Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God: Kenosis of leadership

Hlulani Mdingi

doi:10.4102/hts.v76i2.5844

Abstract

Leadership is at the core of Christianity; it operates from the paradigm of God’s revelation to humanity through creation. The creation of the world and the creation of Imago Dei are markers of the service that God has maintained from creation to the fulfilment of soteriology (Gn 1:26, 3 and I Cor 15:42). The early church’s worship of Christ, at least in the Didache, stemmed from the fact that this Hebrew prophet was a servant of God and was YHWH in the flesh. The early teachings of the church were service to the world. This article contends that Christianity faces a crisis because of neglect of the nuclei of Christian theology and faith oriented around the real or physical person of Christ and service to others. The emphasis of this article focuses on kenosis as a prerogative of true Christian faith and leadership. A kenotic model of leadership is service to humanity and the world. The article seeks reflection on the theological importance of kenosis, which interacts with creation and creature. This approach will highlight underlying theology for leadership as it relates to the person of Christ.

Highlights

Why KenosisChristian leadership is an important topic for both the church and the secular world
Developing countries in Africa that have cast off the white man’s burden, that is, colonialism, slavery, imperialism and apartheid, and remained Christian should redefine their Christianity, to voluntarily serve in the world of abject suffering. They need to discover the depths of their own Christology, which is ontological and practical
The need for a new interpretation based on experience, especially in Africa, would encourage a different model of leadership, which is based on experience and human values towards each other

Summary

Introduction

Christian leadership is an important topic for both the church and the secular world. The humility of God to create the world inspires the Psalm and brings the psalmist to humility, humility knitted in the grandeur of creation This Psalm in Talmudic and Rabbinic Judaism (usually defined as ‘the Torah was not given to ministering angels’) gives significant insight to human agency and how even the law is given as a guide to imperfect people who strive at perfection – a link between Kierkegaard synthesis and self-formation. There is a need to reinforce kenosis, human value and a suffering leadership, which brought the poor and oppressed, the first followers of Christ, into the faith. He was not suffering from lack of self-knowledge or an identity crisis. (p. 52)

Conclusion

Data availability statement