Beatific Vision and Deification in Eastern Theology

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Athan

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Hello.

From conversations I have had, and texts that I’ve read, on the beatific vision and deification, Eastern Orthodox Christians seem to reject the notion of the beatific vision, contrasting it with deification.

Where do Eastern Catholics stand?
 
Athan said:
Hello.

From conversations I have had, and texts that I’ve read, on the beatific vision and deification, Eastern Orthodox Christians seem to reject the notion of the beatific vision, contrasting it with deification.

Where do Eastern Catholics stand?
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How do you understand the Beatific Vision in your own words if I may ask?
 
GaryTaylor said:
How do you understand the Beatific Vision in your own words if I may ask?
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Hello Gary.

The face to face encounter with God, post mortem, in heaven. To put it simply: the encounter between God as He is, and our ‘selves’ as we actually are/were created to be. Obviously, we cannot be our ‘selves’ in any other way. This, to me, is theosis or deification itself, as true life/identity cannot ‘be’ apart from He who ‘is’.

I think one of the main bones of contention between the Beatifica Vision as it is understood in Western theology, and Deification in Eastern theology lies in the question of whether one can attain this state prior to physical death.

It is, as they say, a matter of life and death!

How does Eastern Catholic theology address this?
 
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