In the Image and Likeness of God

This collection gathers Vladimir Lossky's most important theological essays, written during his decades as a leading voice of twentieth-century Orthodox theology in the West. Compiled after his death in 1958, these pieces emerged from Lossky's work as a lay theologian in Paris, where he helped articulate Orthodox theological distinctives for audiences largely unfamiliar with Eastern Christian thought. The essays address fundamental questions about human nature, divine knowledge, and spiritual life that Lossky encountered in dialogue with Western Christianity and in his teaching at the St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute.

Lossky's central argument runs throughout these essays: Orthodox theology offers a unique understanding of theosis, the process by which humans participate in divine life while maintaining their created nature. He distinguishes sharply between the essence of God, which remains utterly unknowable, and the energies of God, through which divine life is communicated to creation. This distinction, rooted in the Cappadocian Fathers and Gregory Palamas, allows Lossky to explain how genuine union with God preserves rather than obliterates human personhood. The collection explores how this theological framework illuminates the Orthodox understanding of Trinity, Incarnation, and spiritual transformation, consistently emphasizing the apophatic tradition that approaches God through unknowing rather than conceptual mastery.

These essays established Lossky as perhaps the most influential Orthodox theologian of the modern era, introducing Western readers to theological perspectives largely absent from Latin Christianity. His work proved instrumental in twentieth-century ecumenical dialogue and continues to shape contemporary Orthodox theology. The collection remains essential reading for anyone seeking to understand Orthodox theological method and its distinctive approach to divine-human relationship. Readers approaching from Western theological traditions will find familiar topics explored through significantly different conceptual frameworks, while those new to Orthodox thought will discover foundational principles clearly articulated. This work is not suitable for casual spiritual reading but demands serious theological engagement.