What Is the Christian Story Really? | Jonathan Pageau

Summary

The video discusses the enduring influence of the Christian narrative, despite its diminishing visibility in public life. It explores how Christianity shapes ethics, morality, and the concept of personhood. The speaker explains the Christian story as God's love calling humanity to participate in the divine, emphasizing the transformative experience of theosis—where individuals become united with God. This process is seen as a profound personal transformation beyond ethical behavior, leading to a deepened existence and consciousness in God.

Takeaways

• 🙏 The Christian story is viewed as inevitable and foundational to our ethics, morality, and understanding of human personhood.
• 📚 Tom Holland and others recognize the narrative power of Christianity as it fades from the public sphere.
• 🔄 The Christian story involves a call to participate in the divine and to become more like Christ.
• ❤️ The love of God is seen as the force that holds the world together, with the incarnation showing how humans can partake in the life of God.
• 👑 Christians are called to reign with Christ, acting as principalities in the world and transforming it through love and holiness.
• 🌟 The lives of saints demonstrate this transformation, influencing those around them through their prayer and love.
• ⚖️ Theosis is a key doctrine in Orthodoxy, emphasizing the union of humans with God and their participation in His life.
• 🕊️ Theosis is seen as a real transformation into godliness, not just a metaphor or ethical change.
• 💡 Moments of light or spiritual clarity can offer glimpses of theosis, often experienced in prayer, liturgy, or profound personal relationships.
• 🤲 The process of theosis involves a transformation that leads to freedom from passions and a deeper understanding of one's true self in unity with God.

Q & A

What does the speaker mean by 'the Christian story is inevitable'?

The speaker believes that the principles and narrative of Christianity are foundational to our understanding of morality, ethics, and human identity. As Christianity fades from the public sphere, its influence becomes more apparent and inevitable in shaping these aspects of society.

How does Tom Holland view the impact of Christianity on society?

Tom Holland notes that as Christianity is removed from the public sphere, its deep influence on our ethics, morality, and perception of humanity becomes clearer. He sees Christianity's narrative as integral to the foundation of these concepts.

What did G.K. Chesterton mean by 'the church has died many times but we follow one who knows the way out of the grave'?

G.K. Chesterton's quote suggests that the church has faced numerous challenges and declines throughout history, but it endures and revives because it follows Christ, who overcame death and provides a path to resurrection and renewal.

What is the core message of the Christian story according to the speaker?

The core message of the Christian story is that God loves humanity and invites us to participate in divine life. This participation is shown through the incarnation of Christ and calls believers to reign with Christ, transform reality through love, and become holy individuals who influence the world positively.

What does the speaker describe as theosis in Orthodox theology?

Theosis in Orthodox theology is the belief that God created the world so that creatures could be united with Him in love and participate in His life. This union with God, disrupted by the fall, is ultimately resolved through Christ, leading to the transformation of individuals into divine beings through participation in God's life.

How does the speaker describe moments of experiencing theosis?

The speaker describes moments of theosis as brief glimpses of light and unity, often experienced during prayer, liturgy, or profound personal connections. These moments feel like time and space vanish, providing a sense of divine presence, although they are fleeting and not permanent for most people.

How does Orthodox theology view the transformation of a person in relation to God?

Orthodox theology views the transformation of a person as a real, lived experience. It is not merely a forensic declaration or ethical change but an actual transformation of the person's consciousness and being, making them free, full, and united with God.

How does the speaker relate personal experiences with children to theosis?

The speaker relates personal experiences with children to theosis by describing moments of profound connection and love that seem to transcend time and space. These moments provide a glimpse of divine unity and the transformation that theosis aims to achieve.

What role does adoption play in Protestant theology in comparison to theosis?

In Protestant theology, adoption into God's family through the Spirit of the Son allows believers to participate in the love of the Father and the divine nature. While similar to theosis, it is often seen more as a forensic declaration and ethical change rather than a complete transformation of the person.

What is the significance of the transformation into God according to Orthodox theology?

The transformation into God in Orthodox theology signifies an actual change in the person's nature, making them divine through participation in God's life. This transformation leads to a higher state of existence, where the person becomes light, free from passions, and fully united with God's will and essence.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 The Inevitability of the Christian Story

The speaker expresses a lack of hope for the short term but believes the Christian story is inevitable. As Christianity fades from the public sphere, its foundational role in shaping ethics, morality, and the concept of humanity becomes more apparent. The discussion references Tom Holland, who observes the enduring narrative power of Christianity despite its decline in public life. The speaker quotes G.K. Chesterton, noting that the church has faced decline many times but follows a path of resurrection. The Christian story is explained as a call to participate in the divine, centered on God's love, which holds the world together. This participation is exemplified through the lives of saints and holy individuals who influence others through their devotion and prayer.

