4RANSFORMATION INTO #HRIST -ARY !NN $ONOVAN 3 # !BSTRACT 4HE AUTHOR REVIEWS THE EXAMPLE OF 3T !NTONY OF %GYPT AND THE DESCRIPTION OF THE NATURE OF #HRIST IN THE 'OSPELS IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY THE STEPS BY WHICH THE SELF CAN BE TRANSFORMED !MONG THESE STEPS ARE RELIANCE ON THE SUPPORT OF A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS SELF DISCIPLINE AND THE ENDURANCE OF TEMPTATION HELPING THE NEEDY BRINGING ONE S LOVES INTO CONGRUENCE WITH THE LOVE OF #HRIST AND PARTICIPATION IN THE %UCHARIST 4HIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED TO THE THIRD ANNUAL .ORTHERN #ALIFORNIA #HAN :EN #ATHOLIC $IALOGUE *ANUARY
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ESUS #HRIST THE 3ON OF 'OD BECOME A HUMAN BEING IS CENTRAL TO #HRISTIANITY 4RANSFORMATION INTO #HRIST IS WHAT BEING A #HRISTIAN IS ALL ABOUT 3AINT !THANASIUS FOURTH CENTURY "ISHOP OF !LEXANDRIA SAID IT WELL h'OD BECAME A HUMAN BEING THAT HUMANS MIGHT BECOME 'OD v $IVINIZATION THROUGH TRANSFORMATION INTO #HRIST IS KEY "UT WHAT DOES SUCH TRANSFORMATION MEAN %VEN SOME #ATHOLICS MIGHT l ND SURPRISING THE NO TION OF TRANSFORMATION LET ALONE THE LANGUAGE OF DIVINIZATION 2ETRIEVAL OF THIS INSIGHT TOGETHER WITH THE RICH DIMENSIONS REPRESENTED BY THE FORMULA TION OF !THANASIUS BEGAN WITH THE REVIVALS OF PATRISTIC AND LITURGICAL STUD IES OF THE LATE NINETEENTH AND EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURIES AND MADE MAJOR ADVANCES IN THE WORK OF 6ATICAN )) ) WILL ENGAGE THE QUESTION OF TRANSFORMATION INTO #HRIST THROUGH THREE QUESTIONS &IRST DOES TRANSFORMATION INTO #HRIST HAPPEN 4O RESPOND TO THAT QUESTION ) WILL TELL A STORY DRAWING ON !THANASIUS ,IFE OF !NTONY 3ECOND ASSUMING SUCH TRANSFORMATION HAPPENS WHAT IN #HRISTIANITY ACCOUNTS FOR IT 2ESPONSE TO THIS QUESTION CALLS FOR REm ECTION ON WHO *ESUS #HRIST IS WHAT HE PROCLAIMED AND WHAT FAITH IN HIM INVOLVES -Y SOURCE HERE WILL BE THE 'OSPELS 4HIRD HOW COULD TRANSFORMATION INTO #HRIST HAPPEN TO LIVING #HRISTIANS TODAY &OR A RESPONSE TO THIS THIRD QUESTION ) WILL EVALUATE THE STORY IN LIGHT OF THE REm ECTION ON *ESUS #HRIST .OW FOR THE STORY
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