The One Christ: Augustinian Deification

At the very beginning of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it states, “[W]hen the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.” (CCC 1) This process has been called theosis, divinization, or deification. But what exactly does that mean and why is it important for evangelists to understand? In this course on St. Augustine’s teaching about deification, Fr. David Meconi SJ walks through the history of Christian teaching on “being made like God,” showing that Christians do not have a relationship with Christ but are truly one with him.