Catholic Polytheism, by Athanasius & Aquinas?

[maximus]

Hi

In the below section 460 of the Catechism there are two quotes one from St. Athanasius and the other from St. Thomas Aquinas that some people outside the Catholic Church consider this a statement of Catholic polytheism. A Baptist friend of mine questioned me with this and I responded with a smart remark of that I had dibs on becoming the ‘Lord of the Barbeque’ in the next life and then I quoted from Dr. Ludwig Ott on P.256 concerning Supernatural grace. My friend was satisfied with the response and understood that in meant that we become partakers of the divine nature.

My question, since the works where the quotes come from are lengthy and I may be out of my depth here theologically because Aquinas in particular can be challenging, can anyone explain in layman terms what St. Anthanasius and Aquinas meant in their quotes.

460 The Word became flesh to make us “partakers of the divine nature”:78 "For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God."79 "For the Son of God became man so that we might become God."80 "The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods."81


80St. Athanasius, De inc. 54, 3: PG 25, 192B.

81 St. Thomas Aquinas, Opusc. 57, 1-4.

 

[Truthstalker]

Hi

In the below section 460 of the Catechism there are two quotes one from St. Athanasius and the other from St. Thomas Aquinas that some people outside the Catholic Church consider this a statement of Catholic polytheism. A Baptist friend of mine questioned me with this and I responded with a smart remark of that I had dibs on becoming the ‘Lord of the Barbeque’ in the next life and then I quoted from Dr. Ludwig Ott on P.256 concerning Supernatural grace. My friend was satisfied with the response and understood that in meant that we become partakers of the divine nature.

My question, since the works where the quotes come from are lengthy and I may be out of my depth here theologically because Aquinas in particular can be challenging, can anyone explain in layman terms what St. Anthanasius and Aquinas meant in their quotes.

460 The Word became flesh to make us “partakers of the divine nature”:78 "For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God."79 "For the Son of God became man so that we might become God."80 "The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods."81

80
St. Athanasius, De inc. 54, 3: PG 25, 192B.

81 St. Thomas Aquinas, Opusc. 57, 1-4.

I haven’t read the sources, but I am mindful of Jesus quoting a psalm in which He said 'If the Scriptures say, “you are gods,” ’
(John 10:25). I can’t elaborate on this now, if ever. I’ll look at it later.

 

[RyanL]

…My friend was satisfied with the response and understood that in meant that we become partakers of the divine nature.

This is the concept of “theosis” which is spoken of in Eastern Catholicism (and Orthodoxy), which we Latin Rite types sometimes call divinization. You might ask this question in the Easter Christianity forum for better answers…

…can anyone explain in layman terms what St. Anthanasius and Aquinas meant in their quotes.

Again, you would probably be best served asking about theosis in the EC forum, but for a start you might try here.

God Bless,
RyanL

 

[Contarini]

Hi

In the below section 460 of the Catechism there are two quotes one from St. Athanasius and the other from St. Thomas Aquinas that some people outside the Catholic Church consider this a statement of Catholic polytheism.

Do these people believe in the Trinity? Because that is a far more serious threat to monotheism than the doctrine of theosis.

Sharing in God’s nature through grace (which is clearly taught in 2 Peter 1:4) is far less “polytheistic” than the doctrine of three persons with one nature.

Edwin