Aspecte teologice privind obiectivul ontologic al îndumnezeirii la Sfântul Sofronie Saharov
Theological aspects regarding the ontological objective of deification in Saint Sophrony Sakharov

Summary/Abstract: The ontological objective of man is deification, which is why deification has become one of the central themes of Christianity and, implicitly, of theologians. This is due to the “attitude toward man and his ultimate destiny,” seen through the lens of creationist ontology and divine purposes. Thus, the meaning of human existence is given by its primary goal — that of attaining likeness to God (Genesis 1:26). This important theme, central to Orthodox theology and beyond, has been addressed by the Holy Fathers of the Church, forming a rich image of this reality. Deification has been discussed by Church Fathers such as St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory Palamas, St. Maximus the Confessor, St. Sophrony Sakharov, and others. The Holy Fathers offered perspectives on how man can attain deification. While their individual approaches differ, they together enrich the complex landscape of achieving the ontological goal of deification — the result being the same, though the paths may vary in form. Essentially, love remains the main driving force of this ontological pursuit. This exploratory paper presents key elements of St. Sophrony Sakharov’s thought on the ontological goal of deification.

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