Moral Wisdom Review Essay

Reflection Paper, Keenan, Chapters 1 and 2 The first main point that Keenan covers in chapter 1, Love, is about union. He does this to reinforce what drives love between individuals, whether it’s romantic or platonic love. The story that he tells about everyone holding hands on an airplane stricken with turbulence is very familiar to me. My parents and I go to the Bahamas every year, just the three of us. One year there were terrible storms on the day we were supposed to fly home. As delayed as we were we finally made it off the island late at night, in the dark. It was a small plane, maybe 20 passengers, and when it was struck with terrible turbulence every one began holding hands there too. This idea of union is the driving force in any kind of love. It is how we as humans express our compassion and connectivity with one another. Our love for God is driven by union as well, a need to be connected. We are united with God because He is essentially “in” us all, meaning His love is within us. Next, Keenan begins a discussion on why theological teachings should start with love. He roots his reasoning in the demands of scripture, the fact that love precedes all other teachings in theology, and that love is the driving force behind the human experience. To elaborate on his second reason, I would go so far as to say that one couldn’t have freedom or truth (points he used to begin his teachings with) without having love. To have freedom and truth one must have the respect for humanity that love brings. Further, Keenan emphasizes his last point with the comparison of the Michelangelo vs. Caravaggio paintings of the conversion of Paul. The last main point that Keenan makes about love is the “threefold love”, stemming from agape, eros, and philia. From the reading we learn what each type of love is, but to bring this full circle to Keenan’s point about union defining love, all three types of love are driven by union and themselves united. Agape, the love for God, is