What does divinization mean?
Divinization is the act or process of making someone or something divine, or of regarding a person as a god. The word appears most often in two contexts. In the study of ancient religion, it describes the elevation of rulers — Roman emperors, for example — to divine status, whether through formal decree or popular veneration. In Christian theology, particularly within the Eastern Orthodox tradition, divinization refers to the belief that human beings, through grace, spiritual discipline, and union with God, come to share in the divine nature; the parallel Greek term is theosis. The word is formal and largely confined to religious, historical, and academic writing, where its near-synonym deification often serves in everyday prose. What makes divinization distinctive is this theological depth: for Orthodox thinkers it expresses not arrogance but the astonishing claim that salvation means genuine participation in the life of God.
nounThe act or process of making someone or something divine, or of treating a person as a god. In Christian theology, it also denotes the transformation of a human being into partaking of the divine nature.
- The act or process of making divine; deification of a person or thing.
- In Christian (especially Eastern Orthodox) theology: the transformation by which a believer is united with God and partakes of the divine nature.
"The emperor's divinization after death was a central feature of Roman imperial religion."
"Roman emperors were frequently granted divinization by decree of the Senate after their deaths."
"For Orthodox theologians, divinization is the ultimate goal of the spiritual life — union with God without ceasing to be human."
Rarely pluralized; typically used as an uncountable noun referring to the general process.
"Ancient sources record numerous divinizations of Hellenistic rulers."
Eastern Orthodox Christians call it 'theosis' — the stunning idea that salvation isn't just forgiveness, but becoming, by grace, what God is by nature.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does divinization come from?
Divinization derives from the Latin 'divinus', meaning 'of a god' or 'divine', which itself traces back to 'deus', the Latin word for god. The verb 'divinize' was formed from 'divinus' with the suffix '-ize', and 'divinization' arose as its noun form, following the pattern of Latin-derived abstract nouns in '-tion'. Its closest sibling is 'deification', built on 'deus' rather than 'divinus'. Both terms entered English scholarly and religious vocabulary through post-classical Latin and French influence, with 'divinization' becoming established chiefly in theological discourse.
Related word forms
How divinization is actually used
Formal and scholarly in register. Outside theology and classics, 'deification' and 'apotheosis' are more common. The theological sense carries a positive connotation of transformation, while the historical sense can be neutral or critical depending on context.
Easily confused with divinization
Deification is the far more common term for making a god of someone; divinization is largely confined to theological and academic writing, especially Eastern Orthodox discussions of salvation.