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If anyone knows much about theosis, can you tell me how it differs from what we are taught in the LDS church? Thanks in advance.
I became aware of Theosis a while back, and from the basic information I know about it there does seem to be a similarity to LDS belief. However, I do not have a deep enough understanding to answer your question. At the time I became aware of it, and I had actually forgotten about it until now, I just thought it was interesting that this could be a teaching of a mainstream (and very old) Christian church. I hope someone here can enlighten us more, it could be interesting. Wikipedia has some basic information and addresses the mormon take on it. Just Google “theosis”. I think it was Irenaeus, an early father of the eastern church that coined the couplet, “as man is…”, and Athanasius talks about becoming God. One of the scriptures that theologians have used as this idea developed is 2 Peter 1:4 where he talks about being “partakers of the divine nature…”. The idea seems to be that the possibility exists for us to not only become like but become God as we’re physically/spiritually joined with deity. The core of theosis is ancient and exists beyond Christianity. It’s the same general concept as the Eastern idea of Nirvana and the final state of being after a complete reincarnative existence. In Christianity, it is centered in the Biblical verses and passages that say we can become one with God – and I see that theme running from Genesis through Revelations. it was championed by early church leaders, and it still is taught in the Eastern Orthodox Church – which is my favorite Christian religion outside of Mormonism, for what that’s worth. As I mentioned in the post about what constitutes “the Gospel”, I see Jesus of Nazareth as having preached the concept of theosis as central to his “good news” – and it is found in passages throughout nearly all of the epistles of the New Testament. The Intercessory prayer in John 17 is perhaps the best example. Frankly, if anyone reads the Bible without theological preconceptions, I think it is very hard not to reach the conclusion that becoming like God is a major thread running through the entire compilation (although it isn’t as explicit in the Old Testament as in the New Testament) – and, interestingly, it is not a thread at all in the Book of Mormon. Joseph Smith came to believe it passionately (and even radically, I would say), but that belief developed as he focused on his Bible translation efforts, not before or during the publication of the Book of Mormon. I think that’s one of the strongest reasons he once said that the main difference between Mormons and other Christians is that we believe the Bible, and they don’t. (not “in the Bible”, but what the Bible actually teaches)
GBSmith wrote:Wikipedia has some basic information and addresses the mormon take on it. Just Google “theosis”. I think it was Irenaeus, an early father of the eastern church that coined the couplet, “as man is…”, and Athanasius talks about becoming God. One of the scriptures that theologians have used as this idea developed is 2 Peter 1:4 where he talks about being “partakers of the divine nature…”. The idea seems to be that the possibility exists for us to not only become like but become God as we’re physically/spiritually joined with deity.
I like a lot of what the wiki says:
Quote:In Eastern Orthodoxy deification (theosis) is both a transformative process as well as the goal of that process. The goal is the attainment of likeness to or union with God. As a process of transformation theosis is brought about by the effects of katharsis (purification of mind and body) and theoria. According to eastern Orthodox teaching theosis is very much the purpose of human life. It is considered achievable only through a synergy (or cooperation) between humans’ activities and God’s uncreated energies (or operations)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theosis_(Eastern_Orthodox_theology) I also spoke with a Chinese colleague a while back. I told him I was reading the Nei Ye (one of the old book of Chinese philosophy – Taoist mainly). He got very excited and told me that if I read and applied the principles in the book I’d “become a superhuman… like a god.”
The idea of developing self to the very best possible, becoming godlike, is found in many traditions. The Givenses in The God Who Weeps also illustrate this.
This doctrine is a large reason why I remain LDS and why I don’t think I’d find a good home in any church where it is absent.
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