Theosis in the Armenian Church

Tigran

I recently learned that there were disputes in the Coptic Church about how man is a partaker of the divine nature and what the Holy Communion is. I would like to cite the opinion of our Holy Father Grigor Tatevatsi (Gregory of Tatev), who is one of the most revered and authoritative dogmatists of the Armenian Church.

so that it would help us understand the incarnation of the Word, for like the bread that maintains its form while transforming into Christ’s flesh in substance, its apparent shape maintains the external appearance while its nature unites with the Word of God. Just as the entire wafer is one body and yet each of its divided particles is the whole and perfect body of Christ, so too are the entire body and spirit [of Christ] one God, united with the Word, each divided particle being whole and perfect God. Then, therefore, Christ’s Spirit is God, as is his flesh and his blood. Therefore, we taste the divine and not human flesh and blood, and by tasting [the divine] we attain divine ability and cease to be human. This contrasts with the Nestorian diophysite heretics that separate the Word from the flesh, whereby they segregate themselves from Christ’s divine grace.

mabsoota

interesting. i would go along with some of that, but ceasing to be human seems to be a bit extreme. i think the standard orthodox position would not agree with that.

but i don't have a theology degree, i have just done a few courses for church servants and have read orthodox books.

my main sources are the orthodox study Bible and the works of saint macarius and saint john chrysostom

Tigran

We cease to be human according to St. Gregory not in the literal sense by nature, but in the sense of deification. We are already above the natural state of man.