How Can We Participate in God without Becoming God in Essence?

Main ideas and lessons

• Purpose of the episode: Dr. Jordan Cooper continues a series on the mystical union (drawing heavily from David Holl’s writings). The episode’s core focus is:

  • What the mystical union is
  • How it “functions”
  • How it allows humans to participate in God (theosis/deification) without becoming God in essence, preserving the creator/creature distinction

• The theological dilemma (Eastern Church + theosis):

  • Scripture-language supports participation in God (e.g., “partakers of the divine nature”).
  • Christians must avoid the idea that humans become God substantially/essentially, which would blur the line between creature and Creator.
  • The episode argues that Christians need a way to explain participation while denying essential divinization.

• Why Lutheran theologians emphasize the mystical union:

  • Lutheran devotional language (associated with Luther and popular German devotional sources) sometimes uses strong “union with God” language.
  • When this language spreads, it can lead to misunderstandings—especially confusion of human and divine essence.
  • Lutheran theologians respond by clarifying categories to protect orthodoxy.

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Main perspectives contrasted (as groundwork for Holl/Hall’s approach)

1. Mystical German theology (over-confusion of essences)

   • Tendency: internalize faith; prioritize inward spiritual experience over the church’s sacramental/external means.
   • Often conflates divine essence with human essence, using language such as:
     • “essential union”
     • “become one essence with God”
     • statements like “I am Jesus”
   • Noted as historically influential among certain 16th–17th century radical reformers and later figures.

2. Roman Catholic critique/view (gift-based rather than presence-based)

   • Common claim: God is not “more present” in believers—rather, believers receive God’s gifts.
   • This responds to an apparent problem: if God is omnipresent, how can God be “more present” in believers?
   • The speaker summarizes this as: believers receive created graces/powers, not a greater substantial indwelling of God himself.

3. Eastern Orthodox view (essence vs energies distinction)

   • Humans participate in God’s divine energies, not God’s divine essence.
   • The essence/energies distinction is defended using an analogy:
     • Sun and rays: rays are not the sun’s essence, but are truly from the sun and share in its reality.
   • This is presented as a way to avoid essential divinization while still affirming real participation.

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Detailed “method” / structure of Holl’s explanation of the mystical union

The speaker outlines Holl’s approach as a sequence of clarifications:

1. Step 1: Identify what the mystical union consists of (“formal” account of the union)

   • Holl distinguishes participation in:
     • God’s substance/essence (presence)
     • God’s operation/energies (working)
   • The union is described as involving:
     • True closeness/proximity of God’s divine substance/essence with the believer
     • Gracious energetic action of God operating in believers

2. Step 2: Clarify that the union is with the whole Triune God

   • It is not union with only one divine person.
   • The mystical union is with the whole Trinity, and the believer’s union is mediated through:
     • the deified flesh of Christ (Christ’s exalted human nature)
     • fellowship into the eternal communion of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

3. Step 3: Distinguish presence types (general vs special union)

   • General union/presence: God is “in him we live and move and have our being” (universal divine presence).
   • Special union/presence: God “dwells” with/among his people (texts about God coming, walking with, setting dwelling in believers).
   • Lutheran theologians accept that Scripture shows different modes of divine presence even if exact metaphysical mechanics are not fully spelled out.

4. Step 4: Define “substantial union” without claiming fusion into one essence

   • Holl says the mystical union is:
     • a real union of substances/essences, but not “formally substantial” (not a fusion/blending).
   • It does not create a new combined “divine-human mishmash” substance.
   • Uses Aristotle-inspired categories:
     • Substantial vs accidental unions/properties
     • Union is “accidental” in the sense that it does not redefine what the believer is in essential identity (believer remains the same person, though spiritually transformed).

5. Step 5: Argue for intimate indwelling, not merely external association

   • The union is not “external like two objects near each other.”
   • It is an internal indwelling:
     • God “dwells” in the faithful as a temple
     • God’s Spirit and Christ live within believers and produce fruits of faith
   • God’s presence is also portrayed as operative—God not only “is there,” but acts there.

6. Step 6: Compare mystical union with hypostatic union (Christ) to avoid confusion

   • Hypostatic union (Christ):
     • indissoluble, eternal
     • divine person (Logos) assumes human nature
     • Christ is unique; the union does not vary
   • Mystical union (believers):
     • “soluble”/non-indissoluble in the sense it depends on faith/state
     • degrees of closeness depending on faith/obedience
     • believers are united to Christ and to God’s working, but do not become Christ as a divine person

7. Step 7: Explain “how participation produces transformation”

   • The mystical union results in:
     • harmony of affections (alignment of wills, loves, delights)
     • an imprinted image of Christ in the believer
     • transformation in mind/affection/holiness via participation

8. Step 8: Explicit boundary rules (what Holl rejects)

   • Rejects:
     • essential/fusion union where believers become God’s essence
     • interpretations that amount to essential divinization
     • views that make union merely “gifts only” without real indwelling presence
   • The goal is maintained as:
     • real participation + real indwelling + operative presence
     • while preserving creator/creature and divine/human essential distinction

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Key concept definitions referenced

• Creator/creature distinction: Christians must not erase or “bridge the gap” between Creator and creature in essence.
• Theosis / participation in divine nature: participation that is real and transformative, but (in this framework) not becoming God essentially.
• Essence vs energies (Eastern category): believers participate in divine energies/works, not divine essence.
• Accidental vs substantial (Aristotelian categories):
  • Substantial relates to what something is essentially
  • Accidental properties can change without changing essential identity
• Concurrence (general divine providence language): God grants the power to act so creatures act without independent autonomy.

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Speakers / sources featured (as stated in the subtitles)

• Dr. Jordan Cooper (host/speaker)
• David Holl (author being summarized; subtitles refer to “David hall”)
• St. Peter
• St. Athanasius
• Martin Luther
• John Tauler
• Aratus
• St. Paul / Apostle Paul
• Andreas Osiander
• Caspar Schwenckfeld
• Valentin Weigel (subtitles: “Valentin wiel”)
• Jakob Böhme (subtitles: “Jacob BMA”)
• Hegel (praised Böhme—mentioned)
• Charles Porterfield Krauth (subtitles: “Charles Porterfield crowth”)
• Rin Widener

Scripture references mentioned

• 1 Corinthians 6:15
• Ephesians 5:30
• John 14:23
• 2 Corinthians 6:16
• Leviticus 26
• Acts 17
• Luke 6:36 and 1 John 4:10
• Psalm 51
• Romans / other Pauline texts (references implied; specific citations given above)

Confessional source mentioned

• The Book of Concord / Formula of Concord (mentioned; especially Article 3)