Abstract
This article addresses the meaning of the great commandment of love (Mt. 22:35–40) with afocus on the understanding of self-love as considered within a Christian context. Christians ingeneral understand the commandment as applying to love of God and one’s neighbour. Thereference to self-love tends to be ignored or misunderstood, especially when love of self isviewed in the context of the Christian virtues of humility and self-mortification. The conceptof narcissism (self-preoccupation or self-glorification) has devastating effects on relationshipswith God, human beings and the world. In the Christian context self-love is not a thirdcommandment and it is not clearly outlined in Scripture. Furthermore, the love of oneselfseems to be the norm by which the love of God and neighbour are measured. It appearstherefore that by bringing narcissism into the equation of self-love, a better understanding canbe achieved of what a healthy Christian self-love should entail. Furthermore, a brief discussionon the views of the self as mind, emotions and will as well as agape, philia and eros is requiredfor a proposed integrated self-love reading.
Highlights
There is no consensus in Christian circles on the issue of cogency of self-love in living the Christian life
Neither does Scripture deal with it in such a way that we need not debate its meaning and significance for our every-day life-experience. It is important within the present-day context to determine the nature of an acceptable understanding of self-love – if accepted as being of importance for living a Christian life – that does not violate core biblical teachings
We currently live in a world saturated with teaching and counselling on the need for a good self-image and sound self-esteem, which relate to a well-rooted love of oneself in coping with every-day life-challenges
Summary
There is no consensus in Christian circles on the issue of cogency of self-love in living the Christian life.
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