Select Page

Kenosis

Kenosis

Kenosis is a theological error concerning Jesus‘ incarnation. The kenosis attempts to solve some paradoxes between the nature of God and of man as united in Jesus. For example, how could an all-knowing God become a baby, or how could God be tempted? The kenosis maintains that God when becoming a man, divested himself of some qualities of being divine.

In a sense, the kenosis is God minus something – God subtracting some qualities of deity to become a man. The correct view is called the Hypostatic Union which is God plus something–God adding human nature to Himself. The kenosis, then, jeopardizes the true incarnation because it puts in doubt the full indwelling of God among men in the person of Jesus. (Compare with Jesus’ Two Natures: God and Man).

Return to Dictionary of…

Theology // Philosophy // Science // People // False Terms