theosis

Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 – c. 215 CE) was an early Christian theologian and teacher whose synthesis of Greek philosophy and Christian faith made him one of the most intellectually ambitious figures of the patristic era. Born likely in Athens and educated across the Mediterranean world, he eventually settled in Alexandria—then the preeminent center of learning in the ancient world—where he led the Catechetical School and shaped the intellectual tradition of early Christianity. Clement’s major works— Protrepticus , Paedagogus , and Stromata —form a trilogy that moves the reader from conversion through moral formation toward deeper philosophical and spiritual knowledge. He drew freely from Plato, the Stoics, and Jewish wisdom literature, arguing that Greek philosophy was not an enemy of the Gospel but a preparatory gift, a kind of divine pedagogy for the Gentile mind. His vision of the gnostikos —the mature Christian who combines rigorous intellectual inquiry with devout practice—was a portrait of the fully integrated human being, one in whom reason and faith become indistinguishable. What gives Clement enduring significance is his unambiguous teaching that the purpose of human life is transformation into the divine. His own words carry the weight of this conviction: “The Word of God became a man so that you might learn from a man how to become a god.” This is not rhetorical flourish—it is a theological program. Clement understood salvation as an ongoing ascent, a journey from moral discipline through illuminated knowledge toward a state in which the human person becomes, in his phrase, “God-bearing and God-borne.” The redeemed, in his vision, are ultimately “called by the appellation of gods,” destined for “everlasting contemplation” alongside those perfected before them. This is theosis stated with unusual directness and intellectual confidence: divinity is the natural telos of an intelligence that cooperates with grace, learns earnestly, and loves deeply. For those who hold that human beings are meant to grow without limit—that intelligence, creativity, and moral aspiration are not merely useful traits but the very substance of our divine inheritance—Clement offers a patristic voice of striking resonance. He refused to separate the life of the mind from the life of the spirit, insisting that the same God who is Logos invites human beings into an ever-deepening participation in that reason and light. His is a theology not of passive redemption but of active, educable, transforming ascent.

Elias L. T. Harrison (1830–1900) was an early Latter-day Saint leader and writer who served missions in Great Britain and contributed thoughtful writings on priesthood responsibility and the nature of godliness. His 1858 essay in the Millennial Star articulated a profound vision of priesthood holders as representatives of God’s spirit and actions upon earth. He taught that ordinations alone do not make one godlike—rather, the priesthood calls individuals to put down evil and embody the virtues of the eternal God. Harrison emphasized that the world is to comprehend God through the lives of those who hold the priesthood. True priesthood, he taught, means becoming images of the living God, blessing and helping the weak and downtrodden until such service becomes natural.

Hippolytus of Rome (c. 170–235 AD) was an early Christian theologian, prolific writer, and ecclesiastical leader whose work represents one of the most ambitious attempts to systematize Christian doctrine in the ante-Nicene period. His precise origins are debated, but he was active in Rome during the late second and early third centuries, where he functioned as a prominent teacher and, according to some sources, may have served as a rival bishop during a period of schism. He is venerated as a martyr and saint in both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions, and he is believed to have died in Sardinia following exile under the Emperor Maximinus Thrax. Hippolytus was extraordinarily productive. His surviving works include The Refutation of All Heresies , The Apostolic Tradition (a crucial early source on Christian liturgical practice), biblical commentaries, and a range of theological and polemical writings. He wrote in Greek at a time when Latin was beginning to dominate Western ecclesiastical culture, placing him at a transitional moment in the history of Christian thought. His engagement with philosophy, scripture, and the competing religious movements of his day reflects the intellectual intensity of a community still working out the implications of its own claims. What gives Hippolytus particular resonance for those interested in the theology of human transformation is the directness with which he articulated the Christian doctrine of theosis—the teaching that human beings are called not merely to serve God but to become divine. His writings speak of the human person as capable of being “deified and begotten unto immortality,” of becoming a “companion of God” and “co-heir with Christ.” He frames this not as a distant abstraction but as the actual destination of faithful human development: obedience and fidelity in small things open the way to the entrusting of greater ones, a logic that binds moral growth to ontological transformation. In this, Hippolytus stands in the same broad current as Irenaeus and Athanasius, carrying forward the ancient Christian conviction that the gap between humanity and divinity is meant to be closed—not by abolishing the distinction between Creator and creature, but by the creature’s genuine participation in divine life. That conviction, ancient as it is, resonates with the Mormon transhumanist understanding of theosis as a real, progressive, and ultimately practical aspiration.

Leonard Reil is a Canadian diplomat and scholar whose professional and intellectual pursuits sit at the crossroads of international relations and transhumanist philosophy. With a career spanning several continents and cultures, Reil’s work explores the intersection of global conflict, diplomacy, and the potential for technological and spiritual evolution. Reil obtained a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Brigham Young University before moving to the United Kingdom to earn a Master of Arts in International Conflict Analysis from the University of Kent at Canterbury. This academic foundation prepared him for a distinguished career with Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (now Global Affairs Canada). Beyond his diplomatic service, Reil is an active voice within the Mormon Transhumanist Association, where he applies his background in conflict analysis and global systems to theological and futurologist inquiries. At the 2012 MTA Conference, he delivered a compelling presentation titled The Gods of Eternity, in which he explored the concept of “Theosis” through the lens of modern science and the “Gods of the Gaps” theory. In this work, Reil posits that as human knowledge expands, the “gaps” traditionally filled by the divine are not merely shrinking but are being replaced by a more sophisticated understanding of our own potential for eternal progression. Reil’s contributions to the transhumanist community are characterized by a unique synthesis of Latter-day Saint theology and technological optimism. He often reflects on the nature of post-humanity and the ethical implications of advanced technologies, suggesting that the path toward becoming “as God is” involves a mastery of the physical and social laws that govern the universe. Through his writing and speaking, Leonard Reil continues to advocate for a future where technology is utilized to fulfill the highest aspirations of the human spirit. He remains a key figure in the MTA, embodying the association’s mission to explore the synergistic relationship between religion and science in the pursuit of human transcendence.

Maximus the Confessor (c. 580–662 AD) was a Christian monk, theologian, and scholar who developed sophisticated theology of theosis, teaching that humanity is destined to participate in the divine nature through Christ. Born to a noble Byzantine family, Maximus initially served as a court secretary before becoming a monk. He became the leading opponent of Monothelitism, the doctrine that Christ had only one will, arguing instead that Christ has both divine and human wills. His theological writings explore how God became the Son of Man so that humans might become sons of God. Maximus taught that through the Incarnation, Christ makes possible the deification of humanity without the loss of human identity. For his opposition to imperial theology, he was tried, mutilated (his tongue and right hand cut off), and exiled, dying shortly after in 662 AD.