Kenosis (Self-Emptying)
The eternal Son 'emptied himself' and took the form of a servant
Kenosis names the self-emptying described in Philippians, where the divine Son took the form of a servant in becoming human. The scriptural language is cited across all communions as a key to the Incarnation. More contested are the modern 'kenotic' theories, developed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, which proposed that the Son actually surrendered certain divine attributes; these interpretations are debated and not universally accepted.
How it traveled
- PhilippiansRome · 67explains
- Against EunomiusNyssa · 395explains
- The Great CatechismNyssa · 395explains
- Exposition of the Christian FaithMilan · 397explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. JohnConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and ThessaloniansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. JohnHippo Regius · 430explains
- On the Holy TrinityHippo Regius · 430explains
- Expositions on the Book of PsalmsHippo Regius · 430explains
- Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New TestamentHippo Regius · 430explains
- The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of TheodoretCyrrhus · 458explains
- The Letters and Sermons of Leo the GreatRome · 461explains
- Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59)Paris · 1274explains
- Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the GospelGeneva · 1564explains
- The Wisdom of God Displayed in the Way of SalvationNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvationNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
Key passages(20)
Letters and Papers from Prison · Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Lamb of God · Sergei Bulgakov
but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.
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Exposition of the Christian Faith · Ambrose of Milan
Christ’s saying, “The Father is greater than I,” is explained in accordance with the principle just established. Other like sayings are expounded in like fashion. Our Lord cannot, as touching His Godh
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A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity. · Novatian
Chapter XXII.Argument—That the Same Divine Majesty is in Christ, He Once More Asserts by Other Scriptures. But why, although we appear to hasten to another branch of the argument, should we pass over
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The quotations are from S. Basil c. Eunomius II. 3. (pp. 239–40 in the Benedictine edition.) Cf. Phil. iii. 21. The latter part of the quotation from S. Basil does not exactly agree with the Benedic
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The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians · John Chrysostom
These are absurdities and trifles! Scripture says, He “emptied Himself.” How did He empty Himself? tell me. What was His emptying? what His humiliation? was it because He wrought wonders? This both Pa
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The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians · John Chrysostom
Homily VI. Philippians ii. 5–8 “Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God, but emptied Himself, takin
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The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians · John Chrysostom
See also Jer. xxxii. 18. Some copies of LXX. omit the latter part of Isa. ix. 6, probably because it was not understood. ἀπονοίας. He means either that calling it humility were arrogance, or “this is
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The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great · Pope Leo the Great
Sermon XXII. On the Feast of the Nativity, II. I. The mystery of the Incarnation demands our joy. Let us be glad in the Lord, dearly-beloved, and rejoice with spiritual joy that there has dawned fo
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Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59) · Thomas Aquinas
Thirdly, in order to direct the fervor of our charity to heavenly things. Hence the Apostle says (Col. 3:1,2): "Seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Mind t
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The Wisdom of God Displayed in the Way of Salvation · Jonathan Edwards
How the wisdom of God appears in the manner and circumstances of obtaining the good intended. WE now come to take notice of some wonderful circumstances of the attainment of our good, hereby; which s
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Ephraim Syrus: Nineteen Hymns on the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh · Ephrem the Syrian
Hymn XVI. (Resp.—Glory to all of Thee from all of us! (bis.) 1. Who then that is mortal man, can declare concerning the All-Life giver,—Who quitted the height of His Majesty, and abased Himself to h
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who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,
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That is, “passion” in the sense defined above, as something with evil tendency. If the γινόμενον (i.e. the salvation of men) is evil, then Father and Son alike must be “kept clear” from any participat
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Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel · John Calvin
2. The passages which they produce in confirmation of their error are absurdly wrested, nor do they gain any thing by their frivolous subtleties when they attempt to do away with what I have now adduc
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Exposition of the Christian Faith · Ambrose of Milan
148. And dost thou make objections and contemn Him, because God has put all things in subjection under Him, when thou hearest that the Son of Man delivers up the kingdom to God, and hast read, as we s
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Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John · Augustine of Hippo
Tractate LXVII. Chapter XIV. 1–3. 1. Our special attention, brethren, must be earnestly turned to God, in order that we may be able to obtain some intelligent apprehension of the words of the holy G
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Reply to Faustus the Manichæan · Augustine of Hippo
4. But why Matthew begins with Abraham and descends to Joseph, while Luke begins with Joseph and ascends, not to Abraham, but to God, who made man, and, by giving a commandment, gave him power to beco
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Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament · Augustine of Hippo
10. Doth this peradventure perplex you, that I said of a virgin, and Paul saith of a woman? Let not this perplex you; let us not stop here, for I am not speaking to persons without instruction. The Sc
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Modern teachers who discuss this idea
Modern and living teachers whose books take up Kenosis (Self-Emptying). These works are still in copyright, so we can’t show the text here — each links out to the book.
- Sergei BulgakovThe Lamb of God(1933)View on Amazon→
- Dietrich BonhoefferLetters and Papers from Prison(1951)View on Amazon→