Thursday, August 21, 2008

The cost of the Kenosis theory

A brief extract from Warfield:

"Kenoticism differs from Socinianism fundamentally, however, in that Socinianism took away from us only our Divine Christ, while Kenoticism takes away also our very God. For what kind of God is this that is God and not God alternately as he chooses, and lays off and on at will those specific qualities that make God the kind of being we call "God"...

It really ought to be clear by now that there cannot be a half-way house erected between the doctrines that Christ is both God and man and that Christ is merely a man. Between these two positions there is an irreducible "either or," and many may feel inclined to adopt Biedermann's caustic criticism of the Kenotic theories, that only one who has himself suffered a kenosis of his understanding can possibly accord them welcome."


B. B. Warfield, "The Twentieth-Century Christ," in The Works of Benjamin B. Warfield vol. III: Christology and Criticism, p. 376

2 comments:

Michael Raimer-Goodman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Martin Downes said...

Michael,

I have no wish to be rude here, but:

a) I haven't the foggiest idea of what your comment has to do with the post.

b) Looking at the list of blogs you follow, presuming that you have an affinity with them theologically, they are hardly brimming with spiritual health

c) I'm still left wondering what exactly motivated you to leave an acerbic comment

d) Take a look at the list of creeds and confessions in my sidebar if you want to see what I think of the Trinity and the two natures of Christ.