian doctrine of Theosis, but now with a new language
code, designed to clear up once and for all the critical differences
between Christian deification theory and Platonic assimilation
language.” -108

It is ironic that Gregory of Nazianzus has become the standard
theological authority for the Byzantine world, whereas Gregory of
Nyssa wanted to tone down his work regarding the Origenian belief.
We now have the opportunity to see their common mission that was
carried out in different ways.