Wednesday 13 July 2011

Torstein Theodor Tollefsen - The Metaphysics of Maximus: Becoming One With God


Maximus the Confessor makes some rather strong claims about deification. He speaks for instance of becoming God, ‘being made God by God’ (Amb. 7, 1084a). However, Maximus’ radical notion of divine transcendence makes it impossible for any created being to be transformed into the divine essence as such: we achieve completely whatever God is, but not at the level of essence (cf. Amb. 41, 1308b). Even so Maximus works out concepts of ontological conditions that make a realistic doctrine of deification possible. This paper investigates the logic and ontology of Maximus’ doctrine of becoming one with God.

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