Theosis

[eric3141]

This is my understanding of theosis. Please correct me if I’m wrong:

God can only love and will never be angry with anyone – not even sinners. Our souls are more or less diposed to receive this love depending on whether we have faith and live lives oriented toward God. The more we do this, the more our souls are oriented toward God – the less so then the reverse. In the after life those whose souls are oriented toward God will experience His love as something good while those who have not disposed their souls properly will experience it as a burning fire.

In the spirit of full disclosure: I’m a fallen away Catholic who has looked at EO and have learned the above as (supposedly) their idea of salvation. This seems terrible! I’m to live my whole life wondering if I’m good enough for God yet? If my soul has been disposed properly to receive His love properly? To live my whole life wondering if I’ve disposed my soul properly enough (i.e., am I good enough for Him yet)? Ugh.

 

[scapularkid8]

I’m not Eastern but I have read up on Theosis just out of curiosity.

I can’t guarantee that this answer is completely accurate but I think it’s just the basic definition if that’s what you’re looking for.

Theosis is the soul’s journey/transformation into becoming god-like through receiving His energies. We cannot receive His Essence though because we can never be God (capital g), but we can always become more God-like…since God is God and Infinite and One by definition, our souls can spend all Eternity becoming more and more like Him and still never become Him.

This transformation is called Theosis (Theos=God in Greek, sis=…means something like a transformation I would guess?)

 

[Eucharisted]

orthodoxwiki.org/Theosis

Don’t trust anything about Catholicism in the article, though. Orthodox don’t understand Catholicism.

RE: Theosis in the Christian West

Catholics believe God created man for Himself, He wills to save everyone from Hell (in other words, He wills everyone to go to Heaven), and man’s end is participation in God’s life and beatitude. In fact, God became man so that man might become like God.

 

[Patrick1982]

orthodoxwiki.org/Theosis

Don’t trust anything about Catholicism in the article, though. Orthodox don’t understand Catholicism.

RE: Theosis in the Christian West

Catholics believe God created man for Himself, He wills to save everyone from Hell (in other words, He wills everyone to go to Heaven), and man’s end is participation in God’s life and beatitude. In fact, God became man so that man might become like God.

You want to stop saying we don’t understand Catholicism? You don’t understand Orthodoxy… enough out of you. :banghead:

 

[chrisb]

You want to stop saying we don’t understand Catholicism? You don’t understand Orthodoxy… enough out of you. :banghead:

Offering an Orthodox source for an explanation of Theosis seems like a very reasonable thing to do? How would this lead you to believe he/she doesn’t understand Orthodoxy?

 

[LUISV]

You want to stop saying we don’t understand Catholicism? You don’t understand Orthodoxy… enough out of you. :banghead:

:banghead: :hammering:
Again the finger pointing. Lets try to break through that wall.

Understanding the Orthodox theological perspective, a mystical view, will help guide a RC’s understanding of the Scholastic definitions promulgated in the West. We Roman Catholics are Orthodox by dogma though not always apparent by our laity’s interpretations of those teachings.

Sorry about the headache.

 

[Taboric_Light]

eric3141,

Theosis, in a nutshell, is man becoming God. St. Peter tells us that we will become partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4). While this happens now before death through partaking of the sacraments, it is perfected after death in heaven. It is important to remember though that when we become God we do not essentially become God; in other words, we do not become another person of the Trinity. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are essentially God; we are by participating in their divinity, divine nature. We do not become divine beings, but remain only human beings. Because God is eternal our participation in Him will be eternal. Because He is infinite our participation does not come to an end. Because He is wholly transcendant our participation will be ever deepening.

In regards to hell, it is important to remember that one’s going to hell is a choice. The only sin that cannot be forgiven is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit: the sin which is not asked to be forgiven. The Spirit moves us to be reconciled with God and enter into His peace. But the Holy Spirit does not force us; it is not a compulsion; our free will is never violated. Another important point to remember concerning this is that heaven is not a place, an earthly paradise or even a paradise greater than earthly, which we merit by our works. Rather, heaven is being with/participating in God, Himself, not merited, but given in response to our love, which is itself a response to God’s love for us.

Regarding the worry of not being good enough, well disposed enough, etc. etc. etc, I have recently been confronted by this anxiousness. It has been a wonderful opportunity for me to be more trusting of God, more humble about what I’m really able to accomplish (not much), more grateful for all that He gives me, and a greater willingness to recognize my weakness and ask for help in my struggles against them. I hope I use the opportunity well.

I hope this helps. Please feel free to keep asking questions for clarification and understanding; I would hate to make things worse for you.

Peace and God bless you.

 

[twf]

I want to point out that the Latin Church believes in Theosis too…we simply call it deification, divinization or sanctification (I’ve seen all three terms used to describe the same process). Our First Parents lost the divine life of God within their souls though their disobedience. One of the Fathers said “God became man so that man might become God.” We will never literally become God, but the Divine Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) wills all of us to share in their divine life. Through the incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ, God restores us to the life our First Parents lost through disobedience - God does this through the sacraments/mysteries of the Church. In baptism the Holy Spirit infuses divine life into our souls, empowering us to do good works and to please God. In the Eucharist, we receive Our Lord Jesus Himself, and by doing so, become more like Him as the life given to us through baptism is nourished and strengthened. That is why we venerate the saints, both in the West and East. The saints have become god-like, and to various degrees, according to their individual merits, share in the divinity of the Trinity. This is especially true of our Blessed Lady who shares in the life of the Trinity as fully as a creature possibly can…more so than all the angels and saints. Latins are reminded of this incredible mystery at every holy mass when the priest says over the cup: "Through this mingling of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ as he humbled himself to share in our humanity>’ FYI - Latins typically refer to this “sharing in the divine life” as “sanctifying grace”.