Introduction: A Widespread Confusion In Modern Spirituality
In our time, many people have embraced a variety of spiritual ideas that claim to be ancient or universal, yet are entirely foreign to the teachings of Orthodox Christianity.
One of the most dangerous of these ideas is the belief that the human soul is a part of God Himself, a fragment of divine essence. This belief, often promoted in New Age spirituality, says that every person carries a “divine spark” or a “piece of God” within them, and that by looking inward, we can discover our own godhood.
Orthodox Christianity completely rejects this teaching.
The Orthodox Church has always proclaimed that God alone is divine in essence, uncreated, eternal, and beyond all being.
Human beings are created, made from nothing, and while we are made in the image of God, we are not pieces of God. The soul is not a divine spark but a created soul, called to union with God through grace, not by nature.
What Does Orthodox Christianity Teach About The Soul?
Orthodox Christianity teaches that the human being is made of body and soul, both created by God. We are not eternal by nature, nor are we formed from divine essence. In Genesis we read:
Then the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7)
The Fathers of the Church are clear that God did not breathe His essence into Adam. He breathed life.
Saint Basil the Great explained that this breath was not the divine substance but the life-giving grace of the Holy Spirit.
Saint John of Damascus writes:
The soul is a living essence, simple and incorporeal, created by God together with the body.
This means that our soul is a created spiritual reality. It is not uncreated. It is not eternal by its own nature. It came into being by the will of God, and it exists because of His sustaining grace.
Only God Is Divine In Essence
In Orthodox Christianity, a central theological truth is the absolute distinction between God and creation. Only God is uncreated, eternal, without beginning. Everything else, including angels and human souls, is created.
Saint Gregory Palamas taught clearly that God’s essence is entirely beyond participation. Creation can never become God by essence. We participate in God’s energies, not in His essence.
The Apostle Paul confirms:
God alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light. (1 Timothy 6:16)
This unapproachable light is not accessible to any creature. Even the angels do not know God in His essence.
If the soul were part of God, it would mean that human nature itself is divine, and that is a blasphemy in Orthodox terms.
The Danger Of New Age Teachings About The Soul
Many modern spiritual movements borrow from ancient heresies. They teach that our soul is divine, that God is everything, and that all things are God. This is a form of pantheism or panentheism, which is incompatible with Christianity.
The idea that the soul is a “piece of God” implies that we are divine in our essence. But if man is God, then salvation becomes self-realization instead of communion. We don’t need a Savior; we just need to awaken our divine nature.
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Orthodoxy strongly opposes this. The Church teaches that we are in need of healing, repentance, and grace. We are not divine by nature. We are wounded by sin and death. Christ came not to tell us that we are already gods, but to unite us to His divine life by grace.
The Difference Between Image And Essence
The Holy Fathers made an important distinction between being made in the image of God and being part of God’s essence.
Saint Irenaeus of Lyons taught:
Man was made in the image and likeness of God, but he is not himself God. He is called to become god by grace, not by nature.
This teaching was echoed by all the major Fathers, including Saint Athanasius, Saint Maximus the Confessor, and Saint Symeon the New Theologian.
Being in the image of God means we have reason, freedom, love, and a spiritual nature. But it does not mean we are uncreated or divine. We are made in His image so that we may grow into His likeness, by communion, through grace.
Participation By Grace, Not Identity By Essence
Orthodoxy teaches that we are called to become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4), but this does not mean we become God in essence. We are united to God through His uncreated energies, not His essence.
Saint Gregory Palamas explains:
The essence of God is inaccessible. But His energies come down to us, and in them we participate in God truly, though not essentially.
This distinction preserves the humility and beauty of the Orthodox path. We are not divine, but we are called to become united to God, not by our own nature, but by the gift of His grace.
If we believed we were divine, we would not need the Church, the sacraments, repentance, or even prayer. But in Orthodoxy, we learn to cry:
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalm 50:10, LXX)
Only a creature can ask for cleansing. God has no need of repentance. The very act of repentance shows that we are not divine.
What Happens When People Believe They Are God?
When people accept the idea that they are divine by nature, they often lose the sense of humility, sin, and the need for grace. This belief leads to pride, spiritual blindness, and ultimately separation from the truth.
Saint Isaac the Syrian warns:
He who sees his sins is greater than he who raises the dead.
A person who believes they are already divine will never truly repent. They will see no need to change, to be healed, or to seek God. They will believe they are already god, and this is the sin of Lucifer:
I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. (Isaiah 14:13, LXX)
The Orthodox Path Is The Path Of Deification By Grace
While Orthodoxy denies that the soul is part of God’s essence, it does not deny the soul’s great dignity and calling.
In fact, the true Orthodox teaching offers a far more beautiful hope: not that we are divine already, but that by love, repentance, and grace, we can become truly united with God.
This is called theosis, or deification.
Saint Maximus the Confessor teaches:
God became a creature so that the creature might become God by grace.
But this is not automatic. It is not already inside us by nature. It is something we must receive through baptism, repentance, the Holy Eucharist, and a life of humility and love.
The goal of the Christian life, as Saint Seraphim of Sarov said, is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit.
We are not called to discover our inner divinity. We are called to be filled with divine grace.
Saint Sophrony of Essex explains:
Man is not divine by nature. He is divine by grace, when he dwells in the presence of the living God.
Orthodox Christianity offers a path of light, love, and transformation—not of self-deification, but of communion with the One True God.
Conclusion: The Soul Is Not A Piece Of God, But A Precious Creation
The Orthodox Church teaches that each soul is created by God, not made from His essence. We are not divine in nature, but we are called to be in union with God by grace.
This protects the distinction between Creator and creation. It reminds us that salvation is not found in turning inward to discover a hidden divinity, but in turning outward to Christ, our Savior.
God made us out of nothing. He gave us life. He offers us His love, His grace, His own divine life—not because we are already gods, but because He is good.
Let us reject the false and proud teaching that the soul is a fragment of God. Let us embrace the humble and joyful path of Orthodoxy, where we are taught not to worship ourselves, but to worship the One True God in Spirit and in Truth.
How To Explain This To Children
Parents can explain to children that God made our soul, just like He made our body. He made us special, but we are not God. Only God is God. We are His children.
That means He loves us and wants us to be close to Him. We cannot become God by ourselves, but God can come live in our heart if we pray and love Him. Being close to God is the most wonderful thing, and that is what the Church helps us do.
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