megtestesítés

Megtestesítés refers to the act or process of becoming embodied or made tangible. In philosophy, religion and everyday language it denotes the embodiment of an essence, principle or deity in a concrete form. It can also mean the manifestation of an abstract idea through material expression or action.

Etymology: the term is formed from the prefix meg- and the noun test, meaning body, with the suffix -esítés, yielding “the making into a body.” In religious contexts a closely related term inkarnáció (incarnation) is commonly used, reflecting Latin roots.

In theology, megtestesítés most often refers to the Incarnation—the Christian doctrine that the divine Word or Logos became human in the person of Jesus Christ. The belief typically includes the presence of two natures (divine and human) in one person and the revelation of God through a human life, death and resurrection. Different Christian traditions vary in precise formulations, but the act is generally treated as a foundational mystery and central to salvation.

In non-theological usage, megtestesítés appears in philosophy, literary analysis and everyday speech as a metaphor for embodying values, ideals or institutional principles. For example, a political program may be described as the megtestesítése of freedom in policy, or a work of art as the megtestesítés of a theme.

See also inkarnáció, megtestesülés, megtestesítés; related concepts in philosophy and religious studies.