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How is Purgatory viewed in the East? As I understand it, it's more of a journey of purification and not necessarily the suffering detention that it's made out to be in the West. Is "final theosis" the correct term in the East? Also, I read something about Eastern theology not believing that man is fully divinized until the final resurrection. Is this accurate, and what does this mean for his presence in Heaven? Can someone in Heaven become more perfect?

As far as I can tell, there is no official doctrine of purgatory in the east. There are a number of permitted theological opinions, I believe. Perhaps some Orthodox, myself included, would hold that as the soul is judged by God and journeys toward God with an everlasting movement, the soul is continually purified in some way. Somehow, our prayers help that soul. But this is just a hypothesis at best. We literally know nothing about what it is like for the departed souls. So, I hesistate to use the term "purgatory" as if it is a place or state metaphysically separate from heaven or hell.

I remember reading a treatise on the Holy Trinity by Jonathan Edwards. Ironically, he seemed to hold a view that was much more traditional than I had expected. Essentially, he held that because God's Being is infinite, that we will always be moving closer and closer, and becoming more fully immersed in the abyss of God's Being. That is how eternity will not be boring for us. We can never exhaust the divine Being through our contemplation. I think it is quite possible that our theosis is everlasting, a perpetual movement into the life of the Trinity that never ends. It is literally, bottomless. That is how I would make sense of your questions. Peace in Christ,

Joe

One might consider that inquiring closely into matters - beyond what God has seen fit to reveal to us - inevitably leads to speculation. Speculation is not forbidden, but is a slender basis for dogmatizing.

We know, of course, that people die. God has taught us, through Scripture and tradition, that those fallen asleep are in need of our prayers, of the offering of the Divine Liturgy and other services, and of good works done on their behalf. Just exactly how these benefit them is a matter perhaps best left to God - we simply do as we are taught, out of love for God and love for those fallen asleep.

Father Serge

[quote=I remember reading a treatise on the Holy Trinity by Jonathan Edwards. Ironically, he seemed to hold a view that was much more traditional than I had expected. Essentially, he held that because God's Being is infinite, that we will always be moving closer and closer, and becoming more fully immersed in the abyss of God's Being. That is how eternity will not be boring for us. We can never exhaust the divine Being through our contemplation. I think it is quite possible that our theosis is everlasting, a perpetual movement into the life of the Trinity that never ends. It is literally, bottomless. That is how I would make sense of your questions. Peace in Christ,

Joe [/quote]

Dear Joe,

In the Orthodox Church we go from 'Glory' to 'Glory' and from light to light. Each light in turn becomes darkness in relation to the next light we enter. I guess as our soul becomes more purified and Godly, our past becomes dark in comparison...and as Jonathon Edwards said, that journey never ends.

Also, we believe that we are always in the presence of God. The more sinful one's nature, the less one is able to perceive the light, and therefore can only feel the heat.

Zenovia

From what I know, the Eastern Church does not believe in Purgatory, per se, but it does believe in praying for the dead. How God answers our prayers is His business. Our business is to pray for the living and the dead.

Yet, that raises the question why?

Personally, I have come up with three reasons.

(1) Praying for the departed is a very useful tool for people to cope with their grief.

(2) God is outside of time, and so He can answer our prayers at any time. For example, God could answer our prayers for a departed person by giving that person special graces during his/her lifetime -- before he/she died.

(3) In praying for the dead, we are praying for ourselves too: because we too shall one day die.

Just my two cents worth.

-- John

Glory to Jesus Christ!

As a general rule, all Eastern Christians do not use the word "Purgatory." This includes both Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians. The word "Purgatory" is specific to the Latin tradition, and carries some specific historical baggage that makes Eastern Christians uncomfortable.

In the Medieval West, many popular theologians defined Purgatory as a specific place, where people essentially sat around and suffered. Some theologians went so far as to imply that a literal fire burns those who suffer in Purgatory. It was also popular to tally periods of time that people spent in purgatory for various offences. It is worth noting that contemporary Roman Catholic theology has (thankfully) moved beyond this approach, to a more Patristic understanding of Purgatory.

In the Catholic understanding, only two points are necessary dogma concerning "purgatory": 1) There is a place of transition/transformation for those en-route to Heaven, and 2) prayer is efficacious for the dead who are in this state.

The Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches agree with the Latin Church fully on both of these points. In practice, we routinely celebrate Divine Liturgies for the dead, and offer numerous prayers on their behalf. We would not do so if we did not agree with the above two dogmatic points.

