Christification: A Lutheran Approach to Theosis

by Jordan B. Cooper

The doctrine of theosis has enjoyed a recent resurgence among varied theological traditions across the realms of historical, dogmatic, and exegetical theology. In A Lutheran Approach to Theosis, Jordan Cooper evaluates this teaching from a Lutheran perspective. He examines the teachings of the church fathers, the New Testament, and the Lutheran Confessional tradition in conversation with recent scholarship on theosis. Cooper proposes that the participationist soteriology of the early fathers expressed in terms of theosis is compatible with Luther's doctrine of forensic justification. The historic Lutheran tradition, Scripture, and the patristic sources do not limit soteriological discussions to legal terminology, but instead offer a multifaceted doctrine of salvation that encapsulates both participatory and forensic motifs. This is compared and contrasted with the development of the doctrine of deification in the Eastern tradition arising from the thought of Pseudo-Dionysius. Cooper argues that the doctrine of the earliest fathers-such as Irenaeus, Athanasius, and Justin-is primarily a Christological and economic reality defined as "Christification" This model of theosis is placed in contradistinction to later Neoplatonic forms of deification.

Genres: Theology, Christianity, Religion

142 pages, Paperback

First published July 18, 2014

About the author

Dr. Jordan B Cooper is an ordained Lutheran pastor, an adjunct professor of Systematic Theology, and a Ministry Fellow with Christian Union at Cornell University. He has authored several books, as well as theological articles in a variety of publications. He hosts the Just and Sinner Podcast, and is a frequent guest on many other podcasts. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his wife Lisa and their two boys: Jacen, and Ben.

Reviews

[R.L.S.D · Rating 4 out of 5]

An attempt to revive the teaching of mystical union in Protestant circles and promote dialogue with the Eastern Church on the Christian doctrine of theosis, in five dissertation-like chapters.

Ch 1: Pursuing a definition of theosis as the deification of man through unification and participation in God, as opposed to apotheosis in which man becomes a unique divine entity among a pantheon of gods. "God became man so that man might become god." - Athanasius

Ch 2: An assertion of the presence of theosis in the confessional Lutheran heritage, through a specifically incarnational and Christological vocabulary. "The theotic movement toward God is not due to Christians' obedience, but continual reception of the forgiveness of sins,  especially as granted through the sacraments...baptism in fact initiates the process of theosis." -Cooper

Ch 3: An exegetical exploration of theosis in Holy Scripture with attention to Scripture's juridical language (basically, we are atonement theology maximalists and Lutherans are *really* emphasizing the necessity but insufficiency of substitionary atonement by itself.)

2 Pet 1:4 "...He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature..."

Gal 2:17-21 "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live,  but Christ who lives in me."

Ch 4: A defense of theosis in the writings of the church fathers as incarnational, historical, and Christological. (Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Theophilus, Irenaeus, Athanasius.)

Ch 5: A gracious examination of apophatic Eastern theotic understanding and its relationship to Neo-Platonism.

-Western Thomism views God on the basis of of commonality between the creature and Creator. Through observing the goodness in created things,  humanity is able to reason up to God who embodies the perfection of these attributes.

-Eastern theology is based on the dissimilarity between creatures and their Creator which argues that God is utterly transcendent beyond explanation. (apophatism)

-In the Lutheran theological tradition, God is not known by way of negation **or** by the analogy of being [my suspician that I rejected the analogy of being caused me no end of distress in political theory and philosophy classes at my Christian college], BUT by the revelation of of *his historical acts in Christ*. [A fundamentally narrative and literary paradigm as a opposed to a philosophical one.]


I appreciate that Cooper is present and active in some of what I consider to be the most interesting and pressing questions of Christendom today.  Broadly speaking, I agree with the content of this short volume, and it will have an immediate and clarifying influence on the vocabulary I use for religious instruction. The doctrine of theosis significantly impacts how we understand sanctification and the Christian life. That being said, he is a fairly inelegant communicator and I will look forward to engaging other writers on the subject.

[Jared Mindel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. Just wish it were like 200 pages longer! Best sections were those comparing the Neoplatonic form of theosis to a more Christocentric version.

[Scott W. Blankenship · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first time I stumbled across the puzzling concept of Theosis was a couple Christmas ago. I was reading On the Incarnation by Athanasius, in which he wrote this baffling statement:

"God became man so that men might become gods."

