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Christian Theologies of Deification
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Christian Theologies of Deification

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Theologies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 January 2026) | Viewed by 9464

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Myk Habets

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Theology, Laidlaw College, Christchurch 8053, New Zealand
Interests: constructive contemporary theology and moral theology (ethics); pneumatology; Third Article Theology; theosis; Spirit Christology; the theology of Thomas F. Torrance; Evangelical Calvinism; the theological interpretation of Scripture
Dr. Stephen Finlan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The First Church of West Bridgewater, West Bridgewater, MA​​ 02379, USA
Interests: New Testament Literature; atonement theology; Pauline theology; canonical Gospels; theōsis; anthropology of sacrifice; Hebrew prophets; Patristics; non-canonical Gospels; world religions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Although theosis had already been a featured teaching in Eastern Christianity, it was revived when the teachings of Gregory of Palamas were rediscovered in the 19th and 20th centuries. There have since been suggestions that the absence of theosis/deification teaching in Western Christianity has distorted and legalised our understanding of Christ’s salvific mission. However, more recent scholarship has identified deification teaching in authoritative Western sources such as Augustine and Aquinas, as well as Balthasar in 20th century Catholicism and the Finnish School in the Reformed tradition. Donald Alchin also identified an extensive legacy of deification teaching in the Anglican tradition.

This Special Issue will identify some of those threads and discuss the efforts of the ante-Nicene fathers to preserve the teachings that they received from Christ, Peter, John, and Paul, despite the increasing familiarity of the tools of Platonic philosophy.

For this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Theoretical perspectives on deification in Eastern and Western Christian traditions, examining key thinkers such as Soloviev, Berdyaev, and Torrance;
  • Theological reflections on the presence of God in nature, particularly in the context of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’;
  • Distinctions between theosis and apotheosis, exploring philosophical comparisons between Platonic thought and Christian doctrine;
  • Lutheran perspectives on deification and its implications for pastoral theology;
  • The contributions of St. Augustine’s teachings on deification to contemporary theological discussions;
  • The role of Hans Urs von Balthasar’s theology of deification in fostering ecumenical dialogue between the Reformed tradition and Eastern Orthodox thought;
  • The understanding of theosis and deification in the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200–300 words summarising their intended contribution. Please send these to the Guest Editors or to the Religions Editorial Office (religions@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring a proper fit within the scope of this Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Myk Habets
Dr. Stephen Finlan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • theosis/deification
  • kenosis
  • divinization
  • human character ascent
  • Jacob’s ladder
  • Peter’s ladder
  • theosis as salvation
  • energy vs. essence
  • pre-Platonic Christianity
  • ante-Nicene teaching
  • metaphor
  • participation vs. ontological change
  • joint heirship

