A Renewal of Interest and a Need for Clarity Cats

Glossary Of Terms  Theosis Theme – Connected with similar scriptural themes like adoption and filiation.  Theosis – Connected to a certain anthropology, based on distinction between image and likeness, teleologically oriented towards the prototype (Christ). Incarnation as the central point in the economy of salvation.  Theosis Doctrine – Comprehensive doctrine that encompasses the whole economy of salvation. The whole plan of God through the Incarnation, salvation, sanctification, and the eschaton.

Gösta Hallonsten  Professor of systematic theology at Lund University, Sweden, and former Carl J. Peter Professor for Systematic Theology and Ecumenism at the Catholic University of America.

Renewed Interest  Concept of Theosis is no longer found just in Eastern Orthodoxy, but everywhere (281)  Talk of Theosis in Luther, in Aquinas, and so on…

Theosis In Luther  Finnish school of Luther treats the term “Theosis” with ambivalence: prefer “deification” or “motif of Theosis” (282)  Luther has the concept of transformation or transfiguration of the justified unto real union with God  A real renewal (real-ontic), real transformation of the justified that in the end leads to union with God

Problem In Williams  Williams never defines what she means by a doctrine of theosis  Uses it to characterize both Palamas’ theology and Aquinas’ theology  But Aquinas speaks of sanctification theology, which does not necessarily imply theosis  Theosis includes and goes beyond sanctification  It is misleading to analyze St. Thomas’ works in terms of theosis, because he is not Eastern (283)

Doctrine And Theme  Hallonsten distinguishes between the doctrine and theme of theosis  Doctrine is a thought complex, using technical terms  Theme includes the use of Scripture and common Scriptural terms like “adoption,” as well as what one would find in the Western liturgy

Beyond Palamas  Deification as a doctrine refers to the whole economy of salvation (284)  Palamas’ theology presupposes many elements from early Christianity  Comprehensiveness of theosis doctrine to be found in Irenaeus  Western writers tend to speak of theosis without reference to anthropology or to image and likeness (285)

Anthropology  Anthropology is the fundamental feature of the Eastern doctrine of theosis (286)  Eastern view of anthropology differs from the Western view: creation from very beginning is seen as a participation in God; grace inheres in creation  Western view: God and creation are different things, even if creation participates in “being”

Anthropology Deux  Williams does not draw the distinction between Eastern and Western anthropology  Theme of theosis: connected with scriptural themes like filiation and adoption (287)

Doctrine Of Theosis  Doctrine: teleologically oriented towards the prototype: Christ  Based on distinction between image and likeness  Incarnation as central for the economy of salvation  Relationship of formal causality between creation and its Creator  Continual presence of grace/energies of God from beginning to end  Theosis is a comprehensive doctrine that encompasses the whole economy of salvation, the whole plan of God is included

Distinctions  Doctrine: of theosis is uniquely Eastern  Other traditions may have similarities in their views that remind one of theosis, but these theologies do not constitute the identity of theosis

Qvezjuns  1. Do you understand Hallonsten’s distinction between the theme and doctrine of Theosis? Does it make sense? Do you think this distinction actually exists?  2. Hallonsten argues that Theosis as a doctrine is “fits” very clearly into the wholeness of Eastern Orthodox theology. If his distinction of theme and doctrine is true, then could the doctrine of Theosis in its fullness ever be appreciated in a Western context without the elaboration of Eastern theology? In other words, is it possible for the West to fully adopt the concept of Theosis?