05:03

💫 Understanding Theosis and Transformation in Christianity

The discussion moves to the concept of theosis, a significant doctrine in Orthodox Christianity. Theosis is described as the ultimate purpose of creation, where God's creatures are united with Him in love, participating in His life. This notion faced a setback with the fall of humanity but was resolved through the incarnation of Christ. Theosis involves a transformation of the individual, becoming more aligned with God's will and presence. The speaker relates personal moments of divine connection, often fleeting but profound, experienced during prayer, liturgy, or personal relationships. The conversation touches on the Protestant perspective of adoption, where unity with Christ and participation in divine love are emphasized. However, the speaker highlights the experiential and transformative nature of theosis in Orthodox theology, emphasizing a change in consciousness and being, rather than just ethical or forensic declarations.

Keywords

💡Christian Story

The Christian story refers to the overarching narrative of Christianity, which encompasses God's love for humanity, the incarnation of Christ, and the call for humans to participate in the divine life. This story is seen as inevitable and foundational to human ethics and morality. In the video, it is mentioned that as Christianity wanes, its foundational role in shaping human perception and morality becomes clearer.

💡Incarnation

The incarnation is the Christian belief that God became human in the person of Jesus Christ. This event is central to the Christian faith as it demonstrates how humans can participate in the life of God. The video discusses the incarnation as a key aspect of the Christian story, highlighting its importance in showing how God's love holds the world together.

💡Theosis

Theosis is the process of becoming united with God and participating in the divine nature. In Orthodox Christianity, it signifies a transformative experience where humans become like God through grace. The video explains theosis as the ultimate purpose of creation, where humans are meant to be united with God in love and participate in His life, experiencing a transformation of their being.

💡Divine Participation

Divine participation refers to the idea that humans are called to share in the life and nature of God. This concept is closely tied to theosis and is a central theme in the Christian story. The video emphasizes that through the love of God and the incarnation, humans are invited to participate in the divine, transforming their lives and the world around them.

💡Ethics and Morality

Ethics and morality in the video are described as being deeply rooted in the Christian vision. The speaker suggests that even as Christianity becomes less visible in public life, its influence on ethical and moral frameworks remains significant. This underscores the idea that the Christian story continues to shape how people perceive right and wrong.

💡Saints

Saints are holy individuals in Christianity who are seen as models of divine participation and transformation. The video mentions that saints can transform reality through their prayer and love of God, serving as axes around which others are influenced. This exemplifies the ultimate goal of theosis and divine participation.

💡Freedom from Passions

Freedom from passions refers to the liberation from destructive emotions and desires, which is part of the transformative process of theosis. The video discusses how true union with God leads to freedom from personal idiosyncrasies and a discovery of one's true self as intended by God, exemplifying the deep change theosis brings.

💡Transformation

Transformation in the context of the video refers to the profound change that occurs within a person as they participate in the divine life. This transformation is not just ethical but involves a complete change in consciousness and being. The video highlights that this transformation makes a person full, light, and more like God.

💡Orthodox Theology

Orthodox theology is a branch of Christian theology that emphasizes theosis, divine participation, and the experiential aspect of faith. The video contrasts Orthodox theology with Protestant theology, noting that the former focuses on a lived experience of becoming united with God rather than just a forensic or ethical change.

💡Trinitarian Dynamic

The Trinitarian dynamic refers to the relationship within the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and how it relates to theosis and divine participation. The video discusses how Protestants might view adoption into the divine family through the Trinity, emphasizing the relational aspect of participating in the divine nature.

Highlights

Christian story is inevitable and deeply embedded in our ethics and morality.

Christianity's influence is seen as it wanes from the public sphere.

The church has died many times but follows one who knows the way out of the grave.

Christian story involves participating in the divine and being loved by God.

The incarnation shows us how to participate in the life of God.

We are called to reign with Christ and transform reality through love of God and others.

Holy people can influence and transform reality around them.

Theosis is the notion that God created the world so we could be united with Him in love.

The fall caused a big U-turn, but it was resolved in the person of Christ.

Theosis involves becoming like princes in God and participating in how the world exists.

Transformation through theosis leads to freedom from passions and idiosyncrasies.

Experiencing theosis can feel like moments of light where space and time vanish.

Orthodox saints experience joyful sadness, perpetual joy, and infinite compassion.

Protestant theology's concept of adoption shares similarities with theosis.

Theosis is an experienced transformation, not just a forensic declaration or ethical change.

