For almost a century British understanding of the life of Christ was dominated by one particular way of interpreting the incarnation: as a kenosis or ''self-emptying'' that involved real change in God. In this controversial and ground-breaking work David Brown argues that the sharp decline in the popularity of such ideas in more recent years is undeserved. There is in fact a rich strain of creative thinking in its original advocates that needs to be re-assessed, not least in the light of the wider intellectual challenges of time to which they were responding. But, going further than this, Brown also attempts a defence of his own. Even if readers disagree with the author''s conclusions, they are likely to be impressed by the range of issues considered in pursuit of a fully human incarnate Christ.