agape: ἀγάπη

work in progress!

Without discernment and acknowledgement of evil, universal love (agape: ἀγάπη) self-destructs. It cannot be rescued with the ploy or deployment of “tough love.” Yet it is the cornerstone of Christianity and goes unchallenged.

The word “Love” itself lies at the root of much discord and deceit because it confuses or disguises key distinctions.

To set the scene for the following reflections, here is an AI-generated definition, which accords with the author’s lifetime learning of what is meant:

Agape (ἀγάπη)

is a Greek word for a profound, selfless, unconditional love, often described as the highest form, especially in Christianity, representing God's love for humanity and the love humans should have for God and others, demonstrated through action and sacrifice, not just feeling, unlike eros (romantic) or philia (friendship). It's a foundational concept in Christian ethics, exemplified by Jesus's life and teachings to love even enemies…. Key aspects of Agape:

• Unconditional & Sacrificial: It's a love that seeks the well-being of others without expecting anything in return, even for enemies.

• Action-Oriented: More than a feeling, it's a choice to act for the good of others, mirroring God's giving nature.

• Divine & Human: It describes God's love for people and the reciprocal love people should show back to God and each other.

• Christian Significance: Central to the New Testament, famously described in John 3:16, as the love that led God to send Jesus

This does rather rest on the assumption of there being a single supreme spiritual being, rather than a multiplicity of, say, guardian angels each with limited power. There is much more to unpack, but that requires patience, perseverance and time.

Last century this author examined the nature of personal love, which is necessarily limited and focussed: https://www.thinking-for-clarity.com/Two-Sides-of-Love.html and https://www.thinking-for-clarity.com/love.html These substantial essays, published in 1986 and 1995, affirm personal love, implicitly rejecting agape.

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Peter Duke presents a view of agape which throws my own stand into some disarray.

He writes: >>the core operational method he draws from the New Testament Greek: use logos (reasoned discourse), use krisis (discernment), exercise praus (restraint — keep your mouth shut until the other person finishes talking), and approach with agape (love directed at the other person’s genuine interest). He calls this the 2,000-year-old message for how to make the whole thing work, and signs off referencing Matthew 18:20 — where two or more are gathered, the logos is present. <<

This (as I see it) redefinition of agape is the idea of love which I presented in my essays from the eighties and the nineties. But, if pressed for a Greek word, I would have called it Eros and contrasted it with Agape.