Beyond the Realistic‐Ethical Distinction in Deification: Reconsidering Norman Russell’s Assessment of Gregory of Nyssa

Abstract

AbstractThe notion of deification (θεοποίησις) or divinization (θέωσις), a fundamental theme in Eastern Orthodox theology, has long fascinated theologians from different traditions. In spite of the general interest in this theme, scholarship has fallen short on several accounts. One issue is that the intrinsic relationship between the ‘realistic’ and ‘ethical’ senses of deification has defied clear explanation. This failure is exemplified by Norman Russell’s The Doctrine of Deification in the Greek Patristic Tradition (2004), where the obscured relationship also yields an inaccurate assessment of Gregory’s theology. Revisiting Gregory’s notion of deification, this article proposes a new account for the intrinsic relationship between the ‘realistic’ and ‘ethical’ senses of deification, and suggests a revision of Russell’s reading of Gregory.