Theosis

Definition and Meaning

Theosis (Greek theōsis) means "becoming god." In Korean it is rendered sinhwa (神化, "deification") or sinseonghwa ("divinization"). It is the teaching that the goal of salvation is for human beings, by the grace of God, to participate in God's life and nature and thereby grow ever more into the likeness of God. It is the central concept by which the Eastern Orthodox Church explains salvation.

The Orthodox Church does not understand theosis as human beings becoming the essence of God, that is, God's very being. Rather, it teaches that human beings participate only in God's gracious activity and that the distinction between Creator and creature remains forever. For this reason, the Orthodox Church maintains that theosis differs from pantheism (the belief that all things are God).

Biblical and Historical Background

The text most frequently cited in support is 2 Peter 1:4: "that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature." Also cited are John 17:20-23, which speaks of the oneness of believers with God, and 2 Corinthians 3:18, which speaks of being changed into the image of the Lord.

The early Church Fathers also expressed this idea. Irenaeus in the second century and Athanasius in the fourth left statements to the effect that "God became man so that man might become like God," a formulation known for linking the Incarnation with salvation. In the seventh century, Maximus the Confessor gave the teaching systematic theological form. In the fourteenth century, Gregory Palamas distinguished between God's "essence" and His "energies" (activities), explaining that what human beings participate in is God's energies. In the West, the catechism of the Catholic Church also quotes these patristic expressions.

Reception in the Korean Church

The term is unfamiliar to most Korean Protestants. It is addressed mainly in seminary courses on patristics and systematic theology and in dialogue with the Orthodox Church, while Orthodox communities in Korea teach it as a basic doctrine.

Protestant denominations approach the concept in different ways, according to their respective theological traditions.

• The Reformed tradition, including Presbyterians: This tradition emphasizes the distinction between Creator and creature. Accordingly, rather than speaking of "deification," it tends to express similar ideas in terms of "union with Christ," sanctification, and glorification (being transformed into glory on the last day). John Calvin, commenting on 2 Peter 1:4, is said to have described conformity to God as the goal of the gospel, while adding that this does not involve a change of essence.
• The Wesleyan tradition, including Methodists and Holiness churches: John Wesley is known to have read the writings of the early Eastern Fathers. Some scholars compare Wesley's understanding of "Christian perfection" and holiness with theosis.
• Lutheranism: The concept has received scholarly attention since Finnish Luther scholars linked theosis with Martin Luther's teaching that Christ is truly present in the believer through faith.

Because the expression "human beings become god" is easily misunderstood, theological education in the Korean church often distinguishes Orthodox theosis from claims that deify particular individuals.