In his post
here @FireDragon76 links to Lutheran theologian
David Wagschal's critique of the traditional Christian doctrine of
Deification or
Theosis. In beginning to explicate the doctrine of Deification, Wagschal tells us:
This is the teaching that salvation is the progressive and gradual sanctification or “divinizing” of the person, the church, and the cosmos. It is the idea that God saves or redeems us by permeating the creation and transforming it into its own (properly) divine form. -
The Problem with Deification
Here is a quick outline of Wagschal's basic criticisms:
- Deification creates the notion that God's love rests on our future, deified selves rather than on ourselves as we exist in the here and now, namely as sinful.
- Deification creates the notion that salvation is progressive ladder-climbing rather than gratuitous and radical gift.
- Deification leads to political theologies.
- Deification leads to an appearance- and performance-based focus.
What do you think?
Is Deification compatible with Lutheranism? Feel free to completely ignore Wagschal's analysis if you have thoughts different from his on the topic.
From Orthowiki:
"
Theosis ("deification," "divinization") is the process of a worshiper becoming free of
hamartía ("missing the mark"), being united with God, beginning in this life and later consummated in bodily
resurrection. For Orthodox Christians, Théōsis (see 2 Pet. 1:4) is salvation. Théōsis assumes that humans from the beginning are made to share in the Life or Nature of the all-
Holy Trinity. Therefore, an infant or an adult worshiper is saved from the state of unholiness (
hamartía — which is not to be confused with
hamártēma “sin”) for participation in the Life (
zōé, not simply
bíos) of the Trinity — which is everlasting.
This is not to be confused with the heretical (apothéōsis) - "
Deification in God’s Essence", which is imparticipable."
I think that when most of us see the word "deification", we automatically think apotheosis ("I shall be like the most high!"), not theosis which is probably more akin to the protestant concept of sanctification. So my personal opinion as an orthodox (little o) Christian with Orthodox (capital o) sympathies and a confessional traditional Lutheran is that it is compatible.
It's also important to know the biases of individuals who make such critiques. David Wagschal is a graduate of St. Vladimir's Seminary who apostasized from Eastern Orthodoxy to embrace progressive Lutheranism of the ELCA flavor.
This is his church:
Redeemer Lutheran Church, Toronto
This is what they are doing per their website: "The rainbow flag is flying over the church!"
He is not a reliable source on orthodox Christianity, whether that o is lower case or capitalized.