Was Athanasius a Mormon? Oh course not, he was a staunch defender of orthodoxy and a faithful trinitarian Christian. So then what did he mean when he said "men might become gods?" This is a question that I've been chewing on for a while, and this book finally brought a lot of clarity to the topic.

Arguing persuasively from both the Scriptures and from the Church Fathers, Cooper describes theosis in this way: "Christification is the ontological union of God and man, initiated through the incarnation, which the Christian partakes in through faith. Through this union, that which belongs properly to Christ—namely divine incorruptibility and immortality—is transferred to the believer by faith. This union is increased and strengthened as the Christian participates in the sacramental life of the church, and it is demonstrated through growth in personal holiness."

[Knut Kåre · Rating 4 out of 5]

En veldig interessant bok der Cooper forsøker å bygge en bro mellom luthersk og ortodoks teologi, gjennom å påvise hvordan den oldkirkelige formuleringen av theosis kan komme til sin rett i møte med både Luther og bekjennelsen. Ireneus, Athanasius og de apostoliske fedre har en Kristus-sentrert måte å formulere sin teologi om theosis på, som Cooper mener står seg godt i møte med den lutherske bekjennelsen.

Jeg liker slike forsøk på å utforske det økumeniske potensialet i dogmer og synes at Cooper lykkes med å vise at luthersk og ortodoks teologi har mye felles på dette området.

[Josh Traylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clear, well-articulated introduction to the historic doctrine of theosis. Though from a Lutheran point of view, Cooper presents the historic data for the various models of how theosis was understood in the Patristics, Medieval East, and in the Lutheran Scholastics. Unsurprisingly, Cooper favors the more compatibilist approach to reconciling forensic justification and early Patristic theosis, but he does a good job to differentiate this from the Eastern Neo-Platonic Mystic views of Dionysius, St. Maximus, Gregory Palamas, and Vladimir Lossky. Worth a read for anyone that is unfamiliar with the doctrine, but especially to those looking to understand how the Lutheran Reformation chose to take the middle-road between the heavily mystical views of the Eastern Orthodox tradition and the heavily forensic and skeptical views of the Reformed/Calvinist tradition.

[Denny Skoch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall good introductory level book on the subject of theosis (deification) from a Lutheran-Protestant perspective. Cooper does a good job with trying to present things in a clear and careful manner and shows some of the dichotomies between forensic and participatory categories are false and actually complement each other. Seen this is introductory (from my understanding), some deeper discussions are not held or not dug as deeply, which depending on how knowledgeable one is on the topic, may impact some of the reading for good or just as a quick refresher. Overall, enjoyed the book and recommend it.

[Elijah McArthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I have ever read. Though there are occasional typos, the argumentation is clear and to the point. The summaries at the end of each chapter are particularly helpful in relating everything back to the author's thesis. Furthermore, this work provides a phenomenal take that is truly encouraging for believers while at the same time grounding its teaching in the church fathers, the reformers, and (most importantly) revelation of Christ itself. I couldn't recommend this book more to those who are interested in theology and have a basic understanding of systematic theology, especially concerning the Sacraments, soteriology, and union with Christ.

[Manuel Marbun · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for one who wants to know a difference between Lutheranism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Cooper shows that biblical deification is patristic deification and is Christocentric, that the biblical deification is not what Eastern Orthodox holds, and that it is held in Lutheranism in the doctrine of Mystical Union or what Cooper called "Christification".

[Michael T Moos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good primer on theosis. Dr. Cooper explains the two historic views. One view uses the lens of the Incarnation and can be seen in the writings of Ignatius, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, and Athanasius. The other sees theosis primarily through mystical experience and prayer that can be seen in the writings of Pseudo-Dionysius and developed fully with Gregory Palamas.

[Andrew Kneeland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was confused by the structure, and lack of a satisfying conclusion, but this is an important book to help expand the way we talk about justification. Every pastor should read chapter 3.

[Jonathon Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was enlightening, but the writing style was very dry.

[Alex Monseth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good!

[Kolter Sands · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent explanation of Lutheran Theosis.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Too many typos

[Kenny Parnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent treatment of Christification/Theosis. I appreciate the comparison and contrast of the various schools of thought and ultimately showing how it fits in with the historic teaching of the church. I also really appreciate how well it was footnoted and the solid bibliography. I look forward to digging even deeper.

Ultimately though I appreciate how the discussion of the participationist nature of Christification draws me closer to Christ.

[K B · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCELLENT!