Theology Of Love Research Articles

Christian Education in the Chinese Mainland as Education for God’s Love

Abstract This article investigates how “God’s love” has been working in the Chinese Mainland through different disciplines connected with Christian education. Tao Xingzhi’s “education of love” and his proposals of “life education,” “new education,” “education to love, serve, and sacrifice,” and “teaching and learning are one” contextualized modern education in China. Additionally, Bishop K.H. Ting advocates a “theology of love” as a contextual theology for Christianity in China. Ting regards God’s love as God’s primary attribute and claims that “God is love,” and God’s love is cosmic, leading us to love each other and build up the Body in God’s love. This article further examines the ideologies of Tao and Ting, who identify as both Christian and Chinese and are eager to dialogue with the context of China. Both of them advocate practicing love in education and society. Integrating Christianity and education, Christian education in China could be regarded as education for God’s love.

Religion and the Theology of Love in W. H. Auden’s “Stop all the clocks”

Religion and the Theology of Love in W. H. Auden’s “Stop all the clocks”

Vladimir Soloviev and Maximus the Confessor: metaphysics and theology of love

A comparative analysis of the philosophical foundations of the teachings on love by Maximus the Confessor and Vladimir Solovyov is presented utilizing the principles of source analysis, comparative philosophical study, and the historico-genetic method. The case is made for the relevance of this research topic, due to the lack of special studies on the reception of Maximus the Confessor’s doctrine of the love in the works of Vladimir Solovyov. An analysis is given of the extent to which V.V. Vysheslavtseva, K.V. Mochulsky, G.V. Florovsky, A.F. Loseva, S.S. Averintseva, V.M. Lurie, I.B. Benevich, A.I. Sidorova knew of the the problem. The focus is also on the works of foreign authors – H.U. von Balthazar, M.-J. Guillau, D.D. Kornblatt, R.F. Gustafson, E.V. Borisova, J.-K. Larcher, Ts. Angelova, J. Sutton, J. Krasicki, O. Smith – which show a genetic affinity between the teachings of Maximus the Confessor and Vladimir Solovyov. This article also takes up the main sources that reveal the content of the concepts of love in Maximus the Confessor and Vladimir Solovyov. Also taken up here is the extent of the Russian philosopher’s acquaintance with the works and heritage of St. Maximus and Solovyov’s assessment of his place and role in the patristic heritage. We find the focus of attention of modern scholars to be on the epistemological and ethical aspects of love as found in the works of the Byzantine thinker. This article also notes the particular importance of studying the ontological foundations of the concepts of love that are found in Maximus the Confessor and Vladimir Solovyov.

“Licked by Fire”: Sumnūn Ibn Ḥamza (d. 298/910-911)and Passionate Love in Third/Ninth-Century Ṣūfism

ABSTRACT This article presents a preliminary scholarly endeavour that aims at introducing Sumnūn Ibn Ḥamza (d. 298/910-911) to researchers working both on classical Arabic poetry and on Ṣūfism. He was a prominent personality whose passionate poetry and ecstatic statements revolved around the theology of love and left their imprint on early Ṣūfism; however, Sumnūn Ibn Ḥamza has not yet been the subject of comprehensive research. As a poet, his heritage has barely attracted any interest among scholars of classical Arabic poetry. The basic innovation of Sumnūn as a poet is his effort to turn poetry into a complementary part of his actual living reality. I argue that Ṣūfī Arabic poetry is not a mere literary work of belles-lettres, but rather a practical-reactive piece of writing designed to help the mystic progress on the Ṣūfī path in a similar way to samāʿ and dhikr. In light of this idea, I suggest using two methods to understand Sumnūn’s poetry. First, Sumnūn’s strophes should be dealt with as ad hoc love poems through which one can consider the specific themes, structures and metaphors. Second, his poetry should be seen as a snapshot of his life and Ṣūfī career. Therefore, the ideas embedded in his poetry need to be correlated with the few available texts through which his personality was understood by both his contemporaries and later Ṣūfīs.

