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AGAPE
AND
EROS
PART I
A Study of the Christian Idea of Love
PART II
The History of the Christian Idea of Love _
By
ANDERS NYGREN
", ...
Bishop oj Lund
Translated by
PHILIP S. WATSON
Philadelphia
THE WESTMINSTER PRESS
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First published in Great Britain by the S.P.C.K. House:
Part I, 1932; Part n,Vol. I, 1938;
Part II, Vol. II, 1939; revised, in part retranslated,
and published in one volume; 1953.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES 'oF AMERICA
AUTHOR'S PREFACE
IN the introductory chapter of this work, it is stated that the
'G question there raised for discussion is one of the most' central
h and yet most neglected in the theological field. When this
fl) statement was originally made, that was in fact the position.
ri But during the last twenty years the situation has entirely
changed. The problem of" Agape and Eros" has become a
J matter of major theological interest, and there has been quite
1 a
l
spathe of literature ddealing with it. th
lt
woluld tabke fkar todO
1)0 ong ere to name an comment on e re evant 00 s an
i,l articles.
1:1 Part One of the present work appeared in an English trans-
"Jl lation-somewhat abridged-by A; G. Hebert in 1932. Part
Two was translated by Philip S. Watson and published in
-iJJ two volumes in 1938-39. It has now been thought desirable
1\ to make a version of Part One available to English
i,j:
, 1me that work, has been out of print, is now
..... agam available, and 10 an unabndged form.
.:. It is tempting to join issue in this Preface with a number of
\J English authors who have paid more particular attention to
.., my work. I think especially of J. Burnaby's Amor Dei (1938)
and M. C. D'Arcy's The Mind and Heart 0/ Love: A Study
in Eros and Agape (1945). But as the reason why these Un"'
, portant and interesting works come to different conclusions
" from my own, is essentially that they start from different
q premisses, any profitable discussion of them would have to be
.; conducted at considerable length, and for that there is no
room in a Preface. I have therefore had to resist the tempta-
''\\- v
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vi AUTHOR'S PREFACE
tion of an otherwise very attractive undertaking. In the dis-
cussion of the subject that has so far taken place, I have found
no reason to abandon my original position at any point, and
my work is therefore being republished without alteration.
ANDERS NYGREN.
T
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TRANSLATOR'S -PREFACE
PART I work consists of a study of the Christian idea
of love as it appears in the New Testament and in contrast to_
the Hellenistic starting-pomt for
the history of the Christian idea of love is given and also the
essential distinction between the two " fundamental motifs"
(Eros and Agape) which have left their impress upon it.
That history is described in Part II up to the point where the
problem of " Agape and Eros" finds its natural solution in /
.the Reformation. It is substantially the story of how a syn- J
. thesis of these two " motifs" was re ared com leted, and
destroyed. In his origina reface to Part I the -author ex-
plained why he had chosen the Reformation as his terminus
ad quem.
1
It was not that the Christian idea of love had had
no history since the Reformation, nor that the problem of
" Agape and Eros" had ceased to eX1:.'1: as a result of the solu-
tion then found for it. It was rather because the develop- '------- -
ment of Christian thought ahout Jove had proceeded along 1
somewhat ditkKnt lines, and could not very be dis-
of Agape and Eros".
Since this work first appeared in English, there have been
a number of recurrent misunderstandings of its theme, which
may perhaps be obviated if something is said here about the
meaning of the major techniCal terms employed in it.
2
We
may begin with the two that are in the tide: Agape and Eros.
1 Den kristna karlekstanken genom tiderna. - Eros odz Agape 1.
(Svenska Kyrkans Diakonistyrelses Bokforlag. Stockholm, 1930), pp. 3f.
(part II was issued by the same publishers in 1936.)
2 See also myartic1e on "Some Theological Implications of Agape and
Eros" in The Expository Times, September 1938.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
....
CHAPTER ONE
THE AGAPE MOTIF
I. AGAPE AND FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD 61
I. The for the Interpretation of the of
Agape.
(!)
