Basics of “On the Incarnation”

December 2, 2020

In this episode, the conversation takes a deep dive into theology! The group goes through an overview of On the Incarnation before turning to the topic of deification.

On the Incarnation is broken down into five sections. The first three sections deal with different “divine dilemmas” (life and death, knowledge and ignorance, the death and resurrection of Jesus). The last two sections are refutations, one to the Jews (using Scripture to show how the Old Testament points to Jesus) and one to the Gentiles (explaining more about the importance of the incarnation and showing how the Christian faith had already influenced Greco-Roman culture).

This last section contains a famous quote that is paraphrased as “God became man that man might become God,” and this becomes the jumping-off point for the group to discuss deification. One major difference between how deification figures into Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant doctrine is whether it indicates the process of becoming united with Jesus (especially with regards to his human side) or with the Trinity. Broadly, all parties agree that deification is like (but not the same as!) sanctification in that we become God-like (but not God in essence) only by grace through Jesus Christ.

Listen in on this conversation to hear Keith and Joey explain the nuances of deification in Orthodox and Protestant belief as well as how some of Athanasius’ other works add to this discussion. Bonus: find out if Adam invented the word “nerdery.”

 

Jump Through the Conversation

  • [2:14] Brief overview of On the Incarnation

    • The divine dilemma regarding life and death

    • The divine dilemma regarding knowledge and ignorance

    • The death of Christ and resurrection of the body

    • The refutation of the Jews

    • The refutation of the Gentiles

  • [9:26] Brief explanation of deification

    • Very important to the Orthodox Church

    • Difference between sanctification and deification

    • Roles of free will and grace

  • [14:15] Agreement between Catholics and Orthodox Christians on deification

  • [16:08] Protestant emphasis on union with Jesus and his humanity

  • [17:40] Points of disagreement

  • [19:04] Catholic perspective on deification and the fall

  • [20:01] More on deification from an Orthodox perspective

  • [23:30] How Athanasius’ accompanying works help to flesh out deification

  • [25:05] Summary of deification discussion by Joey

    • Point of agreement: grace and Jesus

    • Point of disagreement: details about the incarnation

 

Links and Resources

 

A resource of the Chattanooga House of Prayer