Contents
Introduction / 1
Judaism / 11
Christianity / 23
Islam / 35
Hinduism / 45
Buddhism / 59
Taoism / 69
Confucianism / 81
Native American Spirituality / 89
Concluding Thoughts / 99
References and Further Reading / 103
About the Author / 105
Prepare for your exams
Study with the several resources on Docsity
Earn points to download
Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan
Guidelines and tips
Prepare for your exams
Study with the several resources on Docsity
Earn points to download
Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan
Agape love means feeling and expressing pure, unlimited love for every human being with no exception. Developing such divine ability has been a goal for me ...
Typology: Study notes
2021/2022
1 / 8
This page cannot be seen from the preview
Don't miss anything!
Related documents
Partial preview of the text
Download Agape Love and more Study notes Christianity in PDF only on Docsity!
Contents
- Introduction / - Judaism / - Christianity / - Islam / - Hinduism / - Buddhism / - Taoism / - Confucianism / - Native American Spirituality /
- Concluding Thoughts /
- References and Further Reading / - About the Author /
Agape love means feeling and expressing pure, unlimited love for every human being with no exception. Developing such divine ability has been a goal for me for almost all of my eighty-six years on earth. This does not mean you need to admire each person or to weaken legal penalties for crimes. It does mean that if your mother were murdered, you should try to eliminate the poi- sons of hatred or revenge. While a murderer is being properly punished and prevented from a criminal life, agape love allows you to pray for his conversion and his soul. Numerous researchers have helped me explore concepts of unlimited love in eight major religions. I am only a student and beginner in the research and practice of this fruitful and
Introduction
humanity through spiritual practice, and the same effect of making their followers into better human beings.” Within Western culture, love has been defined in countless ways. To the philosopher, it is the “eternal emotion”; to the songwriter, “a many-splendored thing.” The fact that it takes so many definitions to capture the meaning of love suggests that its meaning cannot be fully captured after all, at least within the limitations of language. It is more accurately mea- sured in action—in good will, kindness, forgiveness, and com- passion toward others. For our single word “love,” the ancient Greeks used several words in an effort to clarify love’s various shades of meaning. They distinguished, for example, between the romantic love shared by husband and wife, and the “brotherly love” that exists among friends. But the highest kind of love gained expression for the ancient Greeks in the term agape. Agape love is not directed toward a single person or small group of friends, but toward all humanity, even all of creation. Agape love is not based on
how we are treated by others. Rather, it is unconditional and unlimited in its expression. It is this kind of love in which the religions of the world may find a basis for unity. Agape love comes closest to describing the kind of love with which the Creator loves the creation. Agape love is pure love, unlimited in its possibilities. Agape love is altruistic love, love that is given for its own sake, without expecting anything in return. Religion provides both the structure and the principles to guide this universal spiritual need. To those who are looking, it is not hard to find fundamental principles shared by the world’s religious traditions in their efforts to move adherents toward the goal of loving as God loves. One such principle is known within Christianity as the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” A Buddhist would say, “Hurt not others with that which pains yourself.” A follower of Confucius would say: “What you yourself do not desire, do not put before others.” Islam states it as follows: “Do unto all men as you would wish
The Native American poet Manitongquat wrote: Life is the Sacred Mystery singing to itself, dancing to its drum, telling tales, improvising, playing and we are all that Spirit, our stories all but one cosmic story that we are love indeed, that perfect love in me seeks the love in you, and if our eyes could ever meet without fear we would recognize each other and rejoice, for love is life believing in itself. All the world’s people, whatever their religious beliefs, are part of the same family. We all have the same general needs, problems, desires, and dreams. When we embrace the possi- bility of agape love, we are expressing, amidst our differences, a unity of purpose, a common hope. At the dawn of the third
millennium, what vision could be more important?
O Love, O pure deep love, be here, be now. Be all; worlds dissolve
into your stainless endless radiance,
Frail living leaves burn with you brighter than cold stars: Make me your servant, your breath, your core. —R U M I , P E R S I A N S U F I P O E T