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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21 pages, 371 KB  
Article
Theosis in Soloviev and Berdyaev
by Stephen Finlan
Religions 2026, 17(5), 591; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17050591 (registering DOI) - 14 May 2026
Viewed by 203
Abstract
“Theosis in Soloviev and Berdyaev” will look at the deification concepts of these Russian philosophers. Deification ideas in both these writers had a strong social side and included a sharp critique of institutional churches. Sources that influenced each author will be examined. [...] Read more.
“Theosis in Soloviev and Berdyaev” will look at the deification concepts of these Russian philosophers. Deification ideas in both these writers had a strong social side and included a sharp critique of institutional churches. Sources that influenced each author will be examined. In speaking of deification, both thinkers drew upon the philosophy of Jacob Boehme. Both Soloviev and Berdyaev affirmed Orthodox principles but reacted against the authoritarianism of the Russian Orthodox hierarchy and wanted the church to return to its legitimate spiritual mission of fostering the Kingdom of God on earth. I first examine Soloviev, reacting, in part, to Jeremy Pilch’s penetrating study of Soloviev’s use of Maximus the Confessor during Soloviev’s middle and late periods. Soloviev pictures deification as a restoration of harmony with God. I argue that Soloviev also drew upon Origen’s concept of apokatastasis, which relates to theosis. Boehme’s philosophy is briefly examined in order to highlight what the two philosophers utilized from him. Berdyaev‘s philosophy is studied, including his usage of Boehme’s notion of the Ungrund. Ruth Coates offers a sophisticated analysis of Berdyaev. I argue that Berdyaev’s work is prophetic rather than Nietzschean. Berdyaev articulates a strongly theistic and anti-Nietzschean philosophy of cooperation with God. For both thinkers, deification is initiated by God, but free human cooperation is required for it to be realized. Both authors assert that Christ made deification possible. Both authors speak of a deification of the flesh, although their meaning is unclear. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Christian Theologies of Deification)
19 pages, 336 KB  
Article
For the (Eternal) Life of the Whole World: The Cosmic Dimension of Theosis in the Orthodox Tradition
by Nikolaos Asproulis
Religions 2026, 17(4), 445; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17040445 - 3 Apr 2026
Viewed by 1089
Abstract
The doctrine of theosis, or deification, is a distinctive feature of Eastern Orthodoxy. In recent centuries, it has also become a pursuit across various Christian traditions. Although theosis was historically associated with humanity, modern theology has not adequately explored its cosmic dimension, [...] Read more.
The doctrine of theosis, or deification, is a distinctive feature of Eastern Orthodoxy. In recent centuries, it has also become a pursuit across various Christian traditions. Although theosis was historically associated with humanity, modern theology has not adequately explored its cosmic dimension, which concerns both human and non-human beings as well as the cosmos as a whole. This article draws on elements of the Orthodox tradition, including the Logos–logoi theory of St. Maximus the Confessor and the Essence–Energies distinction of St. Gregory Palamas. It also engages with insights from contemporary Orthodox thinkers relevant to the discussion. The aim is to outline the theological foundations for a more inclusive and holistic understanding of theosis, particularly in light of the current climate crisis and issues of animal welfare. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Christian Theologies of Deification)
17 pages, 284 KB  
Article
Becoming God in Life and Nature: Watchman Nee and Witness Lee on Sanctification, Union with Christ, and Deification
by Michael M. C. Reardon and Brian Siu Kit Chiu
Religions 2025, 16(7), 933; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16070933 - 18 Jul 2025
Viewed by 4425
Abstract
This article examines the theological trajectories of Watchman Nee (1903–1972) and Witness Lee (1905–1997) on sanctification, union with Christ, and deification, situating their contributions within recent reappraisals of the doctrine of theosis in the academy. Though deification was universally affirmed by the early [...] Read more.
This article examines the theological trajectories of Watchman Nee (1903–1972) and Witness Lee (1905–1997) on sanctification, union with Christ, and deification, situating their contributions within recent reappraisals of the doctrine of theosis in the academy. Though deification was universally affirmed by the early church and retained in various forms in medieval and early Protestant theology, post-Reformation Western Christianity marginalized this theme in favor of juridical and forensic soteriological categories. Against this backdrop, Nee and Lee offer a theologically rich, biblically grounded, and experientially oriented articulation of deification that warrants greater scholarly attention. Drawing from the Keswick Holiness tradition, patristic sources, and Christian mysticism, Nee developed a soteriology that integrates justification, sanctification, and glorification within an organic model of progressive union with God. Though he does not explicitly use the term “deification”, the language he employs regarding union and participation closely mirrors classical expressions of Christian theosis. For Nee, sanctification is not merely moral improvement but the transformative increase of the divine life, culminating in conformity to Christ’s image. Lee builds upon and expands Nee’s participatory soteriology into a comprehensive theology of deification, explicitly referring to it as “the high peak of the divine revelation” in the Holy Scriptures. For Lee, humans become God “in life and nature but not in the Godhead”. By employing the phrase “not in the Godhead”, Lee upholds the Creator–creature distinction—i.e., humans never participate in the ontological Trinity or God’s incommunicable attributes. Yet, in the first portion of his description, he affirms that human beings undergo an organic, transformative process by which they become God in deeply significant ways. His framework structures sanctification as a seven-stage process, culminating in the believer’s transformation and incorporation into the Body of Christ to become a constituent of a corporate God-man. This corporate dimension—often overlooked in Western accounts—lies at the heart of Lee’s ecclesiology, which he sees as being consummated in the eschatological New Jerusalem. Ultimately, this study argues that Nee and Lee provide a coherent, non-speculative model of deification that integrates biblical exegesis, theological tradition, and practical spirituality, and thus, present a compelling alternative to individualistic and forensic soteriologies while also highlighting the need for deeper engagement across global theological discourse on sanctification, union with Christ, and the Triune God. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Christian Theologies of Deification)
20 pages, 199 KB  
Article
Pastoral Theological Reflections on Deification from a Lutheran Perspective
by Jonathan Linman
Religions 2025, 16(6), 699; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16060699 - 29 May 2025
Viewed by 1150
Abstract
In this article, I explore deification in light of the practice of pastoral ministry in Lutheran settings, engaging the biblical witness and key features of the Lutheran theological tradition as sources for understanding deification from a Lutheran perspective. Through this study, I have [...] Read more.
In this article, I explore deification in light of the practice of pastoral ministry in Lutheran settings, engaging the biblical witness and key features of the Lutheran theological tradition as sources for understanding deification from a Lutheran perspective. Through this study, I have come to view deification from a Lutheran perspective as our union with Christ in faith, individually and communally embodied, that is generated by the energies of the Holy Spirit working through the means of grace in the church for the sake of advancing God’s mission in the world. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Christian Theologies of Deification)

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12 pages, 238 KB  
Essay
Holy Desire or Wholly Hubris? Deification in the Theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar
by Sigurd Lefsrud
Religions 2025, 16(7), 826; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16070826 - 24 Jun 2025
Viewed by 1710
Abstract
The theology of deification in the Christian tradition is fraught with misconceptions. Although it embodies the core teaching of the faith, it is not only a neglected theme of theology, but often critiqued as a Promethean distortion of the gospel and/or a semi-Pelagian [...] Read more.
The theology of deification in the Christian tradition is fraught with misconceptions. Although it embodies the core teaching of the faith, it is not only a neglected theme of theology, but often critiqued as a Promethean distortion of the gospel and/or a semi-Pelagian heterodoxy. Hans Urs von Balthasar, through his examination of the teachings of the early Church Fathers, presents the doctrine in its Christocentric context, emphasizing its kenotic and inherently relational character. Deification is thus revealed as an antidote to the narrowly conceived notion of “justification” as salvation, which is rooted in a juridic understanding of God’s grace. Conceived as the dynamic incorporation of the believer into the life of Christ himself, deification is rightly understood as a present, existential process and thus far more than a mere eschatological hope. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Christian Theologies of Deification)
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