Its been just over a year since its release, yet pope benedict xvis first encyclical letter continues to be a best seller. It is pope benedict s first encyclical the encyclical, a papal letter to bishops that sets out roman catholic policy, discusses the relationship between eros, or erotic love, and agape, a greek word. Benedict s purpose is to rehabilitate a christian understanding of eros. Printfriendly version we have seen that gods eros for man is also totally agape. Nov 21, 2006 in the encyclical deus caritas est, i dwelt upon this theme of love, highlighting its two fundamental forms.
A generation later, however, with the work of paul tillich and karl rahner, christian theology has turned away from nygrens stark dualism of agape and eros and back towards a more unified conception of love. The title of his first encyclical was deus caritas est god is love. Yet eros and agapeascending love and descending lovecan. For example, pope benedict xvi in his encyclical, deus caritas est 2005, concluded that both eros and agape are aspects of divine love. Excerpts from god is love by his holiness pope benedict xvi. Yet eros and agapeascending love and descending lovecan never be completely separated. This is the biblical theme that this year guides our lenten reflection. According to the romebased ansa news agency the pontiffs profound.
Pope benedict xvis first encyclycal deus caritas est. For more on divine love or agape, and its relation to the various human loves like eros, visit the discipleship section of the crossroads initiative library. Joseph ratzinger was never going to be the pope of conventional wisdom. Charity exceeds philanthropy by showing christ pope benedict xvi gave this address to the participants in a meeting organized by the pontifical council. The two are brought together in the heart of a christian. The preacher illustrated this dangerous divide today in the vatican when he gave his first lenten sermon before benedict xvi. His april election as pope benedict xvi was greeted with shock, suspicion, and occasionally downright revulsion among both catholics and noncatholics. Hes just passing along in love what the church has received from her bridegroom. Continue reading pope benedict xvi encyclical letter on love author mym posted on june 2, 2006 march 5, 2007 categories agape, benedict xvi, eros, love, rc doctrine, scripture leave a comment on pope benedict xvi encyclical letter on love. Pope benedict xvi deus caritas est, god is love, december 25. George expects the new pope will try to explain that erotic love, eros, and unconditional love, agape, are both inherently good in gods eyes in his encyclical titled deus, caritas est, latin for god.
Jan 25, 2006 finished deus caritas est or god is love for the second time 15 january 2009. Message of his holiness benedict xvi for lent 2007. The word is not to be confused with philia, brotherly love, or philautia, selflove, as it embraces a universal, unconditional love that transcends and persists regardless of circumstance. For pope benedict xvi, hatred and violence in the world are related to a false notion of god and love, and he confronts this issue in his first encyclical, god is love. Pope benedict on love and justice by richard john neuhaus may 2006. God is love deus caritas est kindle edition by pope. God is love deus caritas est kindle edition by pope benedict xvi. Today, the vatican published benedict xvis first encyclical, deus.
Pope benedict s first encyclical, deus caritas est, restores a positive connection between eros and agape, and sets out a beautiful vision for the expression of love in sacramental marriage. Benedict compares the relationship between eros and agape as that between. Eros and agape by benedict xvi tradition in action. In a world where the name of god is sometimes associated with vengeance or even hatred, benedict seeks to speak of the limitless love that god lavishes on humanity. Nov 05, 2012 eros, which pope benedict xvi calls ascending love and which, in its impure and undisciplined stages, is marked by the desire of possession, of covetousness from which is must be purged, is eventually met by agape, the love of oblation or selflessness which has only the good of the other in mind, and which pope benedict xvi calls descending. Excerpts from god is love in his first encyclical, the pope addresses many forms of love. As benedict himself states, eros seeks god and agape passes on the gift received. Pope benedict xvi wrote an encyclical called deus caritas est, which in english means. Eros, which pope benedict xvi calls ascending love and which, in its impure and undisciplined stages, is marked by the desire of possession, of covetousness from which is must be purged, is eventually met by agape, the love of oblation or selflessness which has only the good of the other in mind, and which pope benedict xvi calls descending. Pope benedict xvi deus caritas est, god is love, december. Yet eros and agapeascending love and descending lovecan never be. While the first half of the letter deals with benedict s emphasis on loves dimensions eros, or worldly love, and agape, or love grounded in and shaped by faithits second half focuses on. Mar 15, 2016 of course, benedict xvi didnt come up with this. Expressions of love in sacramental marriage joann heaneyhunter pope benedicts first encyclical, deus caritas est, restores a positive connection between eros and agape, and sets out a beautiful vision for the expression of love in sacramental marriage.
Corresponding to the image of a monotheistic god is monogamous marriage. This second reading, however, i really appreciated dce and its author. Eros needs the healing and purifying power of agape to be true to its proper goal. Deus caritas est is an encyclical letter of pope benedict xvi. Pope benedict xvi deus caritas est, god is love, december 25, 2005. Rather, he says, eros can be understood as an ascending love and agape a descending love. This is not only because it is bestowed in a completely gratuitous manner, without any previous merit, but also because it is.
From the standpoint of creation, eros directs man towards marriage, to a bond which is unique and definitive. Benedict refers to hosea 11 and claims that gods love overcomes gods justice. The encyclical reflects on the concepts of eros possessive, often sexual, love, agape unconditional, selfsacrificing love, logos the word, and their relationship with the teachings of jesus. The more the two, in their different aspects, find a proper unity in the one reality of love, the more the true nature of love in general is realized. Dec 25, 2005 deus caritas est, first encyclical of pope benedict xvi, god is love, caritas, agape. Why love is the theme benedict xvi crossroads initiative. In this encyclical, benedict reflects on the concepts of eros, agape, and philia, and their. Jan 25, 2006 pope benedict xvis first encyclycal deus caritas est. Finished deus caritas est or god is love for the second time 15 january 2009. Benedict xvis first encyclical sets the tone for his pontificateand may raise eyebrows among liberal and conservatives alike. Feb 03, 2006 when pope benedict xvi issued his first encyclical deus caritas est or god is love last month, it took some people by surprise. The first part, in which he explores the relationship between erotic and divine love eros and agape in greek is more speculative, he says in the sense that he is offering a prayerful meditation, not that hes giving us halfbaked theories. Message of his holiness benedict xvi for lent 2007 they shall look on him whom they have pierced jn 19.
Message of his holiness benedict xvi for lent 2007 benedict xvi. Edward and elizabeth sri provide an excellent introduction to pope benedicts encyclical deus caritas est. In 2005, not long after he was elected to the papacy, pope benedict xvi wrote his first encyclical. May 26, 2006 pope benedict xvi has published his first encyclical, or letter to the whole catholic church, devoted to the meaning of love and charity. Benedicts first encyclical the pope benedict xvi forum. In deus caritas est, pope benedict does not narrate the history of the problem but goes directly to the issues, taking eros and agape as the two principal forms of love, thus accepting the problematic of nygren though he reaches a different solution. What is notable in this encyclical is the argument put forward by benedict that both eros and agape are aspects of the one reality of love. The first section discusses gods love and the reality of human. In fact, human love eros and divine love for us agape. In the first part of the encyclical, devoted to divine and human love, benedict gives substantial space to discussing eros and agape. Gaebler, visiting assistant professor of theological ethics at gustavus adolphus college, eros in benedict and luther, from the journal of lutheran ethics argues, lutherans, insofar as they derive their theology from luther, should welcome pope benedicts encyclical, deus caritas est.
When pope benedict xvi went to cologne, germany, for world youth day in august 2005, many germans expected the pope to take them to task on a variety of frontsfrom declining mass attendance and internal dissent within the church, to a general unwillingness to grant religion a role in public life. He begins by distinguishing various meanings of eros. Nygrens analysis is too briefly stated that eros is the essentially pagan dynamic of human aspiration toward the ecstatic or divine, while agape is the utterly gratuitous love of god preeminently exemplified in the son of gods gift of himself for our salvation. Cite xvi 2006 123 123 26 benedict pope xvi to the bishops, priests, and deacons, man and women religious, and all the lay faithful, on christian love encyclical letter. Deus caritas est, first encyclical of pope benedict xvi, god is love, caritas. They ponder extensively two of the loves that the pope emeritus discusses, eros and agapeeros, a passionate, selfseeking love. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. In his entire encyclical there is no reference to the catholic teaching that such sexual love should be practiced only within matrimony. Why do you think people tend to separate eros and agape. Deus caritas est, first encyclical of pope benedict xvi, god is love, caritas, agape benedict xvi. Wiker says pope benedict xvis first encyclical is considerably more muscular than most readers think. Jul 26, 2007 continue reading pope benedict xvi encyclical letter on love author mym posted on june 2, 2006 march 5, 2007 categories agape, benedict xvi, eros, love, rc doctrine, scripture leave a comment on pope benedict xvi encyclical letter on love. For the full text of pope benedict xvis encyclical on love, deus caritas est, visit the vatican website.
Today, the vatican published pope benedict xvis first encyclical, deus. It is neither the spirit alone nor the body alone that loves. We have seen that gods eros for man is also totally agape. The first time i read deus caritas est dce was also my initial exposure to an encyclical, a papal letter, as well as to joseph cardinal ratzinger, pope benedict xvi. Pope benedict xvi they shall look on him whom they have pierced in preparation for the sacred liturgical season of lent, which begins this year on ash wednesday, 21 february 2007, his holiness pope benedict xvi wrote a message for all the faithful. I appreciated the pope s attention to philosophical and. When pope benedict xvi issued his first encyclical deus caritas est or god is love last month, it took some people by surprise. Pope benedict xvi 2006 encyclical letter deus caritas est. However, he praises any sexual love eros practiced with disinterest as tending toward divine love. It appears that in his first encyclical, benedict will refute the theses advanced in two texts that were the object of much debate among intellectuals, philosophers and theologians in the second half of the 20th century. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading god is love deus caritas est. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in god, and god abides in him 1 jn 4.
Deus caritas est deus caritas est 2006 december 25, 2005 citta del vaticanoboston liberia editrice vaticana pauline books and media. Agape ancient greek, agape is a grecochristian term referring to love, the highest form of love, charity and the love of god for man and of man for god. While the first half of the letter deals with benedicts emphasis on loves dimensionseros, or worldly love, and agape, or love grounded in and shaped by faithits second half focuses on. They shall look on him whom they have pierced jn 19. What he laments as the derailing of the american catholic coming of age.
God is lovepope benedict xvis encyclical on eros, agape. Pope benedicts first encyclical, deus caritas est, restores a positive connection between eros and agape, and sets out a beautiful vision for the expression of love in sacramental marriage. Deus caritas est religionwiki fandom powered by wikia. In deus caritas est, or god is love, he says physical love must be redefined by christian faith and attacks modern obsessions with the commodity of sex. Although it sometimes appears that the two loves are irreconcilable, pope benedict argues that that is not the case. God is lovepope benedict xvis encyclical on eros, agape, sex. Pope benedict xvi s first encyclical, expected in the next few days, warns believers not to confuse love with lust or degrade it to mere sex. In the second part of the encyclical, this distinction between love and justicegod turned against himselfis key to benedicts understanding of politics as the realm of justice and the church as the community of love. Pope benedict xvi has published his first encyclical, or letter to the whole catholic church, devoted to the meaning of love and charity. Gods agape love is completely gratuitous and as such gods love forgives. The preacher illustrated this dangerous divide today in the vatican when he gave his first lenten sermon before benedict xvi and members.
Agape becomes a matter of simply being nice to others, particularly as long as they are nice or at least grateful in return. In jesus christ, who is the love incarnate of god, the erosagape. Jan 04, 2006 pope benedict xvi may try to save eros, in the first encyclical of his papacy, chicagos cardinal francis george told the chicago suntimes. Its subject is love, as seen from a christian perspective. Benedict xvis first encyclical is on charity as the definition of god. In his encyclical deus caritas est, benedict xvi criticizes the interested sexual act 5. This reference to the separation of eros and agape refers us back to a line of thought within the lutheran tradition, articulated in its most radical form by anders nygren in his book agape and eros. The first, entitled, the unity of love in creation and in salvation history, presents a theological philosophical reflection on love in its various dimensions eros, philia, and agape highlighting certain vital aspects of gods love for man and the inherent links that such love has with human love. Its subject is love, as seen from a christian perspective, and gods place within all love.
Reprinted with permission of liberia editrice vaticana. Jan 31, 2007 its been just over a year since its release, yet pope benedict xvis first encyclical letter continues to be a best seller. By doing this, he purified and ennobled eros making it one with agape, the love of god. Eros is thus supremely ennobled, yet at the same time it is so purified as to become one with agape.
Love should not be confused with lust, says pope in. Thank you, pope benedict, for passing on this gift. Many thought it would focus on the sacred scriptures or the divine liturgy, since those are two of benedicts premier subjects, but instead it focused on christian love. Excerpts from god is love by his holiness pope benedict. Pope benedict on love and justice by richard john neuhaus. Kwabena donkor god is love, and we have come to know and to believe in the love god has for us. Deus caritas est god is love california catholic conference. In todays confused world, eros is too often reduced to a sexual impulse, a warm feeling for whomever or whatever one might desire. Deus caritas est 2005 pope benedict xvi catholic australia. He notes that the greek translation of the old testament uses eros only twice.
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