English

Agape And Eros

"The book analyses the connotations of two ancient Greek words for love , eros and agape (unconditional love). Nygren argues that eros is an egocentric and acquisitive kind of love, needs-based and desire-based. When we love out of eros — whether we love a god or another human being —, we love out of self-interest and in order to acquire and possess the object of our love. This form of love received its classic expression in the philosophy of Plato , particularly in his dialogue The Symposium . Agape , by contrast, is a self-giving and self-sacrificial kind of love. It is based on God's unconditional love for all creatures. When we love out of agape we reject all self-gain and interest, and surrender ourselves to the other and love them purely for themselves. For Nygren, agape is the properly Christian understanding of love, as is evident from New Testament texts such as the Synoptic Gospels, Paul's theology of the cross, and the identification of God and agape in the First Letter of John. Nygren therefore argues that agape is the only truly Christian kind of love, and that eros turns us away from God. Either we love others and God in the manner of eros , purely for ourselves, in w

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