ABSTRACT
Chapters 1 and 2 lay the groundwork for the studies of Rolle and Julian that follow by delineating the central features of several Greek Patristic accounts of deification which Russell has identified as either realistic or ethical. Chapter 1 focuses on realistic approaches to deification. In particular it outlines the views of Irenaeus and Cyril of Alexandria. This chapter also explores whether these this approach can be said to have found a home in the Latin West prior to the later Middle Ages. It focuses particularly on Augustine and William of St. Thierry.
