Everything in the heavens and on the earth was created by him jesus christ. This false teaching is drawn from impure wells, it is dangerous because of the other false doctrines it leads to, and it flies in the face of the heart of christian teaching. Who, being in very nature god, did not consider equality with god something to be grasped. Christ himself invites his disciples both ancient and modern to study him. An introduction to christology christopher mcmahon.
Then we looked at the incarnation and the creed of chalcedon here. Bulletin for biblical research 7 1997 255258 1997 institute for biblical research christology and the historical jesus klyne r. Thompson seeks to trace the various trajectories of nineteenthcentury and some later kenoticism. Christology, rely for their proof texts heavily on the new testament scriptures. We started with a cheat sheet of theological terms to do with the incarnation here. The study of jesus christ also available online at by dr. The book also explores the implications of a kenotic view of the incarnation for philosophical theology in general and the doctrine of the trinity in particular, and it concludes with essays that examine the validity of the ideal of kenosis for women, and a challenge to traditional christology to. Session 1 christology david hocking 2 introduction there is a little tract that is published by the faith, prayer and tract league and its title is the same as the textbook. If he was not perfect man and perfect god he could not save us.
Though it may solve some philosophical objections lodged against the christian faith, it raises more challenging problems that should be avoided. Jesus, the human face of god, in the christology of piet schoonenberg marilyn sunderman, rsm, phd associate professor of theology saint josephs college standish, maine abstract this study explores piet schoonenbergs response to the council of chalcedons christological statement. Answering that question is the task of what we call christology, a word that means the study of christ and that refers to the branch of christian theology dealing with the person of. Theres been a little bit of an incarnation series going on here at a better possession. Jesus possessed gods consciousness, but without these traits. Schillebeeckxs effort remains the standard for this kind of procedure. A biblical and theological answer to the false doctrine of kenosis introduction an increasingly prevalent teaching in evangelical circles, particularly in charismatic circles, is the doctrine of kenosis. Kenotic christology th330 systematic theology i moody bible institute dr.
The foundational experience underlying the christology of the fourth gospel is the witness of the. Who, although he existed in the form of god, did not regard equality with god a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men. Their chief contribution to a biblical christology was a determined insistence upon both the humanity and deity of our lord, and also a refusal to. The expression to einai isa theo, equality with god also affirms the deity of our lord and explicitly teaches that jesus christ is god, equal to the father and the spirit. Introduction leaving certificate religious education. John the baptist displayed the attitude when he said of jesus, he must become greater. The name kenotic comes from the greek word kenoo, used by paul in philippians 2. Kenotic christology is the belief that the son in the incarnation ceased to be god or gave up some or all of his divine attributes temporarily until his ascension to the right hand of god. In the humanity of jesus the christ, the compassion of our god by lucien j. Kenotic christology may not be heresy, but it is inadvisable. All things came into being through him, and without him, not one thing came into being.
Your attitude should be the same as that of christ jesus. In the form of god is the prepositional phrase en morphe theou refers to the fact that jesus christ has a divine essence or nature. Kenotic definition of kenotic by the free dictionary. In order to see the theological function of the preeaster one as kasperunderstand s it, it is necessary to appreciate the place which the resurrection assumes in his reflections. In the humanity of jesus the christ, the compassion of our god. Christology, christian reflection, teaching, and doctrine concerning jesus of nazareth. This collection of essays, by a team of of christian philoso.
Kenotic christology has attempted to probe the meaning of christs selfemptying phil. The christology of dietrich bonhoeffer 5 view jesus only as a historical figure of the past whose influence somehow affects us. Christology is the study of the person of jesus christ a. Such a snapshot inevitably is limited by the narrow focus of the cameras lens, and so it is with the. Why christians should empty themselves of kenotic christology. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light. Snodgrass north park theological seminary gerald ocollins. Over against this, bonhoeffer insists that only the risen one makes possible the presence of the living person and thus provides the necessary condition for christology 45. Christology is the part of theology that is concerned with the nature and work of jesus, including such matters as the incarnation, the resurrection, and his human and divine natures and their relationship. However, kenotic christology does not suffice and is inconsistent with the creed of chalcedon. As one bible scholar wrote, at his incarnation he remained in the form of god and as such he is lord and ruler over all, but he also accepted the nature of a servant as part of his humanity j.
