The basic claim of this book has been that Pauls soteriology is best described as theosis, or transformation into the image of the kenotic, cruciform God revealed in the faithful and loving cross of Christ, and that Spirit-enabled theosis is the substance of both justification and holiness. Justification is participatory and transformative, accomplished by co-crucifixion with Christ and embodied as holiness. Theosis is effected by the mutual inhabitation of those who are justified and the triune God who justifies them. Relating the thesis of this book to the more generally known and accepted notion of cruciformity in Paul, we have said that cruciformity is really theoformity, or theosis. For the sake of clarity and precision, we may wish to use the phrase cruciform theosis as shorthand for Paul's distinctive version of theosis.—Michael J. Gorman, Inhabiting the Cruciform God: Kenosis, Justification, and Theosis in Paul's Narrative Soteriology (2009)
Monday, November 8, 2010
Justification by Co-crucifixion
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Sorry I haven't posted in the last couple weeks...they have been especially busy, and the things I have been reading are probably of limited interest (as this may prove).
ReplyDeleteThis quote is from the "Conclusion" of a really excellent book about the soteriology (the theory of salvation) of Paul. Gorman focuses especially on three passages: Philippians 2:6-11, Galatians 2:16-21 and Romans 6:1-7:6.
Gorman is making a bold claim by linking Paul's soteriology with "theosis", which is the primary soteriological model in the early Church (especially among those writing in Greek, but not limited to them). 2 Peter 1:4 is the scriptural text most often used in discussions about deification because it refers to us "partaking of the divine nature". Gorman is arguing that the idea of deification (or theosis) is not absent in Paul; in fact, it is the best way to describe Paul's soteriology.
Deification is the idea that human beings, made "in God's image and likeness", were created for communion with (though not absorption into) the Triune-God who is Love. However, humans have turned away from communion with God: we have oriented ourselves away from God and toward nothingness (that privation known as sin). Jesus Christ, who is fully human and fully divine, in his incarnation, lives the life of perfect self-giving to the Father that we (Adam and Eve) were intended to live, but did not. Christ is fully divine by nature, and when we are IN Jesus Christ through faith and baptism, we become "divine" by grace...that is, we become by grace what he is by nature.
Gorman argues that this idea animates the theology of Paul himself. The passage in Philippians describes a God who, in his eternal nature, gives himself..."kenosis". The paradigmatic example of "kenosis" in Christ's incarnate life is his crucifixion. Galatians 2:19 says we are to be "co-crucified with Christ", joined to Christ's (God's) kenotic nature. We are to become what the Triune-God is through union with Christ (by the Holy Spirit). This "becoming what Christ is through participatory union" is the essence of "justification".
This raises as many questions as it answers (and my attempt at explanation probably creates more confusion than it alleviates). Nevertheless, this book puts forward a truly fascinating take on the soteriology of Paul, and I think it goes a long way toward bridging Pauline and patristic soteriology.
So, that is an example of what you have been missing these weeks!
Rick, no need to apologize about posting frequency if this is what you've been reading. It took me a half-hour to read that one paragraph. Thanks for explaining the terms. I'm also glad you benefited from the Hugo passage (even if I only posted it because I've been spotting finger/hand metaphors everywhere).
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