Eros And Agape?

[qfnol31]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1328819971' post='2384371']
It was a long time since I read Deus Caritas Est, but I think that was sort of the point that Pope Benedict was working towards.
[/quote]That's exactly right. It's interesting to read it in light of St. Thomas Aquinas because he doesn't see as much movement between the two.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='qfnol31' timestamp='1328820883' post='2384397']
That's exactly right. It's interesting to read it in light of St. Thomas Aquinas because he doesn't see as much movement between the two.
[/quote]

It's really interesting, at least IMO, to think of eros and agape not as opposed to each other, or agape above eros, but as complimentary. I think it's a bit of a dualist tendency that most of us have, prima facie, to say that eros is a lower love, inferior to agape, but if we think that way we end up losing the point, that they're both good and mutually enriching.

[qfnol31]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1328821097' post='2384403']
It's really interesting, at least IMO, to think of eros and agape not as opposed to each other, or agape above eros, but as complimentary. I think it's a bit of a dualist tendency that most of us have, prima facie, to say that eros is a lower love, inferior to agape, but if we think that way we end up losing the point, that they're both good and mutually enriching.
[/quote]In some sense they have to be complementary because of our natural desire for happiness. It's very Aristotelian to talk about desiring our happiness, but that's exactly what Pope Benedict has infused into his understanding of eros.

In fairness, I had a whole class based on this encyclical and the Thomistic idea of charity/happiness and how they relate. The professor use the class as a response to the encyclical (not in a bad sense), but I don't think they map onto each other very easily.

[BigJon16]

Nerds.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='BigJon16' timestamp='1328821799' post='2384423']
Nerds.
[/quote]
No u.

[Selah]

[size=4][font=arial, sans-serif]In actuality, what has been posted may be more correctly attributed to the poster, rather than myself. [/font][/size]

Edited February 9, 2012 by Selah

[BigJon16]

[quote name='Selah' timestamp='1328822125' post='2384443']
[size=4][font=arial, sans-serif]In actuality, what has been posted may be more correctly attributed to the poster, rather than myself. [/font][/size]
[/quote]

You callin' [i]me [/i]a nerd?


Takes one to know one, sister.

Edited February 9, 2012 by BigJon16

[qfnol31]

[quote name='BigJon16' timestamp='1328821799' post='2384423']
Nerds.
[/quote]And I'm proud of it!

[Innocent]

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2) Do you have time to read through around two hundred pages?

If you answered YES (or even NO) to either or both of the above two questions, [b][url="http://www.calvin.edu/~pribeiro/DCM-Lewis-2009/Lewis/the-four-loves.pdf"]CLICK HERE[/url][/b] [color=#ff0000][size=1](Warning: Direct link to 10MB PDF)[/size][/color] for a good read about Eros and Agape. (BONUS OFFER INCLUDED: You also get to read about Philia and Storge even before you asked about them!)

[MissyP89]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1328821097' post='2384403']
It's really interesting, at least IMO, to think of eros and agape not as opposed to each other, or agape above eros, but as complimentary. I think it's a bit of a dualist tendency that most of us have, prima facie, to say that eros is a lower love, inferior to agape, but if we think that way we end up losing the point, that they're both good and mutually enriching.
[/quote]

I'm so glad you made this point. Eros can and does lead to agape, but it doesn't make eros inappropriate or bad at all. If anything, I think a good marriage would have a mix of both that act together to sanctify the couple. I'd be worried if a marriage was entirely lacking in eros.