Subject Area
Theology
Description
Deification - the belief that the souls of those in heaven are united to, and participate in, the Inner Life of God - is an important (though in Western Christian thought underappreciated) aspect of traditional Christian soteriology. In this thesis, I will argue that the traditional Christian views on deification presuppose the notion that grace does not contradict nature, but rather elevates it, and therefore one’s view on creation, anthropology and the metaphysical parameters of how a transcendent God relates to His creation delineate or determine the parameters of how one views the doctrine of deification. In demonstrating this point, I will show how this is the case with two major Christian figures, St. Thomas Aquinas (taken to be representative of the Latin tradition) and Gregory Palamas (taken to be representative of the Byzantine tradition). I will conclude this thesis with a side-by-side comparison of St. Thomas and Gregory, and a brief examination of the ecumenical implications of their thought.
Publisher
Providence College
Date
Spring 2021
Type
Thesis
Format
Text
Language
English
