Chapter 4: Of Theosis
Section 1. The aim of the Christian life is theosis: the union of the human person with God, participation in the divine nature. As Athanasius of Alexandria wrote, God became man so that man might become god - not by nature, but by grace, through participation in the divine energies.
Section 2. This deification is not a merging of essences but a real union with God through his uncreated energies, as distinguished from his essence. Through prayer, the sacraments, and the ascetic life, the believer is transformed into the likeness of Christ.