Kenosis
In Christian theology, Kenosis (Ancient Greek: κένωσις, romanized: kénōsis, lit. ‘the act of emptying’) is the “self-emptying” of Jesus. The word ἐκένωσεν (ekénōsen) is used in the Epistle to the Philippians: “[Jesus] made himself nothing” (NIV), or “[he] emptied himself” (NRSV) (Philippians 2:7), using the verb form κενόω (kenóō), meaning “to empty”.
The exact meaning varies among theologians. The less controversial meaning is that Jesus emptied his own desires, becoming entirely receptive to God’s divine will, obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross, and that it encourages Christians to be similarly willing to submit to divine will, even if it comes at great personal cost. The phrase is interpreted by some to explain the human side of Jesus: that Jesus, to truly live as a mortal, had to have voluntarily bound use of his divine powers in some way, emptying himself, and that it says that “though [Jesus] was in the form of God, [he] did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,” suggesting that Jesus was not “abusing” his divine status to avoid the implications of a mortal life. This interpretation is contested by others, who consider this to overly downplay the divine power of Jesus, for example.
Kenosis, from the Greek word for “emptying,” refers in Christian theology to the voluntary self-renunciation of Jesus Christ during his Incarnation, described in Philippians 2:7. This act involves Jesus giving up his divine glory and humbling himself to take on human form and experience human limitations. The concept emerged from 19th-century liberal theology to explain how Christ could be fully human and still fully God, though today it is often understood more as Christ restraining or willingly limiting his divine powers rather than completely emptying them. Kenosis also serves as an example for believers to emulate a mindset of self-sacrificing love and humility.
The Biblical Basis: The core passage is Philippians 2:6-8, which states that Jesus, being in the form of God, “…did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men”.
Self-Limitation: Kenotic theology proposes that in becoming human, Jesus voluntarily set aside certain divine attributes, such as omniscience or omnipresence, to experience true human life, including suffering, growth, and temptation.
Theological Explanation: Kenoticism arose in the 19th century to reconcile the divine and human natures of Christ, addressing how he could genuinely suffer and grow without retaining all his divine powers.
A Model for Believers: Beyond its meaning for Christ, kenosis also provides a model for human behavior, calling Christians to adopt a “mind of Christ” characterized by lowliness of mind, humility, and self-sacrificing love for others.
Controversy and Evolution: While Kenoticism was influential, it also drew criticism and has been modified over time. Many modern evangelicals affirm the reality of Christ’s human experience but are skeptical of metaphysical speculation about the incarnation.
In summary, kenosis highlights the profound humility and self-renunciation of Christ in his Incarnation, offering both a theological explanation for his dual nature and a spiritual example for all Christians to follow.