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The phrase "be holy" is found often, not only in the New Testament (e.g., 1 Peter), but also in the Hebrew scriptures.

Obviously, from the negative standpoint to be holy means not to be sinful. But what does it mean in the positive?

Sophia

Sophia,

My personal take is not so much the "negative" or focus on sin, but to emulate the virtues of God. We are called to holiness, not to our fallen nature, and that means transforming that life into one that is in accordance with God, and to follow the path set to us by the scritpures and the set forth by the Church. We are given examples by the lives of the Theotokos and the Saints as role models to help transform our lives.

I am sure others will give examples. Right now I am getting ready to go into church.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

To build on what Father Anthony said, I see "holiness" as the healing of the "image" and the restoration of our "likeness" to God. The phrase "image and likeness" has a direct link to divine sonship (cf. Gen 5:1-3). The Father is asking us to "Be holy as I AM holy" just as parents form and mold their children after their own way of being, knowing and doing. This is the purpose of the Life in Christ, and the reason why the Servant of God Catherine Dougherty used to say that the only tragedy in life is not to be a saint!

My two cents...others?

Gordo

Dear Sophia:

I would suggest that holiness is perfected in theosis, and that there is no theosis without holiness. So, I suggest that you take a look at the book Deification in Christ, by the 20th century Greek Orthodox theologian Panayiotis Nellas. In this wonderful book, Nellas casts theosis, or deification, as Christification. I believe that this book will provide with a positive framework for reflecting on holiness. This is a wonderful, transformative book, and I recommend it to anyone who takes seriously the teaching of theosis.

In Christ,
Ryan

Sophia,

I think becoming holy means growing from the image of God into, more and more, the likeness of God. I think that means accepting the invitation of God to share in His Trinitarian life: living in intimate union with Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, and unto the Father.

I think that happens through accepting Jesus Christ into our hearts and in our lives.

I think that theosis is a program for doing so: the exterior life (keeping the commandments), the interior life (purification and transformation of our passions into the beatitudes by practicing the virtues) and the Divine life (recognizing Jesus in every situation and person and loving Him and serving Him thereby).

And I think all of this is made possible and augmented by participating in the life of the Church. Specifically, I think that means especially participating in the Mysteries, and being mindful of the Tradition (Scripture, the teachings of the Church, the examples of the saints, and so on), and being loving to one's parish and one's neighbor.

In short, I think becoming holy means ever more living the Life in Christ, His life of selfless and Divine love, by allowing Jesus to live in and through us.

-- John

Theosis is actually not a process. Theosis is a gift of God's grace. That gift of grace can be freely given to anyone in any measure, regardless of where they are on the way to perfection. To speak of theosis as a process is very limiting to God's free gifts of grace, and skates along the edge of the heresy of works. That view of diefication is the root stock of process theology.

Eli

To be like Him, as St. Athanasius put it. In this context it has little "negative" about it, if using those limiting distinctions. That means in all aspects of our lives - as parents, at work, family relationships, creating (as opposed to destroying), and living as an icon of the Holy Triad in our families - with a love so interpenetrating that at the same time it overflows into creation and the world around us.
FDD

Eli, clearly theosis is a the gift of God's grace. And then, we must co-operate with God's grace. And that is all I meant.

-- John

John, I understood what you said. Simply mentioning the word "process" and assuming you were writing in currents or the "roots" of "process theology" was not a reasonable assumption at all by the above poster.

I think if one means "process" used in your way to be a lifelong pilgrimage towards our ultimate goal of deification, towards an ever more intimate communion with our Lord, which I believe was your intended meaning, it is perfectly sound to me.
FDD

In English, "holy" is part of a word system which includes "whole" "healing" "healthful" "hallowed" and so on. In Elizabethan translations of the Bible healings by Jesus were accompanied by "your faith has made you whole". This translates the Vulgate "fides tua te salvum fecit" where "salvum" further gives us "salvation" "saved" etc and the Latin verb "Salve" meaning "hail", relating back to "hale" (meaning healthy).
Our fallen nature prevents us being whole, we have no integrity, but our salvation, through the Lord Jesus, heals our dis-integration, and makes us whole/holy. and able to journey into godliness through and with him.

I am sure there is even more to be learned from the Greek roots, but that is outwith my competence, I'm afraid.

What about the desert fathers and their divine darkness, the light that is darkness, the apophatic way, kenosis, self-emptying, dying to self, all those lovely negatives that the east uses to aid us on the way to opening ourselves to God's gracious gratuity?

Eli

Thank you all. You've been very helpful.

Sophia

Put really well.

-ray