kenosis

/kɪˈnəʊsɪs/

Etymology

From Ancient Greek κένωσις (kénōsis, “emptying”) (see keno- and κενό (kenó)), from κενόειν (kenóein, “to empty”) (with reference to Philippians 2.vii, "But he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming as human beings are" – New Jerusalem Version).

kenosis means christ's voluntary abasement consisting of humanity and the simultaneous occultation of the Divinity. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 86 out of 100.

Why this word is great

KENOSIS — [Noun] In Christian theology, the self-emptying of Jesus Christ in the incarnation, his voluntary relinquishment of the independent exercise of divine prerogatives to assume human finitude. From Ancient Greek κένωσις (kénōsis, "an emptying"), from κενόειν (kenóein, "to empty"), from κενός (kenós, "empty"). Unlike apotheosis, which elevates the human to divine, or exaltation, which celebrates a return to glory, kenosis is the sacred paradox of descent. It is the silence of infinite power choosing a fetal heartbeat, the restraint of omniscience learning the alphabet from a mortal mother, and the acceptance of eternity confined within a body that could bleed and tire—the theological articulation of love not as conquest, but as surrender.

noun

Christ's voluntary abasement consisting of humanity and the simultaneous occultation of the Divinity.“So then, kenosis is the general way in which God interacts with the world. It is interesting to ponder that the term kenosis is most frequently linked to Christ's voluntary renunciation of certain divine attributes in order to identify himself with mankind, as recorded in the Pauline hymn found in Phil 2:5–11.”