📘 Lexicon Entry: Kenotic Love

Divine love characterized by self-emptying for the sake of the other, revealing God’s power through voluntary vulnerability rather than coercive force.

A theological concept describing divine love as fundamentally characterized by self-emptying (kenosis) for the sake of the other, revealed paradigmatically in Christ’s incarnation and crucifixion, where God’s power is manifested through voluntary vulnerability rather than coercive force. This self-giving pattern establishes the fundamental nature of divine love and serves as the model for authentic human love. Kenotic Love directly counters Prosperity Materialism by redefining divine blessing through cruciform rather than triumphalist patterns, and provides theological foundation for Servant Power through communities capable of vulnerability rather than domination.

Theological Alternative

kenosis, self-emptying love, cruciform pattern, vulnerable strength, divine character, sacrificial love

Geevarghese-Uffman, Craig. “Kenotic Love.” *Political Theology Lexicon*. https://www.commonlifepolitics.com/p/lexicon. Accessed [date].

Divine love is fundamentally kenotic, revealed through self-emptying rather than self-exaltation

The cross reveals rather than contradicts divine power

Authentic strength manifests through vulnerability rather than invulnerability

Divine engagement with suffering occurs through presence rather than distance

Love requires self-limitation to create space for the other’s flourishing

Divine love reconceived as sentimental affection divorced from sacrificial action

Love reduced to utilitarian effectiveness rather than sacrificial presence

Cross interpreted as necessary transaction rather than revelation of divine character

Divine power understood through domination rather than service

Strength identified with invulnerability rather than capacity for vulnerability

Self-emptying as revelation of divine character rather than divine weakness

Power manifested through vulnerability rather than invulnerability

Love expressed through self-limitation that creates space for others

Cruciform pattern as paradigm for authentic human relationships

Philippians 2:5-11 as paradigmatic description of divine kenosis

Trinitarian theology of eternal self-giving among divine persons

Incarnational theology revealing divine commitment to presence with creation

Cruciform understanding of divine power through apparent weakness

Christ’s kenosis described in Philippians: "emptied himself, taking the form of a slave" (Philippians 2:5-11)

Jesus’s teaching on servant greatness (Mark 10:43)

Greatest love through self-sacrifice (John 15:13)

Footwashing as embodiment of kenotic leadership (John 13:1-17)

Leadership models that empower others through self-limitation

Ministry approaches emphasizing accompaniment through suffering rather than mere explanation

Community formation based on mutual vulnerability rather than strength display

Contemplative practices that participate in divine self-emptying

Theological studies on kenotic christology and its implications for ethics

Comparative analysis of kenotic themes across Christian traditions

Psychological research on vulnerability and strength in relationships

Political theological engagement with power and authority models

Related Primary Concepts: Interindependence through mutual self-giving

Key Alternatives: Servant Power, Being With

Theological Mutations Addressed: Prosperity Materialism, Binary Apocalypticism

Historical Context: Patristic kenotic christology, Eastern Orthodox tradition, contemporary theology of the cross

May 23, 2025

*This entry is part of the Political Theology Lexicon, accessible exclusively to subscribers. View the complete lexicon to explore related concepts and the full theoretical framework.*