Humility of the Eternal Son: Reformed Kenoticism and the Repair of Chalcedon

Distinguished theologian Bruce Lindley McCormack examines the reasons for the philosophical and theological failure of the Chalcedonian Definition of 451, which never fully resolved the unity of the person of Christ. He offers a critical history of modern attempts to resolve this problem, from nineteenth-century Lutheran emphasis on Kenoticism to post-Barthian efforts that reject the logic of classical two-natures Christology. McCormack proposes a new and bold divine ontology, with a convincing basis in Christology, that guarantees the unity of the person by the Son's act of taking into his being the lived existence of Jesus.

Format: Hardback
Length: 350 pages
Publication date: 16 September 2021
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

The Chalcedonian Definition of 451, penned in the early years of the Christian Church, aimed to establish a clear understanding of the unity of Christ's person. However, despite its significance, this definition left one of the core tenants of Christianity unresolved: the complex relationship between the two natures of Christ. In this eagerly anticipated volume, distinguished theologian Bruce Lindley McCormack delves into the reasons behind this philosophical and theological failure. His work serves as a critical history, tracing modern attempts to resolve this problem, ranging from the nineteenth-century Lutheran emphasis on Kenoticism to post-Barthian efforts that evade the issue by collapsing the second person of the Trinity into the human Jesus. McCormack demonstrates how New Testament Christologies both limit and authorize ontological reflection, offering a distinctively Reformed version of Kenoticism. Through his proposal of a new and bold divine ontology, grounded in Christology, he persuasively argues that the unity of the person is guaranteed by the Son's act of taking into his being the lived existence of Jesus. This profound exploration of the nature of Christ's person offers a valuable contribution to Christian theology and philosophy, shedding light on the intricacies of this essential doctrine and its implications for our understanding of God and humanity.

Weight: 616g
Dimension: 161 x 235 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781316518298