Herman Bavinck’s Rejection of Theosis

Abstract

Recent attention has turned to Herman Bavinck’s discussion of theosis, with some arguing that he supported such a theology. I will challenge this, arguing instead that he misunderstood the nature of deification and rejected it on false grounds. Bavinck’s objections to theosis will be addressed to show how a Reformed doctrine of theosis can avoid the sorts of dualistic mysticism Bavinck rightly opposed. Bavinck’s criticisms of theosis are brought into dialogue with Thomas F. Torrance’s endorsement of theosis to see why Bavinck could not endorse a doctrine of theosis even if the mysticism he opposed were removed.