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A little about Jordan Vajda. Vajda was a Catholic Priest in the Dominican order. He wrote a Master’s Thesis comparing the Greek Fathers of the Eastern Orthodox Church teaching of divinization/theosis becoming a god and compared it to the LDS view of exaltation. He did so as a Catholic Priest, but I have heard he has subsequently converted to the church a few years later. Here is the side by side comparison. Greek Orthodox View on Left, LDS view on right (or noted otherwise).
1. Both believe in Eternal progression
2. Difference Greek orthodox view of Eternal Progression; it Begins in mortality Mormon view-Begins in preexistence
3. Both believe: God is sole source of salvation or deifying grace (we become gods by grace)
4. Baptism and Eucharist necessary (No endowment) Vs. (LDS) Baptism and Sacrament necessary (Endowment also)
5. The Holy Ghost sanctifies us and transforms our lives to prepare us. (Both)
6. God wants us to partake in the divine nature (very similar to LDS) God wants us to become exalted
7. Same-Purpose of human existence-to become a god
8. Difference: Spirits clothed in bodies on earth born to earthly parents at time of mortal conception.
Difference: In preexistence, intelligences are clothed w/ spirit bodies (spirit birth); offspring of Heavenly Father and
Mother (LDS view).
9. Difference: No concept of Celestial Marriage, nor is it necessary. (LDS) Difference: Celestial Marriage is necessary to be a god.
10. Difference: God has always been God
Difference: God was once a man who became a God.
11. Trinity exists outside of time, which is their creation, and have always been divine. (P. 47)
Difference: (LDS) Godhead exist and have always existed within the context of the space-time continuum. As they are
now, they will always be, but they have not always been as they are now. (p. 47)
12. Humans are created beings and God is uncreated, and eternal (Greek)
(LDS) Humans are of the same race as God (uncreated; Eternal Intelligence) and Created (spirit born) then born into
mortality.
13. Christ is at the heart and center of
theosisand exaltation. 14. Deified man will always be subordinate to God (Both)
15. Theosis is doctrine, but not dogma (it was never formally challenged)
Doctrine of Exaltation possess the highest level of doctrinal authority (comes straight from standard works is taught in
Gospel Principles last lesson.)
16. Divinization occurs at the time of resurrection (Greek)
Exaltation occurs after an unspecified time after the resurrection. (LDS)
Result similar: humans possess divine qualities & attributes, a new manner of life (Eternal Life), which they did not possess before & which they could not attain on their own. Result similar: humans possess divine qualities & attributes, a new manner of life (Eternal Life), which they did not possess before & which they could not attain on their own.
I really enjoyed this philosophical treatise in comparative religion. I thought it very rewarding to read, it helped me understand the LDS doctrine of Exaltation more and also appreciate that the Greek orthodox church has a similar viewpoint despite the apostasy. My gospel principle’s class had this lesson today, and I think I learned more from a Catholic Priest. Comparison and Contrast is sometimes the best way to learn. Jordan Vajda sure did a great job in his thesis.
Thanks for posting this. I feel that the Orthodox experience of Christianity (as well as minor eastern Churches, such as the Copts, Armenians and Ethiopians) isn’t well known enough in the English speaking world. I agree with Sam about most of Western Christianity not understanding Greek Orthodox teachings well enough. I’ve said multiple times that if I weren’t Mormon I’d be a Christian Buddhist – but I also lean strongly toward the Greek Orthodox position in many ways. If I was trying to be comprehensive, it probably would be more accurate to say that if I weren’t LDS I’d be a Greek Orthodox Buddhist.
Most of what I know about Orthodoxy is from the Russian angle. I have read many Russian novels (I know, that sounds pretentious, but I do enjoy them. Really! 😆 )Russian Orthodoxy has touches of Asia about it. There are similarities between some Tibetan music and some of their old liturgical music.
Also very interesting is the concept of the yurodivy, or holy fool. Sometimes these are the village idiot, at other times, they approach the crazy wisdom of Indian religions.
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