Christendom College theology professor Dr. Matthew Tsakanikas’ new book, A Catechesis on Deification, Transfiguration, & the Luminous Mysteries, has just been released. The book, his first, delves into the doctrine of deification, with connections made to the theology of Saint Athanasius and other Church Fathers, as well as the Blessed Virgin, the Rosary, and Scripture.
Tsakanikas, who writes frequently for Adoremus and other academic journals, skillfully draws out the theological foundations of deification — so essential to Catholic doctrine — in his new work, establishing its basis in Scripture and highlighting its relation to the Luminous Mysteries.
“The dogma of divinization—or theosis, deification, sanctity, holiness, perfection—is one such precept that has been underappreciated for far too long. Dr. Matthew Tsakanikas does us a great service in charging this unfortunate state of affairs by bringing our own destiny back into the light,” says Dr. Christopher Carstens, editor of Adoremus and the director of Christendom’s new Institute for Liturgical Formation.
In the book, Tsakanikas uses significant Old Testament theophanies such as the Transfiguration of Moses to illustrate the process by which man’s human nature is deified through divine grace, while still maintaining its essential humanity. He employs both theological insights and more grounded reflections to highlight the calling of all humanity to divine union with God.
However, Tsakanikas’ new book is not merely for an intensely academic audience. Professor Tracey Rowland of the University of Notre Dame, author of Ratzinger’s Faith, and previous Christendom commencement speaker, assures future readers, “Whatever one’s level of theological education or none, these reflections on deification and the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary are rich in theological insights and scriptural exegesis.”
Dr. Matthew Tsakanikas earned his B.A. from Christendom College and his S.T.L. and S.T.D. from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute, Pontifical University of the Lateran. Tsakanikas specializes in the Book of Genesis, theological anthropology, including Thomistic moral theology, and the writings of St. Lawrence Brindisi. His writings have been featured in Communio, Logos, Homiletic and Pastoral Review, and Catholic World Report.
Order Tsakanikas’ book by visiting here.
Contributed by Bridget Palm ’28.