Abstract
Theosis in the Eastern-Orthodox and Western-Protestant theological debate: All major religions agree on one theme, namely they strive to provide an answer regarding the relation with their God. A good relation to God is the way of salvation, because the question about God is an acknowledgement that a human being needs to be in union with God. Some questions and answers are only possible in the relation between God and humankind. The well-known saying from the letter to the Romans (1:17), is typical of such a relation formulated in the Western Protestant debate in forensic style. From the Eastern orthodox theological debate, theosis is used in accordance to what the church father Irenaeus meant: ‘God became human that we might become divine’. This article gives a definition of theosis, sketch the historic background of the concept, discuss salvation in the Western theological tradition, and pays attention to a theosis scriptural basis. Furthermore, attention is also given to Martin Luther and theosis as an indication that his view of salvation was much closer to theosis as was readily accepted in the Western theological debate since the Reformation of the 16th century.
Highlights
Affiliation: 1Unit for Reformed Theology and the Development of the South African Society, Faculty of Theology, North West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
Theosis in the Eastern-Orthodox and Western-Protestant theological debate: All major religions agree on one theme, namely they strive to provide an answer regarding the relation with their God
From the Eastern orthodox theological debate, theosis is used in accordance to what the church father Irenaeus meant: ‘God became human that we might become divine’
Summary
Affiliation: 1Unit for Reformed Theology and the Development of the South African Society, Faculty of Theology, North West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa. Die bedoeling is om aan te dui dat theosis waarskynlik meer bewustelik waardeer kan word as wat tot nog toe gebeur het. Daarom word in die artikel ook aandag aan die historiese aanloop gegee, as aanduiding van die feit dat theosis ’n relatiewe lang aanloop het wat reeds by die kerkvaders aanwesig was. Die woord kom nie in die Nuwe Testament voor nie, maar dit geld ook vir die begrip drie-eenheid in verband met die Triniteit wat as sodanig nie in die Nuwe Testament gevind word nie. Sy bekende uitspraak dat God mens geword het in Christus sodat mense goddelik kan word, spreek mee in dié verband en dui aan dat die gedagtekompleks wat deur theosis verwoord word, ouer en bruikbaarder is as wat vermoed word (Peacocke 1993:189).
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