The Politics of Christian Love: Shaping Everyday Social Interaction and Political Sensibilities Among Coptic Egyptians

Christian love has historically been subject of extensive theological study but has rarely been studied within anthropology. Contemporary Coptic society receives growing attention over the last two decades as a minority in Egyptian Muslim majority society. An important bulk of this scholarship involves a discussion of the community’s sometimes self-defined and sometimes ascribed characterization as a persecuted minority. Particular attention has gone to how social and political dimensions of minority life lead tochanges in Christian theological understandings This paper builds on these insights and examines how Christian love is experienced, and shapes feelings of belonging, everyday morality and political sensibilities vis-à-vis Muslim majority society. It draws from ethnographic observations and meetings with Copts living in Egypt between 2014–2017. It focuses on three personal narratives that reveal the complex ways in which a theology of love affects social and political stances. An anthropological focus reveals the fluid boundaries between secular and religious expressions of Christian love. Love for God and for humans are seen as partaking in one divine love. Practicing this love, however, shapes very different responses and can lead to what has been described as Coptic ‘passive victim behaviour’, but also to political activity against the status-quo.

Teologi Perkataan: Perkataan-perkataan Yang Dicintai dan Dibenci Oleh Allah Menurut Pandangan Hamka

One of the bad habits that has developed in the community for a long time until now is talking dirty, rude, which contains utterances of hatred or the term now known as hate speech. This is due to a lack of public understanding of Islamic communication ethics that is manifested in quranic speech acts. Our Prophet Muhammad SAW said that one of the characteristics of a believer is someone who says good or just keep silent. Hamka in his interpretation gave the concept of theology of speech. Therefore, in this study, it is important to know the theology of love that God loves and hates according to Hamka. There are two things to be studied, First, what are the words that are loved by God? Second, what are some words that God hates? The method used in this study is qualitative, the type of library research, and the approach used is normative and sociological theology. While the data collection techniques used are horticulture with descriptive data analysis techniques. The purpose of this study is to find out what words are loved and hated by Allah according to Hamka. Given the culture of saying dirty and rough in Indonesia needs great attention, given that if these traits are left unchecked, it will become a disease rooted in the general public environment.

띵광쉰(丁光训)의 사랑의 신학 -인신칭의(因信稱義)에 한 신학적 이해를 중심으로

이 논문은 종교개혁 500주년을 맞아 종교개혁의 핵심 교리인 ‘이신칭의(以信稱義)’ 에 대해 동아시아 문화에서는 어떻게 수용, 발전시키는지를 궁구하는 목적을 지녔다. 특히 중국기독교의 대표신학자인 띵광쉰의 사랑의 신학을 통해 인신칭의에서 인애칭의로 나아가는 변용과정이 당시 중국사회에서 기독교가 어떤 과제를 안고 고민할 수 밖에 없었는지 밝히는 작업이라고 볼 수 있다. 종교개혁 당시 중세 천주교의 구원에 대한 인간의 공로를 인정하는 부분에 대해, 루터는 율법의 행위가 아니라 오직 믿음으로 구원을 얻는다는 인신칭의를 지지했다. 그러나 기독교가 세계로 확대되면서 믿음과 불신에 대한 구별은 강화되면서 개인중심 또는 비기독교인과의 지나친 차별만을 강조하면서 도리어 사회구원의 성격을 잃어가고 있었다. 이점은 한국뿐만 아니라 중국에서도 동일한 문제였다. 특히 20세기 30년대 중국기독교가 공산주의 세력과 연대해 항일운동에 참여하면서 더욱 적극적으로 유물론자를 끌어안고 기독교를 변증해야 하는 시대상황하에서 띵광쉰은 그의 사랑의 신학, 인애칭의를 통해 기독교와 사회주의, 기독교인과 비기독교인의 단결과 일치를 추구하며 이들이 모두 그리스도의 품으로 인도되기 위해 복음의 핵심가치인 사랑으로 이들을 흡수하고자 했다. 이런 사랑의 신학은 개인구원을 강조하는 신학을 극복하고 전체 민족과 세계를 구원하고자 한 사회구원의 길을 제시한다고 본다. 이점은 시대상황의 변화 속에 기독교가 어떤 자세를 지녀야 하는지를 고찰케 하는 질문이라고 본다.

