Divine

Philosophical and theological reflections

The elasticity of the concept also allowed for overlap between divine beings and metaphysical principles. Theurgy, as practiced by Neoplatonists like Iamblichus, emphasized ritual engagement with divine intelligences, asserting that divine powers could be invoked and experienced through specific acts. Gnostic traditions likewise incorporated theurgical elements—especially in their use of invocations, names of power, and visionary ascent texts—to transcend the material realm and rejoin the divine source. In such contexts, ritual was not merely symbolic but transformative. Through prescribed invocations, visualizations, and gestures, practitioners sought a form of ritual identification with divine powers, temporarily embodying aspects of the divine as a means of ascent or union.