The Distinctive Charaeterof Christian Fellowshipwith,God
.J 3 The Content of the Idea of
XIX
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AUTHOR's PllEFACE
flllANSLAToR;S PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
THE .PROBLEM OF AGAPE AND EROS
I. THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM
I. The Twofold Purpose of the Inquiry.
2. Two opposed Fundamental Motifs.
3. Fundamental Motifs and Motif-research.
4. Motif-research and Historical-genetic Research.
5. Motif-research ;lnd Value-judgments.
II. THE PLACE OF THE IDEA OF AGAPE IN CHIllsTIANlTY
I. More Precise Definition of the TermIf Motif ".
2. The transformation of the Basic Ethical and Religious
Questions by Christianity.
3. Agape as the Fundamental Motif of Christianity.
III. "THE HEAVENLY EROS"
IV. CONFLICTING FUNDAMENTAL MOTIFS
"I. Eros and Agape..../'
2. Eros and caritas.
3. An OOtline of the Course of the Inquiry.
PART ONE
J( THE TWO FUNDAMENTAL MOTIFS
v
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xx TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
xxi
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10
5
CHAPTER TWO
THE EROS MOTIF
I. THE DOCTRINE OF EROS AS A DOCTRINE OF SALVATION 160
1. Eros-piety, Christianity's Forerunner or Rival?
2. Mystery-religion as the Source of the Eros-motif.
- II. THE PLATONIC IDEA OF EROS - 166
I. Eros and Dialectic.
2. The Myth of Eros.
3. The Content of the Idea of Eros.
(
(I) Eros as Acquisitive Love. ,
(2) Eros as Man's Way to the Divine.
8) Eros as Egocentric Love.
III. THE ARISTOTELIAN AND NEOPLATONIC DEVELOPMENTS
OF EROS 182
1. The Importance of the Later Developments.
2. The Eros Motif in Aristotle.
The Eros Motif in Neoplatonism.
PART 'TWO
FUNDAMENTAL MOTIFS IN CONFLICT
INTRODUCTION - 235
I. The Confusion of Motifs in the Christian Idea of Love._
2. The Hellenisation of the Christian Idea: of Love.
3' Synthesis and Reformation;
-.-
.,AGJ:

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L/
TWO MOTIFS 227
. . (I) Plato and Plotinus. The " Alexandrian World-
scheme". . - .
(2) The Descent and the Ascent.
8) Eros in Platinus compared with Plato's Eros and
Christian Agape,
.,- (4) God is Eros.
THE CONTRAST AS IT ApPEARS IN THE DIMEN-
SIONS OF LOVE - 211
(I) God's Love.
(2) Love towards God.
(J) Neighbourly Love.
(4) Self-love.
V. POSSIBILITIES OF CONFUSION BETWEEN THE
(I) The Hellenisation of Judaism.
(2) Allegorical Exegesis.
8) The" Alexandrian World-scheme ".
IV. THE AGAPE-SYSTEM AND THE EROS-SYSTEM
III.
CHAPTER THREE
X. J' to.l _THE FUNDAMENTAL CONTRAST BETWEEN
AGAPE AND EROS
I. THE TRANSVALUATION OF ALL ANCIENT VALUES - 200
I. The General Signjficance of the
2. The Religious-historical Background of the Transvaluation.
II. TABULATION OF THE ESSENTIAL POINTS OF CONTRAST - 208
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Agape is Spontaneous and" Unmotivated ".

Agape is " Indifferent to Value".
(J Agape is Creative.
(4 Agape is the Initiator of Fellowship with God.
4. e Evidence of the Pm"ables.
5 The Commandment of Love in its Christian Meaning.
6. Love and Judgment.
II. THE AGAPE OF THE CROSS
1. Jesus and Paul.
2. The Idea of Agape in Paul's Religious Development.
3. Agape as a Technical Tenii for the Christian Love-motif.
4. Agape and theTheology of the Cross.
5. Love towards God.
6. Neighbourly love and Love for God.
7. Gnosis and Agape.
III. GOD IS AGAPE
The Final Formulation of the Agape Motif.
2. The Duality of the Johannine Idea of Agape..
(I) The" Metaphysic of Agape" and Unmotivated Love.
(2) Brotherly Love and Particularism. .
(J) Love for God andLove for.theWorld...
THE COMPLETION OF THE SYNTHESIS
CHAPTER .TWO
THE CARITAS-SYNTHESIS
I. AUGUSTINE'S POSITION IN THE HISTORY OF RELIGIOI\I - . 449
I. The Christian Idea of Love in a New Phase.
2. Love :is the Centre of Augustine's Interpretation of
Christianity. . .
