KENOSIS OF GOD

It is not for nothing that I call myself a “Christian”, rather than “religious” or “follower of God”. Although it would seem that the early disciples of Jesus did briefly experiment with other names for their new faith, such as “the Way” (eg Acts 9:2), a reminder that Christianity must result in a distinct lifestyle, they would seem to have quickly settled on the one which has stuck up to this day. And rightly so; even if Christianity does teach a distinctive manner of life, its essence is not merely following a teacher. That may well be what is taught in many other faiths, but the uniqueness of Christianity lies in its insistence that its heart is not following a Master, but in a continuing relationship with him. Action follows from that. Thus for any Christian, the understanding of the nature of Christ must be of vital importance, because if for no other reason, it affects the understanding of how we are saved. Christianity must involve kenōsis Who is this Christ? Here there are several key passages of the New Testament to which we may naturally turn; nobody would question that the short passage in Philippians 2, sometimes called a “hymn to Christ” is one of the most important. But right there is a landmine; its main idea is the fact that Jesus "emptied himself", from which is derived the key word kenōsis. And it is this that the apostle is holding up as the pattern for a truly Christian lifestyle. So what does it mean? If Jesus acted in kenōsis, and if that is the same for the third Person, could it then be that kenōsis is an aspect of the very nature of God? What Jesus, and the Spirit, are doing, is simply acting in accordance with their very nature. This then suggests that it should also be a feature of the first Person, of the Father, and this is indeed the case. If the Spirit is "shy", how much more the Father, who is never seen, choosing to act by the Son and Spirit, jealously guarding his transcendence? It is not for nothing that many writers have commented on the hidden nature of God. His action likewise is kenotic; for example many have understood the act of creation in terms of kenōsis, God limiting himself in order to give existence, and a measure of freedom, to the creation. Creation and incarnation are understood as two phases of “the one process of God’s self-giving and self-expression” (Rahner, in Richard 1997:94). Such self-limitation can provide a ready explanation for such old problems as the existence of evil. This introduces the Trinity, and provides the framework for this book. Our experience is first of Christ as kenotic, but this relates back to the fundamental nature of God. “It is precisely in the kenōsis of Christ (and nowhere else) that the inner majesty of God’s love appears, of God who ‘is love’ (I Jn 4:8) and a ‘trinity’" (Hans Urs von Balthasar, in Richard 1997:22). This kenotic love is for salvation, as God desires “new partners for the eternal dance” (Pinnock 2001:30), which is how the perichōrēsis of the Trinity has been described. Then it relates forward to its application to Christians by the power of the Spirit. The order, interestingly, is that of the traditional "grace" of 2 Corinthians 13:14, known and used on a regular basis by countless Christians. Here grace, love and fellowship are ascribed to the three Persons, each of which is in nature kenotic. This is obvious in the case of the first two attributes, which involve giving, and implied in the third, where any fellowship involves a measure of yielding to the other. Incidentally, although it may be thought that giving does not diminish the infinite God, it is observable that when Jesus healed, he did feel the loss of power (Mk 5:30). This must bring us back to the key question, which provides the theme for this book. What does kenōsis mean, and how does it manifest in the three Persons of the Trinity? And of course, lurking in the background is another – what does this have to do with us? Theology may well be fascinating, but I can never be content unless it affects my life and that of others round about. If kenōsis is fundamental to what God is like, this would immediately explain why Christians are urged to be kenotic themselves, for being a Christian should mean reflecting the nature of God; we should become like him. The essential idea therefore comes frequently in Christian devotion; to give one example, taken from one of Charles Wesley's hymns: He left his Father's throne above So free, so infinite his grace - Emptied Himself of all but love And bled for Adam's helpless race 'Tis mercy all, immense and free; For, O my God, it found out me! Such a conclusion would have far reaching consequences, but if it is a valid part of the imitation of Christ, must be taken seriously. Kenōsis is the pattern for Christian life, simply because a Christian life should be in imitation of God. This book started, as my others, with a study of the implications of Christian doctrine, in this case kenōsis, for the Christian life. What happened was that the tail started to wag the dog, and the section of the book dealing with application got so big that it really had to be separated. It then appeared as Have this mind (Williams 2007), leaving me to develop the theoretical basis for the application here. But this step is essential if the appeal to follow a kenotic life is to be taken seriously, and so it is indeed necessary to continue to consider in all seriousness what the emptying of God is all about. What does it mean for Christ to empty himself? What are the implications of the kenōsis of the Father? In what way has the kenōsis of the Spirit affected his working in the world? And how does kenōsis relate to the fundamental Christian message, the means of salvation? And finally, how does the entire process work out in the future? These are the questions that this book seeks to answer.