Karl Rahner’s Theology of Love in Dialogue with Social Psychology and Neuroscience

The commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 25:39) is central to Christian discipleship. How does the concrete way that we express love enhance or diminish our ability to love? This paper brings Karl Rahner’s theology of neighbor love into dialogue with a description of altruism and compassion provided by social psychologist, C. Daniel Batson, and neuroscientists Tania Singer and Olga Klimecki. For Rahner, grace enables and sustains love. In addition, a mutually reciprocal relationship of unity exists between human love for God, neighbor, and self. Furthermore, Rahner contends prayer as one way to cultivate compassion for another. The scientific research presented here examines aspects of the relationship between self and other known as empathy and compassion. The research of Batson, Singer, and Klimecki shed light on the role of self-love in compassion as well as the ways our capacity to empathize conditions our potential for altruism.

The Mythology and Theology of Love in Spenser’s Amoretti

ABSTRACTEdmund Spenser depicts his courtship, in his sonnet sequence Amoretti, by means of an immanent mythological and mythographic patterning more elaborate and specific than has been hitherto acknowledged. Through this patterning, Spenser suggests that his courtship does not merely evoke but necessitates metamorphosis, in both the beloved who represents Elizabeth Boyle, his intended, and the lover who represents himself. As the title of his sequence indicates, Spenser connects transformation of the lady, whom he identifies at first as a donna angelica, with the mythology and mythography of Cupid. Inseparable from his doing so—and of greater subtlety—is his portraying her in association with the mythology as well as mythography of Venus. He likewise links the transformation required of his persona with the figure of Cupid; nonetheless, with greater subtlety he associates his persona with the figure and lore of Ulysses. Impelling their mutually interactive transformations, Spenser intimates, is an experience of love where eros and agape meet in eventual and unstable harmony as caritas. That is to say, a distinct theology of love informs the mythic design of Amoretti.

Altruism and the flourishing teacher: Exploring a Christian theology of love

This article responds to Chris Higgins’ (2010) claim that perpetuating the myth of altruism is a factor that leads to teacher burnout, thus making “flourishing teacher” an oxymoron. It does so by exploring various views of the Christian concepts of agape, kenosis, and desire, debunking some persistent definitions that linger in Christian circles as well as embracing the layers of complexity inherent in a theology of love. The implication for Christian teachers is that because self-sacrifice and self-abnegation are not synonymous, it is possible for them to live lives of altruistic love, avoid burnout, and flourish in their vocations. Implications for teacher educators are also explored.

Praeparatio Evangelica—or Daemonica? C. S. Lewis and Anders Nygren on Spiritual Longing

C. S. Lewis read Anders Nygren's Agape and Eros in his mid-thirties, probably during the Christmas holiday of 1934. His first recorded thoughts, including the statement above, are from a letter dated “Jan 8th 1935” to his Oxford colleague Janet Spens. Despite his decisive criticism of what he calls Nygren's “central contrast”—that agape is selfless and eros self-regarding—Lewis ends this letter with a declaration of uncertainty: “However, I must tackle him again. He has shaken me up extremely.” It is remarkable, then, that Nygren is not mentioned by name in Lewis's The Four Loves (1960). Lewis's opening remarks on his theology of love, which do not directly refer to Nygren, “are critical of Nygren's main thesis in Agape and Eros.”

On the Christological Determination of Augustine’s Theology of Love

This article seeks to show that recent deployments of Augustine’s theology of love as an alternative to, or resource within, contemporary liberalism are typified by attempts to use Christologically-grounded reconsiderations of the relation between the Creator and the creature to respond to the suggestion that Augustine cannot accommodate love of creaturely goods. It then argues that these attempts rest on abstract understandings of divine presence that issue from a breakdown of distinctions between Christology, ecclesiology and the theology of creation. It concludes by suggesting that Augustine’s theology of love is best approached by considering the relation of Augustine’s Christology and pneumatology, for this relation makes a Christologically-conditioned notion of justice constitutive of Christian loving in a way that is generative for consideration of both Augustine’s theology of love and his relation to contemporary liberalism.