Transcripts

i don't have a lot of hope on the short

term but definitely i do believe that

in the end the christian story is

inevitable it's

and it's and as the christian story

disappears from the public view

it appears even more as inevitable

people people like

like for example something like tom

holland who as christianity is being

evacuated from the public sphere

is noticing to what extent it holds

in terms of narrative and how our ethics

our morality

the way we even perceive what a human

person is is all based in christian

christian vision and and i think that's

going to become clear as

christianity starts to to wane let's say

right right as gk chesterton said you

know

the church has died many times but we we

follow one who knows the way out of the

grave

um right exactly that's wonderful yeah

so

you've mentioned the christian story um

go on give me give me the question what

is that what is the christian story

obviously obviously um you've got you've

got 90 seconds go

well i mean the christian story is that

we are

called like we were called to

participate in

the divine that we have that god

loves us and and if atheists watching

they won't know what i'm talking about

but

that that the love of god is that which

holds the world together

and the incarnation has shown us how and

through what we can participate in the

life of god

and so i think that that's that's the

christian story and we are called

to be to reign with christ you know and

to to

to be like angels to be to be

principalities in the world and that's

what that's what we see already

happening

with the lives of the saints that's what

we see when you meet a holy person and

they're like a

like an axis you know and you can see

everybody kind of around them

being influenced by just their prayer

life you know you ever

every i hope everybody has at least one

person like that where you can see

someone transform reality around them

through

their love of god and their love of

others and i think that that's it like

that's the christian story and that's

what we're called to

to be and to see the kingdom appear in

the world

um you've mentioned participating in god

um

we had another question on twitter

somebody wants to know what is

theosis so it's a a big doctrine in

orthodoxy

theosis give us give us a definition and

also

um what would it or what does it

feel like what does it feel like

yeah what is it what is it to experience

theosis

yeah well i don't first define it i i

don't think that i've

i've i've had i mean i think everybody

has glimpses or everybody has little

moments

i don't think that i don't know i don't

think i've known anybody who had been

glorified or had been looming let's say

uh but i mean the theosis is the notion

that the reason why god created

everything is so that we could

be united to him and that's actually why

god created the world god created the

world so that

his creatures could be united to him in

love and could participate

in his life and that got a big u-turn in

the story of the fall

but it was ultimately resolved even in a

way that is

that is maybe even beyond what could

have been in the person of christ

as the god-man and

that's where that's what we're called to

be and so we we are called to be

like princes in god and to

and like i said to become like axes or

seeds that

makes the world exist like we actually

participate in how the world exists when

as we come closer to god um and then

ultimately that also means a kind of

freedom in terms of

from your passions from your from your

idiosyncrasies

and discovering of who you are

completely as you are united

to god like so you become you know what

god wanted you to be

was to be one of you know like a and

and if you read the fathers like if you

read say maximus if we read uh

some of the hesicastic fathers that's

real like it's not just a metaphor

it's not just it really is a

transformation of the person

into into god like the person becomes

god through participation in his life um

and i think what it feels like i mean i

think it i

i often say uh

it's like you sometimes you you have

moments like little moments of

of light i mean i don't i don't can't

speak for other people but there are

these

moments sometimes where things come

together

and it can happen in terms of of prayer

sometimes or in during liturgy or

sometimes when you're with someone like

let's say with your spouse or with your

child

and all of a sudden you have this moment

where it's like this

i don't know how to say that space and

time seem to vanish into this like

moment of light

and usually you can't hold on to it it

kind of

it just kind of goes away it kind of you

get a glimmer and then it goes away and

and i think that the saint or the person

who is truly

living in god has more access to that

and can hold on to it and can and can

live in that light and it

creates you know the

the the orthodox saints they have this

uh this kind of tear this joyful sadness

where

they are kind of they're just transmuted

and they they

they both are in perpetual joy while

experiencing infinite compassion for

those around

them and so it's like i don't know how i

don't know what that feels like

i know the little moment when i'm with

my child and i can kind of get that

that that little glimpse of it so yeah

yeah

and as you mentioned you're with your

child

i wonder whether um in protestant

theology kind of adoption

does a lot of the work that theosis

might do in

um orthodox theology in in that

you know by the spirit of the son

i am united to christ sharing in the

love of the father

um and yeah and and in that trinitarian

dynamic a lot of protestants get you

know very twitchy when you say you know

when athanasius says man became god god

became man that man might become god

um forgetting the rich trinitarian

theology that's

that's behind that um that it is

god the son taking our humanity that we

in him

and by his spirit of course we

participate in the divine nature

that's what scripture says and i think

that that's i think that that's true i

think maybe the difference is that

is that it in in in kind of hesychastic

uh

theology or in orthodoxyology that is

meant to be

lived like it's experienced it's not

just like a forensic declaration

yeah or or an ethical change it's a it's

a transformation of the person

like you are you become and so you you

so

so all of that what you said is true

it's through christ and it's in our

unite our unity in christ that we

have access to that but it's an actual

transformation of the person

like it's not just something that you

say it's like

it makes you free it makes you uh

it makes you full like it makes you

light it makes you

it's not just uh like i said does it

just make you stop

like like stop lying it's more than that

there's like a

transformation of consciousness of being

of everything into

into god