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beings are not considered a part from nature, and that by ‘world’ both human-
ity and nature are implied.1 Indeed, it becomes clear that this connection is one
where both are dependent on each other for ful?lling their purpose. Accord-
ingly, each human person is considered a hypostasis of the entire cosmic na-
ture, but is only such when in solidarity with others.2 Already, we can begin to
see the outworking of a founding idea: ‘the economy of God, that is, his plan
with regard to the world, consists in the dei?cation of the created world, some-
thing which, as a consequence of sin, implies also its salvation’.3 The thinking
operating behind this idea is also the work of Maximus: ‘for everything that
comes into existence is subject to movement, since it is not self-moved or
self-powered’.4 This means that all creation, in virtue of being created, is in
motion. Importantly, however, it is moving towards its beginning, its ?rst and
only cause, from which it was brought into being – God. Not only are the
world and humanity not self-causing, but neither have they reached perfection
because God did not bring them into existence in the fullness within which he
exists. However, he ‘does exert upon the world and upon humans the attraction
of the fullness toward which they are striving, and of which they will in the end
partake, not by means of their own nature, but by means of that communion in
which humans will make themselves worthy to share, through their free e?ort
to advance toward it.’5 This last point is important and is considered one of the
principal di?erences in Maximus’ thought to Origen’s theory of universal salva-
tion or apokatastasis. Maximus makes it clear that the ?nal divinisation of ra-
tional creatures will only be realised in those who have shown themselves wor-
thy of God’s gift.6 Indeed, man’s freedom is taken seriously in Maximus’
thought, and brings its own consequences: should the human being freely de-
cide to a?rm themselves rather than God, he enters into ‘a con?ict with ulti-
mate love and grace that leads to the contradiction of their own natural
?nality’.7 In taking man’s freedom seriously, Maximus’ thought also honours the
fact that man is made in the image of God.

1 Staniloae, Dumitru., The Experience of God, Vol 2, The World: Creation and Dei?cation (Massachu-
setts, Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 2005), pp. 1-2.
2 Staniloae, The Experience of God, Vol 2, The World: Creation and Dei?cation, p. 2.
3 Staniloae, The Experience of God, Vol 2, The World: Creation and Dei?cation, p. 1.
4 Saint Maximus the Confessor, Ambiguum 7, from On the Cosmic Mystery of Christ, Selected Writ-
ings (New York: SVSP, 2003), p. 50.
5 Staniloae, The Experience of God, Vol 2, The World: Creation and Dei?cation, p. 9.
6 Daley, The Hope of the Early Church, from section on Maximus the Confessor, p. 202.
7 Daley, The Hope of the Early Church, from section on Maximus the Confessor, p. 202.

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