Publisher's Synopsis
Deification is the transformation of believers into the likeness of God. While Christian monotheism does not support the notion of any literal 'god making' of believers, the New Testament often speaks of a transformation of mind, a metamorphosis of character, a redefinition of selfhood, and an imitation of God. Most of these passages are tantalisingly brief, and none spell out the concept in detail. Available together for the first time, this complete set of essays allows readers to trace the development of the idea of theosis from its pre-Christian antecedents to contemporary theological thought.