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In Christianity, agape (; ) is "the highest form of love, charity" and "the love of God for man and of man for God". This is in contrast to
philia ''Philia'' (; ), is one of the four ancient Greek words for love: ''philia'', '' storge'', ''agape'' and ''eros''. In Aristotle's ''Nicomachean Ethics'', philia is usually translated as "friendship" or affection. The complete opposite is ca ...
, brotherly love, or
philautia Self-love, defined as "love of self" or "regard for one's own happiness or advantage", has been conceptualized both as a basic human necessity and as a moral flaw, akin to vanity and selfishness, synonymous with amour-propre, conceitedness, eg ...
, self-love, as it embraces a deep and profound sacrificial love that transcends and persists regardless of circumstance. The verb form goes as far back as Homer, translated literally as
affection Affection or fondness is a "disposition or state of mind or body" that is often associated with a feeling or type of love. It has given rise to a number of branches of philosophy and psychology concerning emotion, disease, influence, and sta ...
, as in "greet with affection" and "show affection for the dead". Other ancient authors have used forms of the word to denote love of a spouse or family, or affection for a particular activity, in contrast to eros (an affection of a sexual nature). In the New Testament, it allegedly refers to the covenant love of God for humans, as well as the human reciprocal love for God; the term necessarily extends to the love of one's fellow human beings. Some contemporary writers have sought to extend the use of ''agape'' into non-religious contexts. The concept of ''agape'' has been widely examined within its Christian context. It has also been considered in the contexts of other religions,
religious ethics Ethics involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior.''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy''"Ethics"/ref> A central aspect of ethics is "the good life", the life worth living or life that is simply sati ...
, and science.


Early uses

There are few instances of the word ''agape'' in polytheistic Greek literature. ''
Bauer's Lexicon ''Bauer's Lexicon'' (also ''Bauer Lexicon'', ''Bauer's Greek Lexicon'', and ''Bauer, Arndt and Gingrich'') is among the most highly respected dictionaries of Biblical Greek. The producers of the German forerunner are Erwin Preuschen and Walter Baue ...
'' mentions a sepulchral inscription, most likely to honor a polytheistic army officer held in "high esteem" by his country.


Christianity

The word ''agape'' received a broader usage under later Christian writers as the word that specifically denoted Christian love or charity (), or even God himself. The expression "God is love" (ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν) occurs twice in the New Testament:
1 John The First Epistle of John is the first of the Johannine epistles of the New Testament, and the fourth of the catholic epistles. There is no scholarly consensus as to the authorship of the Johannine works. The author of the First Epistle is te ...
. ''Agape'' was also used by the early Christians to refer to the self-sacrificing love of God for humanity, which they were committed to reciprocating and practicing towards God and among one another (see '' kenosis''). This understanding is built upon the foundational Hebrew concept of Chesed, or the loving kindness of God, which is taught throughout the Old Testament. ''Agape'' has been expounded on by many Christian writers in a specifically Christian context. C. S. Lewis uses ''agape'' in ''
The Four Loves ''The Four Loves'' is a 1960 book by C. S. Lewis which explores the nature of love from a Christian and philosophical perspective through thought experiments. The book was based on a set of radio talks from 1958 which had been criticised in the ...
'' to describe what he believes is the highest level of love known to humanity: a selfless love that is passionately committed to the well-being of others.Kreeft, Peter
"Love"
Retrieved May 22, 2009. *
The Christian use of the term comes directly from the canonical Gospels' accounts of the teachings of Jesus. When asked what was the great commandment, "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second ''is'' like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." () In Judaism, the first "love the thy God" is part of the Shema (), while the second "love thy neighbour as thyself" is a commandment from . In the
Sermon on the Mount The Sermon on the Mount (anglicized from the Matthean Vulgate Latin section title: ) is a collection of sayings attributed to Jesus of Nazareth found in the Gospel of Matthew (chapters 5, 6, and 7). that emphasizes his moral teachings. It is ...
, Jesus said: Tertullian remarks in his 2nd century defense of Christians that Christian love attracted pagan notice: "What marks us in the eyes of our enemies is our loving kindness. 'Only look,' they say, 'look how they love one another' " (''
Apology Apology, The Apology, apologize/apologise, apologist, apologetics, or apologetic may refer to: Common uses * Apology (act), an expression of remorse or regret * Apologia, a formal defense of an opinion, position, or action Arts, entertainment, ...
'' 39). Anglican theologian O. C. Quick writes that this ''agape'' within human experience is "a very partial and rudimentary realization," and that "in its pure form it is essentially divine." In the New Testament, the word ''agape'' is often used to describe God's love. However, other forms of the word are used in a negative context, such as the various forms of the verb '' agapaō''. Examples include: * — "for Demas hath forsaken me, having loved 'agapēsas''this present world...". * — "For they loved 'ēgapēsan''the praise of men more than the praise of God." * — "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved 'ēgapēsan''darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."
Karl Barth Karl Barth (; ; – ) was a Swiss Calvinist theologian. Barth is best known for his commentary '' The Epistle to the Romans'', his involvement in the Confessing Church, including his authorship (except for a single phrase) of the Barmen Declara ...
distinguishes ''agape'' from '' eros'' on the basis of its origin and depth of devotion without want. In ''agape'', humanity does not merely express its nature, but transcends it. ''Agape'' identifies with the interests of the neighbor "in utter independence of the question of his attractiveness" and with no expectation of reciprocity.