The Passion of Faith and the Work of Love: Barrett, Augustine, and Kierkegaard

Abstract: Is the core of Christianity about loving the neighbour or justification by grace? Kierkegaard and Augustine answer this question with a resounding yes, refusing to give in to one side or the other. This article uses Lee C. Barrett's newest book on the intersections of these two giants of Christianity, Eros and Self-Emptying, to examine this issue. Using a shared metaphor of a road for the reality of faith, and a common understanding of divine love as self-emptying, Barrett reveals insightful ways in which these cardinal thinkers refuse to reduce Christian salvation to grace alone or to love alone. For Augustine, the unquenchable passion and love for God leads to becoming conformed to God's likeness in self-emptying love for the other. And Kierkegaard's theology of love as the human response to God's grace suggests that the works of love toward the neighbour is the follow-through to faith. Salvation for both Augustine and Kierkegaard is a journey of the fruits of grace ripening in fulfilling the command to love the neighbour. Both insist that being a Christian is simultaneously a gift and a task. Further, this integration is not forcing together two opposing positions. Instead each thinker's formulation entwines the work of love and the grace of faith in the practice of Christian living.

Love, Theology of Love and Korean Jeong : Based on Moltmann’s Understanding of the Compassionate God

Love, Theology of Love and Korean Jeong : Based on Moltmann’s Understanding of the Compassionate God

How Should War Be Related to Christian Love?

How Should War Be Related to Christian Love?

Encyclical of Benedict XVI "Caritas and Veritate" - a new word in the social doctrine of Catholicism

For centuries in Catholic theology there is a hidden or open struggle between the tendencies of Augustinian and Tomistic. Augustinovtsi - optimists in epistemology and pessimism in anthropology and social science. Tomies, on the contrary, consider the possibilities of cognition to be limited, but they are cautious optimists in anthropology and social science. The social doctrine of the Catholic Church has long relied on the notion of natural law and the common good, as they are developed in the teachings of Thomas Aquinas. Pope Benedict XVI in his encyclicals returned to the Augustinian theology of love as the only force that can help humanity today, at a time when all the negative aspects of human nature, which were so well known by Augustine, were revealed.

Apology and Forgiveness as an Expression of Love in a Charismatic Congregation

Catch the Fire Montreal is a French-speaking Charismatic congregation that has recently become one of several church plants associated with the Toronto Blessing. The congregation is committed to spreading the values of Catch the Fire, especially its vision of knowing the Father’s love and sharing it with the world. During two separate site visits we heard about the congregation’s mission work in Africa, where the pastor shared the message of the Father’s love and ultimately felt led to apologize publicly to the Africans for racism and colonial practices perpetuated against them. He also apologized to the African and Haitian members in his own congregation, asking for their forgiveness. Drawing upon the sociology and theology of love, this article explores the relationship between experiences of love and forgiveness, and benevolent acts as expressions of love. We employ the “Godly love” model as a lens through which to understand Charismatic experiences of love, forgiveness, and reconciliation where love is potentially a transformative social and religious act.

Reflections on Autistic Love

This article reflects on the question of what a Christian theology of love looks like when we take seriously the experiences of people on the autistic spectrum. The essay offers a practical exegesis of the nature of Christian love which takes seriously the broad range of possibilities that rotate around the practice of love. The article explores in some detail why it is that Western people (Christians and non-Christians) have come to think about love and relationality in quite particular ways and what it might mean for our theology and practice if we were to begin to look at love differently through the lens of autistic love. It concludes with a practical theology of love which seeks to be inclusive of all of love’s diverse possibilities.

Love from Afar: Distance, Intimacy and the Theology of Love

AbstractProceeding from Jean‐Luc Marion's The Erotic Phenomenon, this article discusses how the Christian concept of love can manifest intimacy. While most theological concepts of love spell out the requirement of distance, they do not pay sufficient attention to the intimate variants of love. The article argues that a full‐fledged theological account should make room for love's different economic and donative variants, as well as for love's advance from ‘distance’ to ‘visibility’ and, finally, ‘intimacy’. Concrete examples of intimate love include mystical union, transforming hospitality, fidelity and love that is as strong as death.

Young San's Theology as Theology of Love: A Systematic Theological Study on Sharing Love and Happiness

Young San's Theology as Theology of Love: A Systematic Theological Study on Sharing Love and Happiness