Across the major traditions of Christian theology, the doctrine of humanity’s ultimate destiny is described in terms of participation in the divine life—though expressed through different concepts and emphases.

Introduction

Eastern Orthodoxy speaks of Theosis, a transformative union with God through participation in His uncreated energies, becoming “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4), yet without sharing in God’s essence (John 17:22-23). Roman Catholic theology articulates Deification as the elevation of human nature by sanctifying grace, drawing upon Augustine and Aquinas to affirm that through Christ, believers are adopted as sons and made participants in divine life (Romans 8:14-17; John 1:12-13). Reformed theology centers on Union with Christ, the vital spiritual incorporation into Christ through faith by the Holy Spirit, securing all the benefits of His redemptive work—justification, sanctification, and glorification (Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 1:3-14). Anglican theology, drawing from Scripture and the Church Fathers, speaks of Participation in the Divine Nature as a sacramental and mystical communion with God through Word, Sacrament, and holy living (John 15:4-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17), without becoming God in essence but sharing, as glorified sons, in His divine life as elohim (Psalm 82:6; John 10:34-35). These traditions collectively affirm that participation in God does not entail becoming God by nature, but rather, by grace, entering into the life and glory of the Triune God through Christ.

Anglican

In Anglican theology, the doctrine of Participation in the Divine Nature (2 Peter 1:4) is deeply rooted in both Scripture and the witness of the Church Fathers. Richard Hooker, in his Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity (V.56.7), teaches that the life of grace is a real participation in Christ, echoing Augustine’s assertion that “God was made man that man might be made God” (Sermon 192.1). Lancelot Andrewes, drawing upon Athanasius’ On the Incarnation, emphasizes the Eucharist as the means by which Christ dwells in us and we in Him (John 6:56). The Anglican tradition, particularly among the Caroline Divines, affirms the teaching of Cyril of Alexandria, who wrote that through the sacramental life we are “conformed to Him who is by nature Son and God” (Commentary on John, 1:9). The Book of Common Prayer reflects this theology in its Eucharistic prayers: “that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us,” which is not merely symbolic, but a sacramental participation in Christ’s life (John 15:4–5). Thus, Anglican participation in God is a real, though mediated, sharing in the divine life through Word, Sacrament, and sanctified living, anticipating the full glorification promised in 1 John 3:2.

Catholic

The Roman Catholic understanding of Deification (Deificatio) shares much with the Eastern tradition but is articulated within the Western framework of grace and merit. Rooted in the writings of Augustine (Romans 8:29) and Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologiae I-II q.112), deification in Catholic thought refers to the elevation of human nature through created sanctifying grace, whereby the soul becomes an adoptive child of God (Galatians 4:5–7; John 1:12–13). Participation in the divine life is mediated by the sacraments, especially Baptism and the Eucharist (John 6:56; Romans 6:4), and progresses through justification, sanctification, and ultimately the Beatific Vision (1 John 3:2). Although Catholicism does not typically use the term Theosis, the concept is central to its soteriology, as reflected in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (§460), where God became man so that man might become God (cf. Athanasius, De Incarnatione).

Orthodox

In Eastern Orthodox theology, Theosis (θέωσις), or deification, represents the central goal of salvation: human beings are called to become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). This transformative union does not involve becoming God by essence (οὐσία), but by participation in His uncreated energies (ἐνέργειαι), as articulated by Gregory Palamas. Through ascetic struggle, sacramental life, and divine grace, the faithful undergo a process of deification, progressing from purification (κάθαρσις) to illumination (φωτισμός), and finally union (ἕνωσις) with God. The Incarnation of the Logos makes this participation possible (John 1:14), and believers are mystically united with God through the sacramental life of the Church, especially the Eucharist (John 6:56). Theosis, then, is both the restoration of the divine image and the fulfillment of humanity’s destiny in the likeness of God (Genesis 1:26–27; 1 John 3:2).

