Abstract
This introductory chapter consists of twenty-five theses that articulate the rationale behind this Handbook and indicate some of its contributions. Deification studies is a burgeoning field. Often associated solely with the Orthodox East, deification became a central theme in the nineteenth century due to critical work by Ferdinand Christian Baur, followed by Albrecht Ritschl and Adolf von Harnack. Opposed to Baur, Matthias Joseph Scheeben made deification central to his theological vision, as did, at the outset of the twentieth century, Ivan Popov and Juan Arintero. The present volume retrieves the theme of deification in a comprehensive manner from Christian Scripture and the Church Fathers to the present day. It does so in a manner geared toward historical, systematic, ecumenical, and interreligious understanding of this central Christian theme. The chapter offers a constructive working definition of deification, focusing on the most prominent “markers” of deification in Christian theological discourses.