What is the formal cause of justification?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

In the Coptic Orthodox tradition, we do not typically use the scholastic terminology of "formal cause," which is a Western philosophical framework (derived from Aristotelianism) used by the Roman Catholic Church at the Council of Trent. However, to answer the question from our perspective:

The Coptic Orthodox Church identifies the formal cause of justification as the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the actual participation in the life of Jesus Christ.

Here is the breakdown of how we define the essence (the "what") of justification:

1. Rejection of the Protestant "Formal Cause"

Protestants (specifically Lutherans and Calvinists) argue that the formal cause of justification is the imputation of Christ’s righteousness—meaning it is an external legal standing. The Coptic Church rejects this as a legal fiction. God does not merely look at a sinner and "legally declare" them righteous while they remain inwardly corrupt.

2. Difference with the Roman Catholic "Formal Cause"

The Roman Catholic Church defines the formal cause as "justice" or "infused grace," which makes the soul pleasing to God. While closer to the truth than the Protestant view, the Coptic perspective is more Christocentric and Ontological. We do not see grace as a "substance" or a "quality of the soul" (created grace). Instead, the "formal cause" is the Uncreated Energy of God—God Himself dwelling in the believer.

3. The Coptic View: Union and Theosis

From the Coptic perspective, what makes a person righteous is their actual union with Christ.

• Ontological Transformation: Justification is the restoration of the "Image and Likeness" of God within man. The "formal cause" is the presence of Christ in us. As St. Cyril of Alexandria taught, we are justified because we partake of the divine nature through the Holy Spirit.
• The Role of the Sacraments: This righteousness is not theoretically "applied," but sacramentally "communicated." In Baptism, the old man dies and a new man is born. In the Eucharist, we receive the very Body and Blood of Christ, which "gives life and salvation."

4. Summary of Causes in Coptic Theology:

If we were to adapt the "cause" framework to Coptic Theology:

• Efficient Cause: The mercy of God the Father through the grace of the Holy Spirit.
• Meritorious Cause: The Incarnation, Life, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord.
• Instrumental Cause: Baptism and a living faith.
• Formal Cause: The indwelling of Christ and the renewal of the human person by the Holy Spirit.

In short, we are justified because we are made "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). True righteousness is not something God "gives" us or "counts" for us; it is God Himself living within us. Anything less is a denial of the power of the Cross and the reality of the New Covenant.