Reformed

In Reformed theology, the concept of Union with Christ is the foundation of all soteriological benefits. This union is established by the Holy Spirit through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9), incorporating believers into Christ’s death, resurrection, and exaltation (Romans 6:3–5). Unlike Theosis, Reformed theology rejects any notion of ontological participation in the divine essence, emphasizing instead a covenantal and representative union grounded in Christ’s mediatorship (1 Corinthians 15:22). This spiritual union grants believers all of Christ’s benefits: justification (Romans 8:1), sanctification (Galatians 2:20), adoption (Galatians 4:4–7), and glorification (Romans 8:30). Reformed theologians such as John Calvin emphasized that all grace flows from this mystical union (Ephesians 1:3–14), maintained through the ministry of the Word and Sacraments as means of grace (1 Corinthians 10:16–17).

Table of Distinctives

Explanation of Scripture Selections by Category

Terminology

• 2 Peter 1:4 – “Partakers of the divine nature.”
• John 17:21-23 – “That they may all be one… as we are one.”
• Psalm 82:6 / John 10:34-35 – “I said, you are gods.”

Theological Focus

• Union with Christ and participation in divine life run through John 17, Romans 8, and 2 Corinthians 3:18.

Grace

• James 1:17 – “Every perfect gift is from above.”
• Ephesians 2:8-10 – “By grace you have been saved through faith.”
• Titus 3:5-7 – “He saved us… according to His mercy.”

Goal of Salvation

• 2 Peter 1:4 – Deification / participation in divine nature.
• 1 John 3:2 – “We shall be like Him.”
• Romans 8:14-17 – Adoption as sons and heirs.

Means of Participation

• John 6:56 – “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me.”
• Acts 2:42 – Apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, prayers.
• Galatians 3:27-28 – Baptized into Christ.

Christology

• John 1:14 – “The Word became flesh.”
• Colossians 1:19-20 – “In Him all fullness dwells.”
• Romans 5:18-19 – Christ as the new Adam.

Nature of Union

• Galatians 2:20 – “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
• John 15:4-5 – “Abide in me and I in you.”
• 1 Corinthians 6:17 – “He who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.”

Summary of the Scriptural Foundation

Each tradition draws from common biblical sources, emphasizing participation in Christ, adoption, and union with God:

• Eastern Orthodoxy stresses ontological transformation through Theosis.
• Roman Catholicism frames Deification through sanctifying grace and adoption.
• Reformed theology emphasizes spiritual union with Christ, appropriating His benefits.
• Anglicanism, especially via its Patristic and Caroline traditions, emphasizes participation in God and union with Christ, often combining Reformed, Catholic, and Patristic insights.

Anglican Biblical Theology of Participation in God and Union with Christ

Theological Context

Anglicanism stands in a via media (middle way), integrating Catholic, Reformed, and Patristic traditions. Its doctrine of salvation affirms that union with Christ is central to redemption, sanctification, and glorification.
This participation is:

1. Sacramental (rooted in Baptism and the Eucharist)
2. Mystical (deep spiritual communion with Christ and God)
3. Moral (transformation into Christ-likeness)

Sources

• Scripture (primary authority)
• The Early Church Fathers (Athanasius, Augustine, the Cappadocians)
• The Book of Common Prayer (BCP)
• The Thirty-Nine Articles
• Caroline Divines (Hooker, Andrewes, Cosin)

Anglican Biblical Foundations for Union with Christ & Participation in God

1. Union with Christ as the Core of Salvation

Anglican theology holds that all benefits of salvation flow from union with Christ.

Scripture

• John 15:4-5 – “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” Anglican Use: Regularly quoted in sermons and BCP prayers on sanctification and Eucharistic communion.
• Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Richard Hooker: Interpreted this as the mystical participation of believers in Christ’s life through faith and sacrament.
• Colossians 1:27 – “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Preached by John Donne as the hope of union, experienced already in the Eucharist and fulfilled in heaven.

2. Participation in the Divine Nature (Deification / Theosis)

While Theosis isn’t the central term, the concept of participation in God’s life appears frequently.

