deification
Quick Summary
Deification, or apotheosis, is the elevation of a person to the status of a god. This concept is rooted in polytheistic beliefs, where a line exists between humans and deities. Ancient Greek religion frequently featured heroes and demigods, with some historical figures being worshipped after death or even during their lifetime.1
In the Roman world, this practice evolved, notably with Julius Caesar being recognized as a god, a tradition continued for some imperial family members. The term "deification" can also refer to excessive admiration or devotion to a person, essentially idolizing them. In some religious traditions, like Eastern Orthodoxy, deification is understood as humanity's communion with divine energy, leading to an exaltation of human dignity rather than dehumanization.123
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
Eastern OrthodoxyGod and humankind…rather communion with God and deification (theosis). In the West the church is viewed in terms of mediation (for the bestowing of grace) and authority (for guaranteeing security in doctrine); in the East the church is regarded as a communion in which God and the individual meet once again and…
Read More…rather communion with God and deification (theosis). In the West the church is viewed in terms of mediation (for the bestowing of grace) and authority (for guaranteeing security in doctrine); in the East the church is regarded as a communion in which God and the individual meet once again and…
Read More- Eastern OrthodoxyChrist
…Christ”; their goal is “deification,” which does not mean dehumanization but the exaltation of humans to the dignity prepared for them at creation. Such feasts as the Transfiguration or the Ascension are extremely popular in the East precisely because they celebrate humanity glorified in Christ—a glorification that anticipates the…
Read More…Christ”; their goal is “deification,” which does not mean dehumanization but the exaltation of humans to the dignity prepared for them at creation. Such feasts as the Transfiguration or the Ascension are extremely popular in the East precisely because they celebrate humanity glorified in Christ—a glorification that anticipates the…
Read More - Eastern OrthodoxyThe transcendence of God
The deification of man, realized in Christ once and for all, is thus accomplished by a communion of divine energy with humanity in Christ’s glorified humanity.
Read MoreThe deification of man, realized in Christ once and for all, is thus accomplished by a communion of divine energy with humanity in Christ’s glorified humanity.
Read More - Eastern OrthodoxyChurch, state, and society
…experience and communion culminating in deification. Western theology, meanwhile, understood man as autonomous in the secular sphere, although controlled by the authority of the church, which was conceived as vicariously representing God.
Read More…experience and communion culminating in deification. Western theology, meanwhile, understood man as autonomous in the secular sphere, although controlled by the authority of the church, which was conceived as vicariously representing God.
Read More
ancient RomeEmperor worship…withhold a vote of posthumous deification, and the emperor could acknowledge or refuse provincial initiatives in the establishment of emperor worship, in the construction for it, or in its liturgical details. The energy, however, that infused emperor worship was to be found almost wholly among the local nobilities.
Read More…withhold a vote of posthumous deification, and the emperor could acknowledge or refuse provincial initiatives in the establishment of emperor worship, in the construction for it, or in its liturgical details. The energy, however, that infused emperor worship was to be found almost wholly among the local nobilities.
Read More- ancient RomeThe empire in the 2nd century
…loftiness of their families by deifying deceased relatives (Trajan deified his sister, his niece, and his father; Antoninus, his wife; and so forth).
Read More…loftiness of their families by deifying deceased relatives (Trajan deified his sister, his niece, and his father; Antoninus, his wife; and so forth).
Read More - ancient RomeCult of the emperors
…as if he were a superhuman being. Indeed, he must have seemed exactly that to contemporaries in Egypt, where the pharaohs had long been worshiped, and to peoples in the Middle East, for similar reasons of religious custom. Even the Greeks were quite used to the idea that beings who…
Read More…as if he were a superhuman being. Indeed, he must have seemed exactly that to contemporaries in Egypt, where the pharaohs had long been worshiped, and to peoples in the Middle East, for similar reasons of religious custom. Even the Greeks were quite used to the idea that beings who…
Read More