3. Neoplatonism and Christianity mAugustine.
II. AUGUSTINE'S VITAL PROBLEM: THE SETTLEMENT OF THE
ISSUE BETWEEN THE EROS AND TIn AGAPE MOTIFS - 464
I. The' Eros Motif in Augustine's Religious Development.
2. The Agape Motif as a Basic Factor in Augustine's
. Oudook.
'3, The Settlement of the Issue between Eros and Agape..
III. ANALYSIS OF THE, IDEA OF' CAllITAS -, .' - 476
I. AC<J.uisitive Love as the Groundformof Human Life.
2. Cantas and Cupiditas. .
3. Frui and Uti.
4. The Ascent to God.
5. Caritas and Gratia. OUl' Ascent and God's Descent.
TABLEOP CONTENTS
PAG.
3. Gnosis and Agape in Clement of Alexandria.
4. Origen's Religious Synthesis. .
5. Origen's Defence of
6. Origen's System. .
7. God is Eros--God is Agape.
VII. THE AGAPE TYPE IN IREN...Us - 393
I. Irenzusand the Three Fundamental Dogmas of the Early
Church. .
2. The Limitation of the Idea of Agape in Irenzus.
VIII. THE COMPROMISE - 4
1
3
I. The Result of the Contests of the Second Phase.
2. Methodius of Olympus.
3. Athanasius.
4. Gregory of Nyssa.
, 5. Eros Symbols in Gregory of Nyssa.
.\
NO-
- 254
- 335
- 349
TABLE OP CONTENTS.
I. THE PREPARATION OF THE SYNTHESIS
CHAPTER ONE
NOMOS; EROS ,AND AGAPE
I.. THE THREE MAIN TypllS: A SuTCH OF THE CHllImAN .
IDEA OP Low IN POST-APoSTOLIC TIMllS _
The Inftuence of Judaism.
(2 'The Inftuence of Hellenism.
<3 The Reaction of the Agape Motif.
II. THE NOMOS TypE IN THE APOSTOLIC FATHERs AND'THE
, ApOLOGISTS. .' .
I. The Iftfluence of tile OldTestament.
2. The" Two Ways ". . ,
3 The. MPdification of die Agape Motif. .
4 ChrlStlantty as ." The True Ilhilosopliy" and .. The New
Law".
5 Three Fundamental Dogmas of the Early Church.
(I) Creation.
(2) InWnatiC?n.
<3) Resurrection.
III. THE EROS TYPE IN GNOSTICISM
I. Gnosis and the Eros Motif.
2. The Gnostic Way of Salvation. .
3 The Transformation of Agape into Vulgar Eros.
4 ,GnosticiSJ;n and the Three Fundamental Dogmas of Early
Christianity. .
5. Gnostics andApologists.
IV. THE AGAPE TYPE IN MARCION
t. The Rediscovery.of theldea of Agape.
2. The Reaction Nomos Motif.
3 The Reaction againsi: the Eros Motif.
4- The Limitation of the Idea of Agape.
5 Mardon's Significance for the Christian Idea of Love.
,V. THE NOMOS TYPE IN TUTULLIAN
, I. The Result of thoe Foregoing Contests.
2. Tertullian's Defence of the Three Fundamental Dogmas. .
3 Tertullian's Campaign against the Idea of Agape.
VI. THE EROS TYPE IN ALEXANDRIAN THEOLOGY _
t. The General Character of Alexandrian Theology.
2. Faith and Gnosis in Clement of Alexandria.
xxii
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rAGI TkBL'E OF CONTENTS
.XXV
6. Amar Dei andAm(W sui.
7. Love to Neighbour. God's Love.
8. The Double Nature of .the Ideapf. Amar,
Dilectia and Carita!. . .
IV. AUGUSTINE, THE MIDDLE AND'TiiEREFORMATION 559
CHAPTER THREE"
THE EROS MOTIF PASSES TO TfIE MIDDLE AGES
I. FROM" PLOTINUS TO . :.. . : - 563
I. The Modmcationof the'Fundamental Motifs.. '
2. The Transformation of the Doctrine of Eros in Prociu5,
(I) The Transformation of the .. Alex;andCianworld-
scheme ".
(2) The Eros that Descends.' .
<.3) The Chain of Love.
(4) The ardo salutis of Proclus.
