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Biography
other usesRefimprove|date=June 2011 Agape (IPAc-en|icon|'|æ|g|?|p|i? Oxford English Dictionary or IPAc-en|?|'|g|??|p|e?; Ancient Greek|Classical Greek : lang|grc|???p?, agápe ; Modern Greek : lang|el|a??p?IPA-el|a'?api|IPA) is one of the Koine Greek words for love|Greek words translated into English as love , one which became particularly appropriated in Christian theology as the love of God or Christ for humankind. In the New Testament , it 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 man."agape." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Web. 17 Sep. 2011. < http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/662884/agape>. Many have thought that this word represents divine, unconditional, self-sacrificing, active, volitional, and thoughtful love . Although the word does not have specific religious connotation, the word has been used by a variety of contemporary and ancient sources, including Bible|Biblical authors and Christian authors. Greek philosophers at the time of Plato and 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 philia (an affection that could denote friendship, brotherhood or generally non-sexual affection) and Eros (concept)|eros , an affection of a sexual nature. Thomas Jay Oord has defined agape as "an intentional response to promote well-being when responding to that which has generated ill-being."“ The love racket: Defining love and agape for the love-and-science research program,” Zygon , vol. 40, no. 4 (December 2005), pp. 919-938 http://www.calvin.edu/~jks4/city/Oord~Defining%20Love.pdf
Christianity
See also|1 Corinthians 13A journalist of Time Magazine has described Bibleref2|John|3:16 as "one of the most famous and well-known Bible verses. It has been called the 'Gospel in a nutshell' because it is considered a summary of the central doctrines of Christianity."John 3:16 in Pop Culture. Time.com Accessed: 22 May 2009 The verb translated "love" in this verse is agapao .
quote|For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.|John 3:16| Authorized King James Version|KJV Agape received a broader usage under later Christian writers as the word that specifically denoted "Christian" love or " charity (virtue)|charity " (bibleverse|1|Corinthians|13:1–8|NIV), or even God himself (bibleverse|1|John|4:8|KJV, ? ?e?? ???p? ?st??, "God is Love").
The term agape is rarely used in ancient manuscripts, but was used by the early Christianity|Christian s 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 (also see kenosis ). When Bibleref2|1john|4:8||1 John 4:8 says "God is love," the Greek New Testament uses the word agape to describe God's love.
Agape has been expounded on by many Christian writers in a specifically Christian context. C. S. Lewis, in his book The Four Loves , used agape to describe what he believed was the highest level of love known to humanity—a selfless love, a love that was passionately committed to the well-being of the other.Kreeft, Peter. "Love" < http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0019.html> Accessed: May 22, 2009 In his book, The Pilgrimage , author Paulo Coelho defines it as "the love that consumes," i.e., the highest and purest form of love, one that surpasses all other types of affection.Citation needed|date=July 2010 The Christian usage of the term agape comes almost directly from the canonical Gospel s' accounts of the teachings of Jesus . When asked what was the great 613 Mitzvot|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." (bibleverse||Matthew|22:37-40|KJV)
In the King James Version of the New Testament, the word agape is translated "charity" in some places which has a contemporary connotation of giving to meet needs of the less fortunate.
In Judaism , the first ("...love the LORD your God...") is the Shema Yisrael|Shema , the second ("...love your neighbor...") is the Great Commandment|second greater commandment .
In the Sermon on the Mount , Jesus said:
quote|You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love ( agape ) your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love ( agape ) your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? |Matthew 5:43-46| Revised Standard Version|RSV Christian writers have generally described agape as a form of love which is both unconditional and voluntary. Tertullian , in his 2nd century defense of Christians, remarks how 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' " ( Apologetics|Apology 39).
Anglican theologian Oliver Chase Quick|O. C. Quick cautions however that this agape within human experience is "a very partial and rudimentary realization," and that "in its pure form it is essentially divine." Quick suggests that,
quote|If we could imagine the love of one who loves men purely for their own sake, and not because of any need or desire of his own, purely desires their good, and yet loves them wholly, not for what at this moment they are, but for what he knows he can make of them because he made them, then we should have in our minds some true image of the love of the Father and Creator of mankind.Quick, O. C. Doctrines of the Creed , Scribners, 1938 p. 55. In the New Testament the word agape is often used to describe God's love. However, other forms of the word agape (such as agapao ) are at times used in a negative sense. Such examples include:
bibleverse|2|Timothy|4:10|KJV—"...for Demas has forsaken me, having loved agapao this present world...."
bibleverse||John|12:43|KJV—"for they loved agapao the praise of men more than the praise from God."
bibleverse||John|3:19|KJV—"but men loved agapao darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil."
In these cases, the sense is of the object of that agape love being a form of idol, taking the place that should be God's own.
Meal
Main|Agape feastThe word agape in its plural form is used in the New Testament to describe a meal or feast eaten by early Christians, as in Epistle of Jude|Jude bibleverse-nb||Jude|1:12|KJV, and Second Epistle of Peter|2nd Peter bibleverse-nb|2|Peter|2:13|KJV. It is sometimes believed to be either related to the Eucharist , or another term used for the Eucharist.
See also
Agape feast
Agapism
Brotherly love (philosophy)
Charity (virtue) (Latin: caritas )
Compassionate love
Love styles
Loving-kindness
The Four Loves
Judaism
Jewish views on love
Chesed , Hebrew language|Hebrew word, given the association of kindness and love
Sephirot of Kabbalah
Dveikut
Eastern religions
Metta Sanskrit word, "loving-kindness" or "friendliness"
Notes
reflist
References
cite book |title= Time Enough for Love |last= Heinlein |first= Robert A. |authorlink=Robert A. Heinlein |year=1973 |publisher=Ace Books |location=New York |isbn=0-7394-1944-7
cite book | last =Kierkegaard | first =Søren |authorlink=Søren Kierkegaard | title =Works of Love | publisher =Princeton University Press |location= Princeton | year =1998 |origyear=1847 | isbn =978-0-691-05916-7
cite book | last =Lewis | first =C. S. |authorlink=C. S. Lewis | title =The Four Loves | publisher =Fount |location= London | date =June 5, 2002 |origyear=1960 | isbn =0-00-628089-7
cite book |title=The Altruism Reader: Selections from Writings on Love, Religion, and Science |last= Oord |first=Thomas Jay (ed.) |authorlink=Thomas Jay Oord |year=2007 |publisher=Templeton Foundation Press |location=West Conshohocken, Penn. |isbn=978-1-59947-127-3
cite book |title=Defining Love: A Philosophical, Scientific, and Theological Engagement |last= Oord |first=Thomas Jay |authorlink=Thomas Jay Oord |year=2010 |publisher=Brazos Press |location=Grand Rapids, Mich. |isbn=1-58743-257-9
cite book |title=The Nature of Love: A Theology|last= Oord |first=Thomas Jay |authorlink=Thomas Jay Oord |year=2010 |publisher=Chalice Press |location=St. Louis, Mo. |isbn=978-0-8272-0828-5
External links
wiktionaryCommons category|Agape
http://www.balashon.com/2007/12/agape.html "Agape" in Jewish Sources
The Four Loves Category:Greek loanwords Category:Christian terms Category:Philosophy of love
