Q&A Home > T > Theosis

• "Our full union with God is a union with the "energies" of God. These energies, while an extension of God, are not to be confused with the "essence" or "substance" of God, which is unknown to humans and is shared only by the Holy Trinity" (http://www.suscopts.org/q&a/index.php?qid=649&catid=383). What is meant by the "essence" or "substance" of God as being unknown since we do know about God's "essence" or "substance" that: God is essentially love, truth, life, moral/good, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, immaterial, eternal, having neither beginning nor end and the Trinity is one in essence?
• According to the article "Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism" by Fr. Michael Azkoul http://www.geocities.com/mgocsmbvli/orth_cath.htm. "Historically, the Roman Catholic theology never made the distinction between God's Essence (what He is) and His Uncreated Energies (by what means He acts). This distinction seems to be emphasized and strongly advocated by the Chalcedonian Orthodox Churches, some time after its split with the Non-Chalcedonian Orthodox Churches, specifically after the Hesychast controversy around the 13th and 14th centuries.
  1. Since the Chalcedonian Orthodox Churches seem to have made the distinction between God's essence and God's energies after splitting with the Non-Chalcedonian Orthodox Churches, does this mean that Coptic Orthodox theologians do not make this distinction between God's 'essence' and God's 'energies'? If they do make this distinction, do all of them, or the majority of them do, or do some reject it?
  2. Is it necessary for a Coptic Orthodox to believe in this distinction or is it ok if he/she chooses to reject it as wrong and chooses not to believe in it just like the Catholics and Protestants do not believe in it?
• How does Coptic theology approach and explain the subject of 'theosis'? Chalcedonians use the Palamite terms 'essence' and 'energy': man participates in God's energies but not in His essence.