Dr. Tom Roberts discusses deification in orthodox traditions

[OtherCheek]

Dr. Tom Roberts is Academic Dean of St Elias Seminary and Graduate School.
"Deification as understood by the Greek Orthodox Church"

Though not "exactly" the same as the LDS belief, yet it is much closer than the Protestant and Western traditions on this topic. Dr. Roberts notes at the end of the interview, that possibly the reason that the Western Christian traditions don't believe in God's power desire to exalt man to such a lofty state, is because they think this demotes God himself--at least in their view it does.

[Cow Poke]

Dr. Roberts notes at the end of the interview, that possibly the reason that the Western Christian traditions don't believe in God's power desire to exalt man to such a lofty state, is because they think this demotes God himself--at least in their view it does.

Could you please clarify the part in bold? Were you changing "power" to "desire" or vice versa?

[OtherCheek]

Could you please clarify the part in bold? Were you changing "power" to "desire" or vice versa?

TYPE-o
Should have inserted an "and" or an "or" between the two words.

[Thersites]

Theosis is not the same as becoming a god unto oneself, but rather, a participation in the eternal divine life- of which there can, of course, only be one.

[Cow Poke]

TYPE-o
Should have inserted an "and" or an "or" between the two words.

or maybe an "and/or"?

I've never thought of it as a demotion of God, but the whole Christian concept is that we are in Heaven to worship the Father, and to cast our crowns at the feet of Jesus. Not to seek our own crown.

[Bill the Cat]

Theosis is not the same as becoming a god unto oneself, but rather, a participation in the eternal divine life- of which there can, of course, only be one.

They've been told that over and over. I recall a discussion between Jezz and Kevin Graham (previous to his defection) on the subject. It was very entertaining to see Jezz dismantle every out of context quote the FARMS boys had dug up.

[Kabane52]

OtherCheek, I am a member of the Orthodox Church. Look at my signature to see what I believe about divinization. In fact, the similarities between LDS and Orthodox theology on this point are totally superficial. For us, divinization is a participation in the energies of the eternal, Triune God. God became man so that man might become god. Note how this implies that God was not already a man. God the Word took on a human nature and participated in the fullness of human experience. If God the Father had once been a man who was born, suffered, and was resurrected, then the human experience was already participated in and there is no need for the Word to come down to us and do these things. You might find similarities in language here, but the LDS teaching that the Father is embodied by nature totally kicks the legs out from the substance of the Patristic doctrine. You will find this connection between Incarnation and divinization in nearly every Church Father that mentions the subject.

As an additional note, the Roman Catholic West never abandoned the teaching of divinization. John of the Cross discusses it, as does the modern Catholic Catechism. Even most Protestants who understand the teaching of theosis will at least accept it as an element of (what they call) sanctification. It is LDS who depart from the Patristic teaching here in teaching that man is divinized in essence. The Church teaches that man is divinized only in energy, never in essence. St. John Chrysostom says that we might become by grace what the Only-Begotten is by nature.

[One Bad Pig]

They've been told that over and over. I recall a discussion between Jezz and Kevin Graham (previous to his defection) on the subject. It was very entertaining to see Jezz dismantle every out of context quote the FARMS boys had dug up.

Could you try digging that up? I'd like to see it.

[Bill the Cat]

Could you try digging that up? I'd like to see it.

http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/sh...Church-Fathers