The Oxford Handbook of Deification

Modern theological engagements on deification have undergone two major paradigm shifts. First, the study of deification shifted from the periphery of theological discourse to its center. For Adolf von Harnack, deification was a pagan import that fatally corrupted and distorted the Gospel message of salvation. In response, the positive retrieval of the concept of deification belongs to the early years of the twentieth century. By the 1910s in Russian religious thought and by the 1930s in much Roman Catholic theology, deification had become a magnet concept attracting attention from many different viewpoints. The second important shift relates to how deification is characterized. Recent studies question the exclusively 'Eastern' character of deification and draw attention to the engagements of this theme in Latin patristic and later Western Christian sources.

Reassessing the evidence for these two major shifts, The Oxford Handbook of Deification comprehensively explores the points of convergence and difference on the constitutive elements of deification in different traditions, and offers a foundation for ecumenical and interreligious dialogues. The Handbook's first part analyzes the cultural and scriptural roots of deification; the second part explores the most significant historical contributions to the understanding of deification in the early, medieval, and modern periods; the third part develops systematic connections.

Readers will discover a surprizing breadth, depth, and diversity of theologies of deification in Christian traditions. Throughout the Handbook, leading scholars in the field of Deification Studies propose vital new insights from a variety of perspectives for this central mystery at the heart of the Christian faith.

Paul L. Gavrilyuk, Aquinas Chair in Theology and Philosophy, University of St. Thomas,Andrew Hofer, O.P., Ordinary Professor of Patristics and Ancient Languages, Pontifical Faculty of the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC,Matthew Levering, James N. Jr. and Mary D. Perry Chair of Theology, Mundelein Seminary

Paul L. Gavrilyuk holds the Aquinas Chair in Theology and Philosophy in the Theology Department of the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota. His many books include Perceiving Things Divine: Towards a Constructive Account of Spiritual Perception (OUP, 2022--co-edited with Frederick Aquino) and Georges Florovsky and the Russian Religious Renaissance (OUP, 2013). He is the founding president of two nonprofits: International Orthodox Theological Association (iota-web.org) and Rebuild Ukraine (rebuild-ua.org).


Andrew Hofer, O.P. is Ordinary Professor of Patristics and Ancient Languages at the Pontifical Faculty of the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC, where he also serves as editor-in-chief of The Thomist. He is the author of Christ in the Life and Teaching of Gregory of Nazianzus (OUP, 2013) and The Power of Patristic Preaching: The Word in Our Flesh (2023).


Matthew Levering holds the James N. Jr. and Mary D. Perry Chair of Theology at Mundelein Seminary. His recent books include Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? Historical and Theological Reflections (OUP, 2019) and Aquinas's Eschatological Ethics and the Virtue of Temperance (2019). He serves as co-editor of two quarterly journals, Nova et Vetera and International Journal of Systematic Theology.

AcknowledgmentsList of ContributorsIntroduction, Paul L. Gavrilyuk, Andrew Hofer, O.P., and Matthew LeveringPart I: Cultural and Scriptural Roots1. Ancient Greek Cultural and Philosophical Background, Ivana Petrovic2. Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, Jennie Grillo with Caitlin Joy Hubler3. The "Non-Biblical" Writings of Early Judaism, Grant Macaskill4. Deification in the Pauline and Petrine Letters, Ben C. Blackwell5. ication in the Synoptics and the Johannine Literature, Edith M. HumphreyPart II: Soundings in the History of Christian Theology6. Second- and Third-Century Greek Fathers, Norman Russell7. Athanasius of Alexandria and the Cappadocian Fathers, Paul M. Blowers8. Deification in Macarius, Evagrius, and Dionysius, Marcus Plested9. The Syriac Fathers, Adrian C. Pirtea10. The Latin Fathers and Augustine, Jared Ortiz11 Cyril of Alexandria, Andrew Hofer, O.P.12. "Man became God to the degree that God became man": Maximus the Confessor and the Doctrine of Deification, Maximos Constas13. Deification in the Early Medieval Latin West, Brian J. Matz14. Symeon the New Theologian and Byzantine Monasticism, Norman Russell15. The Cistercians and Victorines, Boyd Taylor Coolman16. Aquinas and Bonaventure on Deification, Daria Spezzano17. St Gregory Palamas and Palamism, Alexis Torrance18. Western Vernacular Mystics, John Arblaster, Rob Faesen, and Louise Nelstrop19. Martin Luther and the Early Lutherans, Antti Raunio20. John Calvin and Early Reformed Theology, Carl Mosser21. Pierre de Bérulle and François de Sales, Wendy M. Wright22. Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century Anglicans, Mark McInroy23. Pietism, the Moravian Brethren, and the Wesleys, Daniel Castelo24. Deification in St Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain, St Makarios of Corinth, and the Philokalia, Andrew Louth25. Jacob Boehme, German Idealism, and Romanticism, Cyril O'Regan26. Nineteenth-Century Catholic and Anglican Thinkers, Frederick D. Aquino27. Nineteenth-Century Russian and Ukrainian Religious Thinkers, Paul L. Gavrilyuk28. Twentieth-Century Russian Orthodox Theologians, Paul L. Gavrilyuk29. Karl Barth's Critique of Deification, Cambria Kaltwasser30. Deification in Neo-Thomist and Ressourcement Theology, Jennifer Newsome Martin31. Deification in Recent Anglican and Protestant Theology, Myk Habets32. Deification in Contemporary Greek Orthodox Theologians, Pantelis KalaitzidisPart III: Systematic Connections33. Deification and the Metaphysics of Participation, Andrew Davison34 Deification and the Trinity, Gilles Emery, O.P.35. Deification and Christology, David Luy36. Deification and Ecclesiology, Cyril Hovorun37. Deification and Theological Anthropology, Mark K. Spencer38. Deification, Justification, and Sanctification: An Early Christian Philosophical Approach, Athanasios Despotis39. Deification in Sacraments, Liturgy, and Prayer, Daniel Keating40. Deification and Ecology, Elizabeth Theokritoff41. Deification and Eschatology, Tracey Rowland42. Deification and Ecumenical Dialogues, Olli-Pekka Vainio43. Dialogues with Jews and Muslims, Rita George-Tvrtkovic44. Christian Deification: Dialogues with the Dharma Religions, Thomas CattoiIndex