The kenotic church within secularity 98 four general properties of kenosis 98 a synthesis of kenosis as a spirituality and an ethic 100 kenosis as a spirituality and an ethic in relation to the age of authenticity 101 kenosis and the freedom to choose ones identity 102. Gottfried thomasius kenotic christology kenotic theology can be said to have begun as a serious form of. The final chapter looks at balthasars spirituality as thoroughly kenotic and that this kenotic activity cannot be. Christology, but he does not allow it to be the sole content or criterion of christology. The main passage used as basis is the one found in philippians 2, using the phrase emptied himself ekenosen in v. The term christology from greek christos meaning anointed one or christ refers to the study of christ. The kenosis is the act of christ taking on a human nature with all of its limitations, except with no sin. When we experience salvation, it is not a mere experience, but it is an encounter with jesus christ. In the years following, interest would subside but then unexpectedly grow again as theologians once again reexamine the kenotic theory. These attributes were omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence. This event, in which god reveals himself absolutely and definitively, affects in some way the being proper to god the father, insofar as he is the.
The study of the person of christ introduction lesson 1 christology comes from two greek words, christos, the anointed one or the messiah, and logos, word, or study of things related to a particular subject. Ive chosen this title because we will discuss a controversial passage, namely philippians 2. Let me read a few lines out of this that your heart. Kenotic christology is the doctrine that when god became a man, he laid aside his divine attributes such as omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, et cetera. Christologyan area so expansive that a survey such as this cannot hope to provide anything more than a snapshot. Kenotic comes from the greek verb kenoo in philippians 2.
Ward, associate professor of theology, southern baptist theological seminary, louisville, kentucky, received his general and theological education at ouachita college, ouachita, arkansas b. Richard and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. In the economy of salvation we see the eternal son take on in his own life the kenotic event of birth, of human life, and of the death on the cross. This view was first introduced in the late 1800s in germany with. The kenosis theory states that jesus gave up some of his divine attributes while he was a man here on earth. Essential doctrines of the bible part 4a christology. Scaer lany hurtados lord jesus christ is breathtaking in scope, cataloguing and analyzing early devotion to christ in material ranging from the earliest christian documents to such later works as the infancy gospel of. Christology also demonstrates to us how christs person affects our salvation. Baillie, but most christological formulations attempt to take account of christs selflimitation in some way. Matera the foundational experience underlying pauls christology is the call and conversion that led him to focus his christology on the death and resurrection of christ. Introduction to christology larry fraher introduction to christology in the beginning was the word, and the word was with god and the word was god. The selfemptying of god individual contributors implicitly or explicitly adopt speci. The term kenosis refers to the doctrine of christs selfemptying in his incarnation.
Gottfried thomasius view of kenotic christology religion essay. It often includes such topics as the preexistence and eternality of christ, ot prophecies about christ, christs humanity, deity, and incarnation, as well as the issue of his temptations and sinlessness, his death, resurrection, ascension and exaltation, return, three. Bill johnson of bethel church has made this selfemptying doctrine of jesus the very backbone of his teaching and ministry. In ericksons words, thomasius proposed that each of the divine attributes can. Kenotic theology is a theology that focuses on the person of christ in terms of some form of selflimitation by the preexistent son in his becoming man. In the humanity of jesus the christ, the compassion of our god richard, lucien on. Luginbill the unique person and work of the word of god incarnate, our lord and savior jesus christ. Jesus, the human face of god, in the christology of piet. Christ did this voluntarily so that he could function as a man in order to fulfill the work of redemption. Because of this, theologians eventually felt the need to explain the hypostatic union.
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