Theosis vocabulary
- T18.1 Deification by grace (‘became what we are, that we might become what he is’) from Era II (high)
Two separate measures, shown side by side; neither is combined with the other (confidence-weighted, out of 4; counts show how many of this doctrine's 1 questions each rests on). This doctrine is third-order (tier weight 1). How scoring works · Scripture and tradition · Glossary · Every score with its citation
Closeness to Scripture
Closeness to the fathers
Charts: closeness to the fathers by question, and timeline
- c. 180 Irenaeus T18.1
- c. 335 Athanasius T18.1
- 1646 Westminster Confession Presbyterian
T18 · Theosis vocabulary
Deification language or union with Christ.
Tier: Third-order (scoring weight 1). How the tiers were set: theological triage. Method: conventions. Traditions’ sources: confessional sources.
In short
Many fathers described salvation as ‘deification’: Athanasius wrote that God ‘was made man that we might be made God’, meaning by grace, not by nature. Scripture speaks of sharing in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). The Orthodox keep this language at the centre; Protestant confessions speak instead of union with Christ.
Plan
Question: T18.1: is ‘deification’ (theosis) a proper way to describe salvation? Scripture: 2 Pet 1:4; Ps 82:6 / John 10:34–35; Rom 8:29; 2 Cor 3:18; 1 John 3:2. Fathers: Irenaeus, Against Heresies V preface; Athanasius, On the Incarnation 54.
Questions
- T18.1 Theosis vocabulary
Verdicts and trace
Weighed under the source-proximity principle: Scripture first, then the father eras I–IV.
T18.1 · Theosis vocabulary
| Question | Verdict | Confidence | Reasoning | Key sources | Scripture (benchmark) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T18.1 | Deification by grace (‘became what we are, that we might become what he is’) from Era II | High | T18.1.1 · T18.1.3 weighing | irenaeus-t18-s1 · athanasius-t18-s1 | T18.1.4: medium |
Post-750 development
Which of this doctrine’s questions each tradition stays closest to, or departs from. Each row links to the tradition’s notes; exact scores and bases are in the reasoning.
| Tradition | Closest to the fathers on | Departs or sharpens on |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic | partly T18.1 | — |
| Orthodox | T18.1 | — |
| Oriental Orthodox | T18.1 | — |
| Lutheran | T18.1 | partly T18.1 |
| Anglican | T18.1 | partly T18.1 |
| Presbyterian | T18.1 | partly T18.1 |
| Reformed Baptist | T18.1 | partly T18.1 |
| General Baptist | T18.1 | partly T18.1 |
| Anabaptist | T18.1 | partly T18.1 |
Overall verdict
Deification is consensus patristic vocabulary from Era II and has a biblical basis in 2 Pet 1:4; the Orthodox keep it most; Protestant confessions speak of union with Christ instead.
Verification status
Several cells to verify.