RESEARCH ARTICLE

 

A kenotic response to secularity

 

'n Kenotiese reaksie op sekulariteit

 

 

D.T. Williams

Department of Historical and Contextual Theology, University of Fort Hare, Alice. E-mail: dwilliams@ufh.ac.za

 

 

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ABSTRACT

The church must be concerned to make the correct response to its increasing impotence and marginalisation in Western society due to secularisation. Past reaction has been to accommodate to the changed worldview, even to identify with it. A more appropriate response is to be Christocentric, so as to reflect the action of God himself in the sending of Christ for salvation. This involved his kenosis . In this case the response of the church is its own kenosis. This is also appropriate as secularisation was possible through the kenosis of God. The kenosis of the church is not an acceptance of defeat, but on the contrary, just as the kenosis of Christ, it aims at a positive result, the transformation of society.

Key concepts: Christocentric; culture; kenosis: self-limiting; secularisation

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OPSOMMING

Die kerk moet sorg dra om op 'n verantwoordelike wyse te reageer teenoor haar toenemende onvermoë sowel as haar marginalisering in die Westerse samelewing as gevolg van sekularisering. Histories gesproke was haar strategie dié van akkommodasie en selfs identifikasie. 'n Meer gepaste respons sou wees om Christosentries te reageer - om die handeling van God self in sy missie van Christus, naamlik verlossing, te reflek-teer. Dit het sy kenosis (Selfontlediging) tot gevolg gehad. In hierdie geval is die respons van die kerk haar eie selfontlediging. Dit is moontlik, want sekularisasie was moontlik as gevolg van die Selfontlediging van God. Die selfontlediging van die kerk is nie om die aftog te blaas nie. Inteendeel, soos die Selfontlediging van Christus, het dit 'n positiewe resultaat ten doel, naamlik die transformasie van die samelewing.

Kernbegrippe: Christosentries; kenosis: selfbeperking; kultuur; sekularisasie

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