CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY OF LOVE: REVISITED
CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY OF LOVE: REVISITED
I. INTRODUCTION
This paper primarily aims at revisiting, rectifying and restoring the Christian understanding of eros as a form of love. It aims to redeem the wrong notion that Christian tradition still holds the comprehension that eros is the worldly and possessive love as compared to agape, as the heavenly and oblative love grounded in and shaped by faith. Secondarily, this paper attempts to propose through phenomenological and metaphysical reflections that the very act of loving and being loved, which involves both agape and eros as forms of love, leads to the affirmation of the being (existence) of God and the being (existence) of human person as they enter the genuine dialogue of love.
As a personal note, I have been a priest for nine years now, and since my entrance to the seminary twenty one years ago, I have been encountering a large number of people, Christians and non-Christians alike, who have the misconception of eros from the Christian point of view. Without any intention to blame some influential figures of the Christian tradition, this paper tries to understand why for a long period of time, it has been presupposed that Christianity looks at eros as the “bad” form of love as compared to agape which is the “good”. As this paper develops, the eros will be given justifications and rectifications.
II. THE MISCONCEPTION and DISTORTION
Christianity has traditionally presented eros, the passionate expression of love often turned inward toward self, and agape, the expression of love turned outward toward concern for others, as opposing perspectives. Throughout the centuries, the Church has encouraged the suppression of eros. Sad to note, Christianity 's pejorative view of eros has inextricably tied up with the reality of sin. Eros has been sometimes equated to inordinate attachment and desire that leads human person away from his God.
In the second half of the first century, the early misconception of
I. INTRODUCTION
This paper primarily aims at revisiting, rectifying and restoring the Christian understanding of eros as a form of love. It aims to redeem the wrong notion that Christian tradition still holds the comprehension that eros is the worldly and possessive love as compared to agape, as the heavenly and oblative love grounded in and shaped by faith. Secondarily, this paper attempts to propose through phenomenological and metaphysical reflections that the very act of loving and being loved, which involves both agape and eros as forms of love, leads to the affirmation of the being (existence) of God and the being (existence) of human person as they enter the genuine dialogue of love.
As a personal note, I have been a priest for nine years now, and since my entrance to the seminary twenty one years ago, I have been encountering a large number of people, Christians and non-Christians alike, who have the misconception of eros from the Christian point of view. Without any intention to blame some influential figures of the Christian tradition, this paper tries to understand why for a long period of time, it has been presupposed that Christianity looks at eros as the “bad” form of love as compared to agape which is the “good”. As this paper develops, the eros will be given justifications and rectifications.
II. THE MISCONCEPTION and DISTORTION
Christianity has traditionally presented eros, the passionate expression of love often turned inward toward self, and agape, the expression of love turned outward toward concern for others, as opposing perspectives. Throughout the centuries, the Church has encouraged the suppression of eros. Sad to note, Christianity 's pejorative view of eros has inextricably tied up with the reality of sin. Eros has been sometimes equated to inordinate attachment and desire that leads human person away from his God.
In the second half of the first century, the early misconception of
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