I’m reading this and I was just discussing with a gentleman via comments on an article on Divine Condescension.
One of the great Christian hymns explaining the concept is found in Paul’s letter to the Philippians ch. 2:
Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus,*
Who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave
In Eastern Christianity, there is a theological concept called Theosis, among other things, there is a stress that sharing in the Divine life of God is to become more like God.
Western Christianity focused more on Redemptive Suffering, most likely from Augustine’s reading of St. Paul in which the East doesn’t regard Augustine in the same esteem as the West. Nonetheless, it is through the bridge of thought of Eastern Christianity through the concept of Divine Condescension from St. John Chrysostom that I think a better understanding of what it means to become more God like, it’s ultimately to love like God to be a person of humility.
The Church teaches that pride is the chief sin that leads to all other sins, but if we can learn from Christ the virtue of true humility, and deem what the world values as something to be grasped then we can truly walk the path of holiness letting Christ be our guide to the Kingdom of God.
Why do bad things happen to good people?
I’m reading this and I was just discussing with a gentleman via comments on an article on Divine Condescension.
One of the great Christian hymns explaining the concept is found in Paul’s letter to the Philippians ch. 2:
Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus,*
Who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave
In Eastern Christianity, there is a theological concept called Theosis, among other things, there is a stress that sharing in the Divine life of God is to become more like God.
Western Christianity focused more on Redemptive Suffering, most likely from Augustine’s reading of St. Paul in which the East doesn’t regard Augustine in the same esteem as the West. Nonetheless, it is through the bridge of thought of Eastern Christianity through the concept of Divine Condescension from St. John Chrysostom that I think a better understanding of what it means to become more God like, it’s ultimately to love like God to be a person of humility.
The Church teaches that pride is the chief sin that leads to all other sins, but if we can learn from Christ the virtue of true humility, and deem what the world values as something to be grasped then we can truly walk the path of holiness letting Christ be our guide to the Kingdom of God.