Kenosis and the Question of Political Theology
摘要
This chapter elaborates the concept of kenosis through a rigorous reading of the letters of Saint Paul (especially the letter to the Philippians and to the Corinthians) and draws out the politico-theological consequences of this fecund concept. Setting itself against the decisionist political theology of Carl Schmitt—which is centered on the concept of sovereignty—this chapter conceives of a political theology as deconstruction of sovereignty. Reading a crucial passage from Saint Paul (Philippians 2:6–8)—which is a hymn singing of God’s self-emptying on the cross and assuming the form of the servant thereby—the chapter argues that this suffering of God is inseparable from the incomprehensible nature of divine love which kenotically pours itself upon us—for the sake of our redemption. A kenotic political theology is thus essentially a political theology of love. Applying this theologico-political problematic into the question concerning ecology, the chapter goes onto to show how the redemption of humanity is intrinsically connected with the redemption of nature too, and how this demands re-thinking of the theological conception of contiguity of beings which has been repressed in the metaphysical-scientific conception of modernity. A political theology love, which is essentially kenotic, cannot afford to lose this immense question of ecology. The reduction of nature into inert materiality at our disposal for exploitation: this metaphysical conception of nature on which all modern, post-Galilean ideas of nature are based, such reduction of nature finds its counter-conception in Paul who admonishes us not to abuse nature, not because nature is eternal, but because it is created by God.