Scripture

• 2 Peter 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…” Quoted by Lancelot Andrewes in his sermons, emphasizing sanctification and God’s indwelling as a process of deification.
• 1 John 3:2 – “We shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” Thomas Traherne saw this as the consummation of participation in God’s glory, aligning it with beatific vision.
• John 17:22-23 – “The glory you have given me I have given them, that they may be one even as we are one.” Jeremy Taylor used this passage in his Holy Living to argue that union with Christ leads to sharing in God’s glory.

3. Adoption and Sonship: Participation as Children of God

Anglicans view adoption as incorporation into Christ—becoming God’s children through Baptism and sanctifying grace.

Scripture

• Romans 8:15-17 – “You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ … heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” E.B. Pusey saw this as the foundation for deification, since sons partake in the Father’s life.
• Galatians 4:4-7 – “God sent forth his Son… so that we might receive adoption as sons.” John Keble preached on this in his Parish Sermons, emphasizing divine filiation through Baptism.
• John 1:12-13 – “But to all who did receive him… he gave the right to become children of God.” The BCP Baptismal Rite refers to this explicitly, declaring the baptized as regenerate and God’s children.

4. Sacramental Participation and the Real Presence

For Anglicans (especially Anglo-Catholics and Caroline Divines), the Eucharist is the foretaste of deification and union with Christ.

Scripture

• John 6:56 – “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” John Cosin in Notes on the Book of Common Prayer called this real mystical union through the Eucharist.
• 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 – “The cup of blessing… is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread… a participation in the body of Christ?” William Laud defended real spiritual presence, insisting this passage refers to true participation.
• Romans 6:3-5 – “All of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death… we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” The BCP Baptismal Liturgy echoes this, proclaiming baptismal union with Christ’s death and resurrection.

5. Mystical and Moral Union with God

Anglicans emphasize holy living as a progressive participation in God’s holiness, often connecting ethics with union.

Scripture

• Matthew 5:48 – “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Jeremy Taylor’s Holy Living guides Christians in progressing toward divine likeness.
• Ephesians 4:22-24 – “Put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Central to Richard Hooker’s teaching on sanctification as deification.
• 2 Corinthians 3:18 – “We all… beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” Thomas Traherne referenced this as evidence of progressive participation in God’s glory.

Summary of Anglican Biblical Theology of Union with Christ

Anglican theology of union and participation stands on Scripture, deeply rooted in Patristic and Reformation insights, balancing Catholic sacramentalism, Protestant soteriology, and Eastern mystical theology. It aims at communion with God through Christ, mediated by Word, Sacrament, and sanctified life, and culminates in deification, understood as sharing in the divine life, without erasing the Creator-creature distinction.

Participation in God and Union with Christ in the Book of Common Prayer

The Book of Common Prayer (BCP), first compiled in 1549 by Thomas Cranmer, reflects deep theological convictions regarding Union with Christ, participation in the divine life, and communion with God. These themes are not just theological abstractions but are embedded in Anglican liturgical life, shaping how Anglicans pray, worship, and live their faith.

1. Baptismal Union with Christ

The BCP’s Baptismal Liturgy expresses the foundational union with Christ that occurs in Baptism.
Anglican theology views Baptism as incorporation into Christ, the beginning of participation in the divine life, and adoption as God’s child.

Key Texts (BCP 1662 and modern versions)

• “Seeing now, dearly beloved brethren, that this child is regenerate, and grafted into the body of Christ’s Church…”
• “We receive this child into the congregation of Christ’s flock; and do sign him with the sign of the cross…”
• “…burying the old man, and rising again unto righteousness…” (Romans 6:3-5)

Theological Implication

• Baptism is not merely symbolic. The BCP affirms real incorporation into Christ, reflecting Romans 6 and Galatians 3:27-28.
• This is participation in Christ’s death and resurrection, the first step in deification or union.

2. Eucharistic Participation in the Divine Life

The Holy Communion service in the BCP profoundly expresses union with Christ through sacramental participation in His Body and Blood.
The prayers and rubrics show that the Eucharist is more than a remembrance—it is a real participation (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17).