It is noteworthy that the Byzantine Catholic Church has never been required to use the word Purgatory. The act of reunion with Rome, "The Treaty of Brest," which was formally accepted by Pope Clement VIII, does not require us to accept the Western understanding of Purgatory.

Article V of the Treaty of Brest states "We shall not debate about purgatory..." implying that both sides can agree to disagree on the specifics of what the West calls "Purgatory."
In the East, we tend to have a much more positive view of the transition from death to Heaven. Rather than "Purgatory," we prefer to call it "the Final Theosis." This refers to the process of deification, in which the remnants of our human nature are transformed, and we come to share in the divine life of the Trinity. Rather than seeing this as a place to "sit and suffer," the Eastern Fathers of the Church described the Final Theosis as being a journey. While this journey can entail hardships, there are also powerful glimpses of joy.

Interestingly, Mother Angelica has repeatedly expressed a very positive understanding of "Purgatory" being a joyful state, rather than a place of suffering. In some ways her description lines up well with the Eastern understanding of the Final Theosis.

Although we do not use the same words, Eastern Orthodox/Catholics and Latin Catholics do essentially believe the same thing on this important point.

Deacon El

John,

I have believed something like this for some time as well! It seems to me that the moment of death is a "kairotic" moment of sorts - when, at least for the soul of the one who is passing, all temporal and eternal realities collapse and converge. The idea of some semi-temporal on-going state of purgatorium, which seems to be the popular interpretation, does not make much sense to me. An "instantaneous" (which is temporal language applied to eternal realities) one where the merits and prayers of the faithful for a soul in the past and in the future as well as all of the works in their lifetime benefits the soul in its transition (and immediate judgement) seems more reasonable.

I like what Father Serge has said, though. What I write is somewhat speculative, but I see it as a way to possibly reconcile the views of East and West. I think one needs to separate popular and hagiographical piety from dogma.

God bless,

Gordo

PS: This "convergence" of realities explains a little bit how my uncle, as he lay dying, had certain "visitors" come in and greet him, bowing towards him as he was in his hospital room. The moment of death is a "third birth" as the Syriac fathers call it from one state to the next. What occurs in that "birthing" is truly a redeeming mystery.

PPS: Deacon El, Final Theosis? Simply marvellous! I have never heard that before. Thank you for your post!

Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos has written a book that covers much of this topic. One section deals specifically with the Latin understanding of Purgatory and why it was rejected by the Orthodox Church. A link to it can be found here.

http://www.vic.com/~tscon/pelagia/htm/b24.en.life_after_death.05.htm

I believe Purgatory was specifically condemned in one or two synods after the schism.

Thanks for the responses.

I definitely agree with this.

Here is what the Holy Father has written on Purgatory in the past, which seems very similar to the Eastern approach you describe:

An interesting post, and much food for thought. Thank you, Zenovia. I do believe that there is some kind of "state" of purification after death and that our prayers can help those people. How it works, I do not know. I suspect it is something like you described, especially about the heat. I sometimes wonder if the "flames" of God's love and the "flames" of hell are the same thing and the difference is solely if we accept God or reject Him.

-- John

" I sometimes wonder if the "flames" of God's love and the "flames" of hell are the same thing and the difference is solely if we accept God or reject Him."

You are in pretty good company, John!

"I say that those who are suffering in hell, are suffering in being scourged by love. ... It is totally false to think that the sinners in hell are deprived of God's love. Love is a child of the knowledge of truth, and is unquestionably given commonly to all. But love's power acts in two ways: it torments sinners, while at the same time it delights those who have lived in accord with it." +Isaac the Syrian, Homily 84

and:

"...the sword of fire was placed at the gate of paradise to guard the approach to the tree of life; it was terrible and burning toward infidels, but kindly accessible toward the faithful, bringing to them the light of day." +Basil the Great, Homily 13 Exhortation to Holy Baptism

Can we all expunge the phrase "final theosis" from our vocabulary? Please.

Why ? I am curious.

-- John

The term should be dropped because there is no such thing as "final theosis"; instead, theosis is a never-ending process that involves an infinite stretching (i.e., epektasis) into God.

[/quote]
I sometimes wonder if the "flames" of God's love and the "flames" of hell are the same thing and the difference is solely if we accept God or reject Him.

-- John [/quote]

John, this is precisely what Timothy Ware says in his classic, The Orthodox Church.