Are Eros and Agape Fundamentally Different Kinds of Love?
Céline Sun
Synopsis "Are Eros and Agape Fundamentally Different Kinds of Love?"
Seminar paper from the year 2018 in the subject Theology - Systematic Theology, grade: 1,7, University of Cambridge (Faculty of Divinity), course: Paper: Doctrine of God - Love and Desire, language: English, abstract: Are Eros and Agape fundamentally different kinds of love? Throughout the history of Christianity, theologians have struggled with the relation between these two forms of love. This relation has been interpreted very differently with regard to questions such as: Is there a conceptual primacy of one over the other or should they be regarded as equally standing next to each other? How is the prevalence of the two forces to be balanced? And most importantly - given the indisputable differences between the two, how can they be mediated in the encounter between the Divine and the human? On one side of the extreme, a fundamental separation between them is postulated, with Agape attributed to God only and Eros relegated to the human sphere. Such a separation was popularized by the Swedish theologian Anders Nygren. He strongly rejects the Neo-Platonic influence on Christianity which puts at its centre the human striving towards the Divine through Eros in hopes of designing a purified, superior Christian doctrine. Texts by Richard of St. Victor and Catherine of Siena who stand within the Neoplatonic and Mystic traditions of Christianity argue that it is the balanced incorporation of the idea of Eros (as opposed to its full rejection) which enables an understanding of a reciprocal loving relationship by making room for human activity in building it. This understanding is shown to be reasonable within the context of modern theology by laying the foundations for a conceptual re-interpretation of the doctrine of creation and incarnation which enables a fundamental realignment of the relation between Eros and Agape.
