The practice of ascetic prayer called Hesychasm in the Eastern Orthodox Church is centered on the enlightenment, deification ( theosis ) of man.
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A loss of these tenets by the West was due to a misunderstanding of Greek terms such as ousia, theosis, and theoria.
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Rather, the Finnish School asserts that Luther's doctrine of salvation was similar to that of Eastern Orthodoxy, theosis ( divinization ).
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Thus this particular Protestant ( primarily Methodist ) understanding of theosis is substantially different from that of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, or Anglican Churches.
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The general understanding is that a person can become more similar to God over time, a process called " theosis " in Greek.
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Western Christians often vigorously avoid the terminology of deification, divinization, or theosis, while not necessarily rejecting the intended doctrine expressed in different terms.
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John Cassian, known particularly for his teachings on theosis, is considered to be a Saint in the Eastern Churches as well as in Roman Catholicism.
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It is related to the theosis, and is seen in most if not all church denominations as the reward for Christians in the afterlife.
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Theosis is possible because of God's energies, " through which God becomes known to us and makes us share in the divine life ".
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A common analogy for " theosis ", given by the Greek fathers, is that of a metal which is put into the fire.
