Editing Divinity (section)

== Transformation in early Christianity ==
[[File:Alexandr Ivanov 015.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|''Transfiguration'' by [[Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov|Alexandr Ivanov]], 1824]]
The Christian reconfiguration of divinity cannot be understood apart from the theological developments of [[Second Temple Judaism]]. During this period, Jewish thought increasingly emphasized the singular and transcendent nature of [[Yahweh|God]], in contrast to the [[Polytheism|polytheism]] of surrounding cultures. Although the [[Hebrew Bible]] includes references to divine beings—such as [[angel]]s, the [[Elohim]], and the [[Heavenly host|heavenly hosts]]—[[Jewish philosophy]] came to insist that only the God of Israel was truly divine.{{sfnmp|1a1=Wright|1y=2003|2a1=Young|2y=2013}}

At the same time, certain Jewish texts introduced intermediary figures such as [[Chokhmah|Wisdom]] ({{lang|he|חָכְמָה}}, {{transliteration|he|Ḥokhmāh}}), the [[Logos]], and the [[Son of Man]]—portrayed in works like [[1 Enoch]], the [[Book of Daniel]], and the [[Wisdom of Solomon]]. These figures served as vehicles for divine action and presence without threatening strict [[Monotheism|monotheism]]. This layered view of divinity helped lay the groundwork for early [[Christian theology]].{{sfnmp|1a1=Wright|1y=2003|2a1=Young|2y=2013}}

The rise of [[Christianity]] introduced a profound transformation in the concept of divinity. Drawing on both Second Temple Judaism and Greco-Roman philosophy, early Christian thinkers redefined the divine not as a plural or diffused power but as the singular and transcendent being of [[God in Christianity|God]]. This theological shift placed greater emphasis on divine unity, omnipotence, and moral perfection.{{sfnmp|1a1=Johnston|1y=2011|2a1=Hart|2y=2013}}

Central to this transformation was the assertion of the [[divinity of Jesus]]. Early Christians believed that Jesus, though fully human, also shared in the divine nature. This radical claim provoked intense theological debate, especially over how divinity could be reconciled with humanity. In the fourth century, the [[First Council of Nicaea|Council of Nicaea]] (325 CE) affirmed that Christ was {{transliteration|grc|[[homoousios]]}} ("of the same substance") with the Father, a term drawn from Greek metaphysics to assert full equality within the Trinity.{{sfnmp|1a1=Williams|1y=2002|2a1=Young|2y=2013}}

The doctrine of the [[Trinity]]—Father, Son, and [[Holy Spirit]] as three persons sharing one divine essence—emerged as a core feature of Christian theology, marking a significant departure from earlier polytheistic and philosophical models. Christian thinkers such as [[Athanasius]], [[Gregory of Nyssa]], and [[Augustine of Hippo]] worked to articulate a divine unity that preserved distinct personal identities without division.{{sfnmp|1a1=Young|1y=2013|2a1=Williams|2y=2018}}

In this context, divinity came to denote not a quality diffused through nature or cosmos but the essential being of the Creator. The divine was no longer immanent in rivers, stars, or fate, but radically transcendent, revealed through [[revelation]], [[incarnation]], and [[sacrament]].{{sfnmp|1a1=Wright|1y=2003|2a1=Hart|2y=2013}} At the same time, [[mystical theology]] and sacramental theology preserved a sense of divine presence operating within the world, particularly through the [[Eucharist]] and the [[Holy Spirit]].

The Christianization of the concept also reshaped language. The Greek term {{transliteration|grc|theiotēs}}—used in earlier texts for divine quality—was absorbed into Christian scripture and doctrine, as in [[Romans 1:20]], where it refers to God's "eternal power and divinity."{{sfnp|Bauer|2010}} The Latin {{lang|la|divinitas}} likewise narrowed in scope, now primarily describing the being of God and, derivatively, that of Christ and the Spirit.

In sum, early Christianity both inherited and redefined classical ideas of divinity, recasting them within a monotheistic and doctrinal framework that would shape theological discourse for centuries.