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=== Union with God, East and ''Theosis'' in the Christian West ===In Western Catholic theology, Although the doctrine of ''theosis'' refers came to a specific and rather advanced phase of contemplation of God. [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10663b.htm] The process of arriving to such a statebe neglected in the Western Church, or moving toward it (was clearly taught in the Roman Catholic tradition as late as arrival there is not necessary for [[salvation]])the 13th century by Thomas Aquinas, involves different types of prayer whho taught that "full participation in divinity which are recognized as beneficial. Various stages is humankind's true beatitude and the destinty of prayer human life are recognized as being likely to occur should a person respond to faith by moving along the purgative, illuminative, and unitive ways" (''Summa Theologiae'' 3.1. See [[ascetical theology]]2).

Some Western writers refer to theosis using the same implications given above (e.g., [http://ic.net/~erasmus/RAZ184.HTM], [http://www.kensmen.com/catholic/purgatory.html]). It is common to find western writings that suggest that eastern spirituality manifests ''theosis'' and that by implication the West is lacking in this regard, but this is a case of rhetoric obscuring fact: under different terminology the western spiritual traditions, which also reach to the origins of Christianity (in the East), share the objective of sharing in the life of God.  In addition to the strong currents of ''theosis'' in early and some contemporary Catholic theology, particularly that of Thomas Aquinas, one can find it as a recurring theme within Anglicanism: in Lancelot Andrewes (17th c.), the hymnody of John and Charles Wesley (18th c.), Edward B. Pusey (19th c.), and A. M. Allchin and E. Charles Miller (20th c.). The Finnish school of Lutheranism led by Tuomo Mannermaa understands Martin Luther's on justification to mean ''theosis''.