Theosis: Divinization
Becoming God by Grace — The Goal of All Contemplative Practice
Theosis (Greek: θέωσις, "divinization" or "deification") is the ancient Christian teaching that humans are called to participate in divine life—to become by grace what God is by nature. Rooted in Scripture ("partakers of the divine nature," 2 Peter 1:4) and summarized in Athanasius's famous formula, "God became human so that humans might become god," theosis describes the ultimate goal of salvation and contemplative prayer: not merely forgiveness but transformation into the likeness of Christ.
The Biblical Foundation
Theosis is not a later theological invention but emerges directly from Scripture. The key texts that ground this teaching include:
2 Peter 1:4
"He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."
This is the most explicit statement: believers are called to become partakers (koinonoi) of the divine nature. Not spectators, not merely servants—participants.
Genesis 1:26-27
"Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness..." Humanity was created with a divine orientation from the beginning. The Church Fathers distinguished between the image (given at creation) and the likeness (achieved through cooperation with grace).
John 10:34-35 & Psalm 82:6
"Jesus answered them, 'Is it not written in your Law, "I have said you are gods"?'"
Jesus Himself quotes Psalm 82 to indicate that humans bear a divine calling—a calling fully realized in union with Christ.
1 John 3:2
"We know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."
The eschatological hope: we will be transformed into Christ's likeness. This is not metaphor but promise—the completion of theosis.
Additional texts supporting theosis include Romans 8:29 (conformed to the image of God's Son), 2 Corinthians 3:18 (being transformed into the Lord's image from glory to glory), and Galatians 2:20 (Christ living in us). The New Testament consistently presents salvation not as a legal transaction alone but as transformative participation in divine life.
The Patristic Development
The Church Fathers developed theosis as the central understanding of salvation. Far from being a fringe mystical idea, it was mainstream Christian theology for the first millennium.
Irenaeus of Lyon (c. 130-202)
"The Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, who did, through His transcendent love, become what we are, that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself."— Against Heresies, V
Irenaeus articulated the "wonderful exchange"—Christ became human so that humans might share in divinity. He also developed the distinction between image and likeness, teaching that humanity grows into the divine likeness over time.
Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296-373)
"For He was made man that we might be made god."— On the Incarnation, 54
This is perhaps the most famous statement of theosis. For Athanasius, the Incarnation makes theosis possible: by God becoming human, humanity gains access to divine life. This was not a side effect of salvation but its primary purpose.
Maximus the Confessor (c. 580-662)
Maximus provided the most sophisticated theological framework for theosis. He taught that humans participate in God's energies (activities, operations) while God's essence remains forever transcendent. This preserved both the reality of union and the distinction between Creator and creature.
For Maximus, theosis involves the transformation of our will, desire, and activity—becoming by grace what God is by nature, while never ceasing to be creatures.
Gregory Palamas (1296-1359)
Gregory systematized the distinction between God's essence and energies. God's essence is forever unknowable and inaccessible, but His energies—His uncreated grace, light, life, wisdom, love—are fully God and fully accessible to us. Theosis is participation in the uncreated energies.
This framework, affirmed by Orthodox councils in the 14th century, explains how theosis is both real (we truly participate in God) and safe (we don't become God's essence or dissolve into pantheism).
Theosis in the West
While Eastern Orthodox theology developed theosis most fully, the teaching exists throughout Western Christianity as well, often under different terminology.
Augustine of Hippo (354-430)
"God became man so that man might become god."— Sermon 192
Augustine uses nearly the same formula as Athanasius. He speaks of humanity being "deified" through participation in Christ. While his emphasis on grace and sin differs from Eastern approaches, the fundamental vision is shared.
Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Aquinas taught that grace makes us "partakers of the divine nature" and that the beatific vision involves the human intellect being elevated to see God's essence directly. He also developed the concept of created grace as a participation in God's life.
While his framework differs from Palamas (especially on the essence/energies distinction), Aquinas clearly teaches genuine participation in divinity.
The Carmelite Mystics
John of the Cross speaks of the "divine union" where the soul becomes "god by participation"—transformed in God while remaining distinct in nature.
Teresa of Avila describes the seventh mansion of the Interior Castle as spiritual marriage where the soul is united to God like water mingling with water—fully one in operation while remaining two in substance.
Meister Eckhart (c. 1260-1328)
Eckhart used bold language about becoming "one with God" that drew ecclesiastical censure. Yet his fundamental teaching—properly understood—reflects the theosis tradition: the soul is transformed by grace to share in divine life. His language pushed limits but pointed to the same mystery.
What Theosis Is NOT
Theosis has been misunderstood in various ways. Clarity about what it does not mean is essential for both theological accuracy and spiritual safety.
Not Pantheism
Theosis does not mean we become part of God's being or that all reality is divine. The Creator-creature distinction is permanent. We participate in God's energies (activities), not His essence. We become "gods by grace," not by nature.