(5) Eros, the Power of Cohesion in Existence.
II. DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGlTE 576
I. The. Position of PSl:udo-Dionysius in .the History of the
Christian Idea ofLove; . . .. .
2. The Fundamental Idea of Pseu!lo-Dionysius.
J. The Heavenly and the EcCleSiastical Hierarchy.
4. Eros is .. MoreOivin.e .. th;m.Agape.
III. FROM DIONYSIUS .TO ERJ;GENA - 594
I. The Ladder of Paradise.
2; The Hierarchical-sacramental and.the Practical-ascetical
. HeavenlyLadders..
3. The Cycle of Nature.
III. THE DESTRUCTION OF THE SYNTHESIS
I.
II.
'f
r
III.
CHAPTER SIX
THE RENEWAL OF THE AGAPE MOTIF IN
THE REFORMATION
LUTHER'S COPERNICAN REVOLUTION - 681
I. Theocentric Love.
2. Fellowship with God on Our Level.
LUTHER'S VITAL PROBLEM: THE SETTLEMENT OF THE
ISSUE BETWEEN THE EROS AND THE AGAPE MOTIFS - 69
2
I. Synthesis and Reformation:
2. The Struggles of the Monk and Contritio.
3. The Sacrifice of the Mass and the Lord's Supper:
How THE CARITAS-SYNTHESIS IS BROKEN DOWN - 7
00
I. The Campaign against the" Heavenly Ladders ".
2. The Campaign against Self-love.
3. The Campaign against Fides caritote formato.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE RENEWAL OF THE EROS MOTIF IN
THE RENASCENCE
I. EROS RE-BORN - 66]
II. THE HUMAN GoD 672
III. THE DIVINE SELF-LOVE - - 67
8
ill. THE DEvELOPMENT OF THE CARll-AS DOCTRINE 638
I. Augustine, the Middle Ages and Luther.
2. The Problem of Unselfish Love.
3. God is Amar is Am;citia.
4. Fides caritote formato. Fellowship with God on God's
Level.
IV. NEW CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DOCTRINE OF LOVE
I. Minne-piety.
2. Passionmysticism.
- 609
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61
3
CHAPTER FOUR
THE DOCTRINE OF LOVE-
I. INTRODUCTORY
II. THE MEDI..f:VAL OFCiIIWlTIANITY
I. Cosmology and the Upward Tendency.
2. Christianity as CaritaS;rdigion.
3. The Three Heavenly Ladders.
(I) The Ladder of Merit. . .
(2) The Analogical Ladder of Speculation"
(3) The Anagogical Ladder of Mysticism. "
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XXVI
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PA!l&
I V ~ How AGAPE-LOVE IS BUiLT .Up- ~ 7
Z2
1.. Amor Dei and Amor hQminis.
2. The Uniq,ueness of Christian Love. , . .
3' The ChrIStian as theChannet of ~ s down-pourmg
Love.
CONCLUSION
- 739
INDICES - 743
I. Scripture References
- 745
2. Greek Wor4s
..
74
8
3. Proper Names
75
4. Subjects
- 754
t
INTRODUCTION
THE PROBLEM OF AGAPE AND EROS
I
THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM
I. THE TWOFOLD PuRposE OF THE INQUIRY
THE purpose of the present inquiry is twofold: first, to in-
vestigate the meaning of the Christian idea of love; and
secondly, to illustrate tho main changes it has undergone in
the course of history.
.It might reasonably have been e:![pected that theologians
would have given special attention to these questions, for it is
plain that the idea of love occupies a-not to say the-central
place in Christianity, both fiom a religious and an ethical
point of-View. Yet we have only to glance at the treatment
the subject has received from theologians in recent times, to
see that it is among the most neglected. In the history of
. doctrine, comprehensive and painst;lking work has been d e ~
voted to the elucidation of quite peripheral details, while this
central question has been largelyleh on one side, as though
the meaning and stnicture of the Christian idea' of love were
self-evident and unambiguous, and were sufficiendy defined
by the mere mention of the word " love"; and as though the
idea of love had had one and the same significance for all
Christians in all ages. Nor is the position any different when
we turn to the history of Christian ethics. Here, too,the
details are often well worked out, and we are given particulars
of what were often quite unimportant modifications of current
ethical ideas and ideals by individual thinkers; but little is
~