Essence–Energy Distinction

Essence–Energy Distinction

The essence–energy distinction is vital for understanding how human beings relate to God. It is foundational to Orthodox spiritual life, including theosis, prayer, and the Incarnation. Without this distinction, none of these realities would be possible.

To explain this distinction, an analogy can be helpful. Imagine the sun in the sky. There is the core of the sun itself, and there are the rays that flow forth from it. When we say that the sun is shining in our home or garden, we do not mean that the core of the sun is present on earth, but rather that its rays are.

In this analogy, the core of the sun represents God’s essence, while the rays represent His energies. God’s essence is utterly transcendent and unknowable. If we were to encounter God in His essence, we would be destroyed. Instead, we encounter God through His energies.

The term energies (from the Greek energeia) refers to God’s operations or actions. These are how God truly makes Himself known and present while remaining transcendent in His essence.

All of God’s actions, creating the world, sustaining it, revealing Himself, and even the Incarnation, are accomplished through these divine energies. They are the one and same activity of God, flowing from the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit.

Through participation in God’s energies, human beings can truly commune with God and be transformed by Him, while God Himself remains fully transcendent and unchanged in His essence.