Explain the concept of love within Christianity
C.S Lewis explores the nature of ‘love’ from a Christian perspective “Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love” all forms of love come from God, who is the very source of love itself. Situation ethics play a big part in Christianity, situation being pure and unconditional love. Lewis states there are four words for love within the Greek language. These are: Eros, Philia, Storge and Agape.
Eros is erotic, passionate, sexual, sensual and romantic love. It is expressed in lovemaking because it seeks wholeness through physical unity meaning it is not so deep and meaningful. Eros was the word often used to express sexual love or the feelings of arousal that are shared between people who are physically attracted to one another. The word was also used as the name of the Greek god of love, Eros (the Romans called him “Cupid”). It is not necessarily virtuous but sometimes can be considered as dangerous and so it can focus on the physical whilst ignoring intellectual and unconditional aspects of love. Monastic traditions are suspicious of such an emphasis on physical gratification. This is not to degrade Eros as sinful or impure. Sexual love is not inherently unclean or evil. Rather, it is the gift of God to married couples to express their love for one another, strengthen the bond between them, and ensure the survival of the human race. The Bible devotes one whole book to the blessings of erotic, or sexual, love in the Song of Solomon, which is a poem written to praise the virtues of love between a husband and his wife. The poem clearly presents marriage as God’s design. A man and woman are to live together within the context of marriage, loving each other spiritually, emotionally, and physically. The love between a husband and a wife should be, among other things, an erotic love. However, a long-term relationship based solely on Eros is doomed to...