Prayers and Language

• “Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body, and our souls washed through his most precious blood…” (Prayer of Humble Access, BCP 1662)
• “Dwell in him, and he in us.” (Post-Communion Prayer)
• “That we may evermore dwell in him and he in us.” (John 6:56)

Theological Implication

• This language echoes John 6 and expresses mystical union: Christ dwells in the communicant, and the communicant in Christ.
• The Eucharist is a means of grace by which believers participate in the divine life, prefiguring Theosis.

John Cosin (1594–1672):

• Described the Eucharist as “the most mystical union that can be betwixt God and man.”

3. The Collects and Prayers Emphasizing Union and Deification

The Collects (short prayers gathering the themes of the liturgy) often petition God for participation in divine life and transformation.

Examples

1. Collect for Purity (Holy Communion)
   “Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee…”
   → Points to moral transformation as part of sanctifying union.
2. Collect for the 4th Sunday after Easter (1662)
   “Grant unto thy people, that they may love the thing which thou commandest… that among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found.” (Colossians 3:1-3)
   → Longing for union with God beyond the transient world.
3. Collect for Trinity Sunday
   “That by the confession of a true faith, we may acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the divine majesty worship the Unity.”
   → Participation in Trinitarian life, reflecting John 17 and 2 Peter 1:4.

4. Participation in God through Sanctification and Holiness

The Daily Offices (Morning and Evening Prayer) and Penitential Rites reinforce growth in holiness, which Anglicans view as progress in union with God.

Scripture and Prayer

• The General Confession:
  “Restore thou them that are penitent; according to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
  → Restoration and renewal in Christ’s life.
• The Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79):
  “…that we might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.”
  → Emphasizes life lived in union with God, reflecting Ephesians 4:24.

5. The Burial Office and the Hope of Glorification

The BCP burial rites conclude with the hope of the resurrection and union with Christ in glory, pointing to final theosis.

Prayers

• “In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ…”
  → Union with Christ’s glorified body (1 Corinthians 15).
• “We give thee hearty thanks for the good examples of all thy servants… beseeching thee to give us grace so to follow their examples…”
  → Emphasizes participation in the Communion of Saints, sharing in their glorified life.

Anglican Theologians on Union with Christ and Participation in God

Richard Hooker (1554–1600)

• Emphasized participation in Christ through Word and Sacrament.
• “Participation is that mutual inward hold which Christ hath of us, and we of him.” (Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, V.56.7)
• Saw sanctification as a mystical participation in God’s life through Christ, mediated by faith and sacraments.

Lancelot Andrewes (1555–1626)

• Stressed real participation in the divine life through Eucharistic communion.
• In his sermons on Pentecost, he described the indwelling of the Spirit as deifying the believer.

John Donne (1572–1631)

• Focused on mystical union with Christ.
• His sermons often explored Christ dwelling in the soul, preparing the believer for beatific union.
• “Our life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3)—our future deification is hidden but certain.

George Herbert (1593–1633)

• His poetry (e.g., The Temple) portrays union with God as intimacy, emphasizing humility and participation through prayer and sacrament.
• In Love (III):
  “Love bade me welcome… so I did sit and eat.”
  → Implies Eucharistic participation in God.

Thomas Traherne (1637–1674)

• A mystic focused on participation in the divine glory.
• “God is mine, and I am His… I am united to Him.”
• Saw deification as the goal of human life, through divine love and contemplation.

E.B. Pusey (1800–1882)

• Translated Cyril of Alexandria and revived Patristic theology in the Oxford Movement.
• Taught deification as sharing in the divine life, primarily through Eucharistic communion and ascetical holiness.

Conclusion

Anglicanism’s Theology of Union in Scripture and Worship:

• Scripture, sacrament, and liturgy in Anglicanism are saturated with the doctrine of union with Christ and participation in the divine life.
• While Anglicanism does not formally adopt the theological language of Theosis as in the East, its Patristic, liturgical, and mystical traditions closely parallel it.
• The Book of Common Prayer weaves together Reformed, Catholic, and Orthodox emphases on union with God, making participation in Christ a lived, sacramental reality.