Editing Divinization (Christian) (section)

{{Short description|Transforming effect of divine grace}}
{{distinguish|Divination}} 
{{See also|Sanctification}}
{{For|the Eastern Orthodox concept|Theosis (Eastern Orthodox theology)}}
In [[Christian theology]], '''divinization''' ("divinization" may also refer to  ''[[apotheosis]]'', lit. "making divine"), or '''theopoesis''' or [[Theosis (Eastern Orthodox theology)|theosis]], is the transforming effect of [[divine grace]],<ref name="Deification1997">{{harvnb|Cross|Livingston|1997}}</ref> the [[Holy Spirit (Christianity)|spirit]] of [[God in Christianity|God]], or the atonement of [[Christ]]. Although it literally means to become divine, or to become God, most modern Christian denominations do not interpret the doctrine as implying an overcoming of a fundamental ontological difference between God and humanity; for example, [[John of the Cross]] (AD 1542–1591) indicated that while "God communicates to it [the individual soul] His supernatural Being, in such wise that it appears to be God Himself, and has all that God Himself has", yet "it is true that its natural being, though thus transformed, is as distinct from the Being of God as it was before".<ref group=Primary>{{citation|chapter-url=http://www.ccel.org/ccel/john_cross/ascent.v.v.html|author=St. John of the Cross, OCD|author-link=John of the Cross|title=The Ascent of Mount Carmel |chapter=Book 2, Chapter 5, Section 7}}</ref><ref name = BON/>