Not Loss of Identity
Unlike some Eastern religious concepts of absorption into the Absolute, theosis preserves personal identity. You remain you—but transformed, purified, illumined, united to God in love. Teresa's image of water mingling emphasizes union without confusion of persons.
Not Achievement Through Technique
Theosis is gift, not achievement. While contemplative prayer disposes us to receive grace, we cannot manufacture union with God through methods alone. It is always God's initiative responded to in faith.
Not Becoming a "Fourth Person of the Trinity"
We do not become divine persons or add to the Godhead. We participate in the Trinity's life through Christ and in the Spirit, but the eternal distinctions within God remain, and our participation is always receptive, never constitutive.
Not Automatic or Instantaneous
Theosis is a process, not an event. It begins in baptism, progresses through the Christian life, and reaches fullness only in the resurrection. Even the greatest saints remain pilgrims, always receiving more of what God gives.
Theosis and Contemplative Prayer
Theosis provides the ultimate context for contemplative prayer. It answers the question: Why do we pray? Not merely to feel peaceful, or even to become better people, but to be transformed into the likeness of Christ, participating in divine life.
Prayer as Participation
In contemplative prayer, we are not simply thinking about God or asking for things—we are participating in the divine life that Christ opens to us. The prayer of silence, the Jesus Prayer, the wordless resting in God—all these are means by which we open to the transforming presence.
The Three Stages
The Eastern tradition describes three stages of spiritual life that correspond to growing theosis:
- Purification (Katharsis) — cleansing from passions and attachments
- Illumination (Photismos) — the mind enlightened by divine truth
- Union (Theosis) — full participation in divine life
Contemplative prayer operates in all three stages, disposing us for God's purifying, illuminating, and uniting work.
Beyond Techniques
Understanding theosis helps us see techniques (Lectio Divina, Centering Prayer, the Jesus Prayer) in proper perspective: they are not ends in themselves but doorways to the transforming encounter. As John of the Cross taught, eventually even the best methods must be transcended when God calls us to pure contemplative union. See our article on moving beyond techniques.
"The purpose of the Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit."— St. Seraphim of Sarov
Practical Implications
Theosis is not abstract theology—it has concrete implications for daily life and spiritual practice.
1. Human Dignity
Every human being is created with a divine destiny. This elevates our view of others: each person we meet is called to participate in God's own life. Ethics flows from anthropology; how we treat people reflects what we believe they are.
2. The Body Matters
Because theosis includes the resurrection of the body, the physical is not something to escape but to sanctify. This grounds practices like fasting, prostrations, and liturgical gesture—the body participates in our transformation.
3. Creation as Sacrament
If God's energies permeate creation, then the material world is not merely backdrop but medium of divine presence. Icons, sacred spaces, the natural world—all can mediate God's transforming grace.
4. Struggle as Growth
Theosis means that suffering and spiritual struggle have purpose: they are the means by which we are purified and transformed. The Dark Night is not punishment but refinement.
5. Hope Beyond Death
Theosis gives death new meaning: not ending but transition into fuller participation in divine life. The saints who have "fallen asleep" remain in Christ, moving toward the resurrection when theosis reaches completion.
Common Questions About Theosis
Is theosis the same as New Age ideas about becoming divine?
No. Theosis is fundamentally Christological—we are divinized through union with Christ, not by discovering our innate divinity. It requires grace, faith, and the work of the Holy Spirit. We become "gods by grace," not by nature or awakening. The Creator-creature distinction is permanent.
Do Protestants believe in theosis?
The terminology is less common, but the reality is present. Luther spoke of the "joyful exchange" where Christ takes our sin and gives us His righteousness. Many Protestants speak of "union with Christ" and "glorification"—which describe the same reality. Some contemporary Protestant theologians are recovering the language of theosis.
How is theosis related to justification?
In Eastern theology, theosis is the larger framework within which forgiveness and justification occur—they are early stages of a transformative process. In Western theology, justification (being declared righteous) is often distinguished from sanctification (becoming righteous) and glorification (final transformation). Theosis encompasses all these moments in a unified vision.
Can theosis happen in this life?
Theosis begins in this life—through baptism, Eucharist, prayer, and the virtuous life—but reaches fullness only in the resurrection. The saints exemplify advanced theosis in this life, but none reaches completion until the eschaton. We are always growing into what we will fully become.
Is theosis the same as the beatific vision?
The beatific vision (seeing God "face to face") is one dimension of theosis—the transformative sight of divine glory. Theosis is broader, encompassing not just vision but participation in all God's activities: His love, wisdom, power, and creativity. We don't merely see God; we share His life.
Related Articles
- Apophatic & Kataphatic Prayer — Two complementary approaches to the unknowable God.
- Gregory Palamas — The theologian who systematized the essence/energies distinction.
- John of the Cross — The Western mystic of divine union.
- Beyond Techniques — When methods give way to pure receptivity.
- Foundations of Contemplative Prayer — Overview of core concepts.