Meal

The word ''agape'' is used in its plural form (''agapai'') in the New Testament to describe a meal or feast eaten by early Christians, as in
Jude Jude may refer to: People Biblical * Jude, brother of Jesus, who is sometimes identified as being the same person as Jude the Apostle * Jude the Apostle, an apostle also called Judas Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus, the patron saint of lost causes in the ...
and 2nd Peter . The agape love feast is still observed by many Christian denominations today, especially among Brethren and other Plain,
Anabaptist Anabaptism (from New Latin language, Neo-Latin , from the Greek language, Greek : 're-' and 'baptism', german: Täufer, earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re- ...
churches. For example, among the Old Order River Brethren and Old Brethren, a weekend is still set aside twice a year for special meetings, self examination and a communal Love Feast as part of their three-part Communion observance.


As law

According to 1 Timothy, ''agape'' that "comes out of a pure heart, and of good conscience and of faith unfeigned" is the "end of the commandment" ( el, τέλος τῆς παραγγελίας). The contrast with the law ( el, νόμος) is only that "law is good, if a man use it lawfully". Only, the biblical author cautions: "Some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling. Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm". This is because "the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient". Romans 13 teaches then that "love is the fulfillment of the law" referencing the "armor of light" (see
Armor of God The phrase "Armor of God" (, ''panoplian tou Theou'') is derived from Ephesians 6:11: "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." (King James Version).Bible Gateway Passage Lookup: Armour of Go ...
), which becomes the foundation for the '' Miles Christianus'': "let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light"..


See also


Judaism

*
Jewish views on love Judaism offers a variety of views regarding the love of God, love among human beings, and love for non-human animals. Love is a central value in Jewish ethics and Jewish theology. Love among human beings One of the core commandments of Judais ...
* Chesed, Hebrew word, given the association of
kindness Kindness is a type of behavior marked by acts of generosity, consideration, rendering assistant or concern for others, without expecting praise or reward in return. Kindness is a topic of interest in philosophy, religion, and psychology. Kin ...
and love * Sephirot of Kabbalah *
Dveikut Devekut, debekuth, deveikuth or deveikus ( Heb. דבקות; Mod. Heb. "dedication", traditionally "clinging on" to God) is a Jewish concept referring to closeness to God. It may refer to a deep, trance-like meditative state attained during Jewi ...


Other religions

* Mettā, Pali word (Sanskrit: Maitrī), "loving-kindness" or "friendliness" * Ishq, Arabic word, "divine love" or "'' lustless love''" *
Ren Ren or REN may refer to: Abbreviations * Orenburg Tsentralny Airport, IATA code REN, civil airport in Russia * Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN), Portuguese company * Renanthera, abbreviated as Ren, orchid genus * Ringer equivalence number ( ...
, the sense of "humaneness" in Confucianism


References


Further reading

* Drummond, Henry (1884).
The Greatest Thing in the World
. Address first delivered in Northfield, England. * Hein, David. "Christianity and Honor."'' The Living Church'', August 18, 2013, pp. 8–10. * * * * Outka, Gene H. (1972). ''Agape: An Ethical Analysis''
Description

Contents
Yale University Press.


External links



at Balashon—Hebrew Language Detective

Former Pope Benedict XVI's 2005 encyclical letter contrasts agape and eros {{Authority control Christian practices Magic words New Testament Greek words and phrases Philosophy of love Thelema