Kenosis in Theology

[beroq]

Kenosis is the term used to refer to people who willingly humiliate/debase themselves. In "Crime and Punishment" we see it to be applied by the painter Nikolai to somehow inflict pain upon himself when he makes a wrong confession. He belongs to an old religious denomination.

As for Sonia, her kenosis is prostitude and she does not accept this as a sin, reminding that Jesus' disciple St. Paul said that anyone demeaning themselves would soon be exalted.

This looks like a strange psycho-social situation when one abases oneself for the sake of exaltness in return. Just like the opposite forces' being innate to the essence of matter.

No wonder they say, "Devil is the imitator of God."

Let's dig deeper on this.

[RichardHresko]

Kenosis is the term used to refer to people who willingly humiliate/debase themselves. In the Crime and Punishment we see it to be applied by the painter Nikolai to somehow inflict pain upon himself when he makes a wrong confession. He belongs to an old religious denomination.

As for Sonia, his kenosis is prostitude and she does not accept this as a sin, reminding that Jesus' disciple St. Paul said that anyone demeaning themselves would soon be exalted.

This looks like a strange psycho-social situation when one abases oneself for the sake of axaltness in return. Just like the opposite forces' being innate to the essence of matter.

No wonder they say, "Devil is the imitator of God."

Let's go deeper on this.

Kenosis in the Christian tradition is most closely associated with Eastern Orthodoxy (rather than Latin or Protestant traditions).

There is a strong tradition of self-abnegation in orthodoxy especially as expressed in the monastic movement. Practices for this have been outlined in the 6th Century Ladder by John Climacus, and others later.

There seems to be a relation between this idea and the meaning of the very word 'Islam.'

However, theologically kenosis is most commonly used to refer to God's pouring Himself out in the Incarnation of Christ. The Eastern formula for this is that God underwent kenosis so that man can experience theosis (becoming divine).

Dostoevsky was Orthodox (devoutly so) and many Orthodox ideas are used by him in his works.

[beroq]

Kenosis in the Christian tradition is most closely associated with Eastern Orthodoxy (rather than Latin or Protestant traditions).

There is a strong tradition of self-abnegation in orthodoxy especially as expressed in the monastic movement. Practices for this have been outlined in the 6th Century Ladder by John Climacus, and others later.

There seems to be a relation between this idea and the meaning of the very word 'Islam.'

However, theologically kenosis is most commonly used to refer to God's pouring Himself out in the Incarnation of Christ. The Eastern formula for this is that God underwent kenosis so that man can experience theosis (becoming divine).

Dostoevsky was Orthodox (devoutly so) and many Orthodox ideas are used by him in his works.

Thank you for the comprehensive explanation. One thing that I would like to point out is that your explanation of Kenosis looks somehow a "reduced/simplified" interpretation of it when compared to the kind of Kenosis as understood by Christian Orthodoxy. Your explanation of Kenosis is closer to Self-Naughting (as is practised in Islam) while, in the real sense, it also includes "wilful humiliation of one's self."

The difference between your explanation of Kenosis and the explanation of it by the Christian Orthodoxy is that in the second case it amounts to "self-punishment."

By the way, I can't say there's a practise of Kenosis in Islam as it is understood by the Orthodoxy. Islam does not allow one to willingly inflict physical and psychological pain upon oneself.

[RichardHresko]

Thank you for the comprehensive explanation. One thing that I would like to point out is that your explanation of Kenosis looks somehow a "reduced/simplified" interpretation of it when compared to the kind of Kenosis as understood by Christian Orthodoxy. Your explanation of Kenosis is closer to Self-Naughting (as is practised in Islam) while, in the real sense, it also includes "wilful humiliation of one's self."

The difference between your explanation of Kenosis and the explanation of it by the Christian Orthodoxy is that in the second case it amounts to "self-punishment."

By the way, I can't say there's a practise of Kenosis in Islam as it is understood by the Orthodoxy. Islam does not allow one to willingly inflict physical and psychological pain upon oneself.

Kenosis in Eastern Orthodoxy primarily refers to Christ, as I pointed out before. The kenosis of practiced by monks (and others) is in imitation of Christ. This is explicated in the Four Hundred Chapters on Love of Maximus the Confessor.

I am not sure what sources you consulted on Eastern Orthodoxy in terms of human kenosis. The only one that comes close to the idea of "willingly inflict physical and psychological pain upon oneself" that I know of is Evagrius. He was discredited within the orthodox community for many (though technically not all) his views about 1500 years ago. One of the problems with him is his too enthusiastic neo-platonism. He effectively held that the flesh was evil, which is contrary to orthodox (little-o) Christian thinking.

The self-abnegation I referred to is the correct (from the Orthodox point of view) position that one is not trying to punish the body, but rather to discipline and purify it. This is a theme that runs for centuries in Orthodox theological writing. Besides Maximus (7th Century), Theodore the Studite (9th Century) and Gregory Palamas (14th Century).

In all these latter cases the idea that the body is being punished or that there is an intentional infliction of physical or psychological pain is rejected. Physical and/or psychological discomfort or pain is incidental to the process of preparing the body for an encounter with the divine. Palamas in particular emphasized that the whole person is involved in the experience of the divine (though only in the energeia and not in the Transcendent).

If you have a particular text in mind I would be happy to discuss it with you.

[beroq]

No further comments on this, as your post explains it very well. Thank you for making the subject clear. I guess Kenosis does not include wilful punishment of the body and soul; should it happen, it is simply an incidental occurance in the frame of the process as a whole. In this case, Kenosis looks like the "Self-naughting" in Islam which is "attained" through taming of the "Self/Nafs" in a complicated process. 10-13th century Sufism has great examples of this process of purification through self-naughting.

[RichardHresko]

No further comments on this, as your post explains it very well. Thank you for making the subject clear. I guess Kenosis does not include wilful punishment of the body and soul; should it happen, it is simply an incidental occurance in the frame of the process as a whole. In this case, Kenosis looks like the "Self-naughting" in Islam which is "attained" through taming of the "Self/Nafs" in a complicated process. 10-13th century Sufism has great examples of this process of purification through self-naughting.

I have never had the opportunity to receive guidance on the beliefs of Sufism. Would you be so kind as to make some recommendations for a beginner, and perhaps a reference for studying "self-naughting"? I found your previous references (on Mohommed's experience of the Transcendent in the night ascent) to be enlightening.

Thanks!

[beroq]

I have never had the opportunity to receive guidance on the beliefs of Sufism. Would you be so kind as to make some recommendations for a beginner, and perhaps a reference for studying "self-naughting"? I found your previous references (on Mohommed's experience of the Transcendent in the night ascent) to be enlightening.

Thanks!

I would be happy to make some "preparatory" recommendations as Sufism, about which I know so little, is a vast subject with a vast historical dimension. The link below have helped me greatly and might be a useful guidance for general understanding of traditional/authentic Sufism.

http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ik/Muqaddimah/Chapter6/Ch_6_16.htm

[backline]

My background is Christianity.
Jesus of Nazareth taught that advancing oneself would lead to humiliation (as a spiritual principle), whereas humbling oneself would lead to exaltation.
I think this has common ground in other religions and spiritual traditions.

For a spiritual principle, it certainly seems observable on many levels.
I would be tempted to call it a spiritual truth or law, and would expect it to be found almost universally in most cultures. Of course, there are cultures which I'm ignorant of.