Agape

Lore & Background

The verb form of agape appears as early as Homer, translated as 'affection' in contexts such as greeting with affection or showing affection for the dead. Other ancient authors used forms of the word to denote love of a spouse or family, or affection for a particular activity, distinguishing it from eros, which is sexual in nature. The Liddell–Scott–Jones Lexicon lists instances in polytheistic Greek literature with three basic descriptions: 'greet with affection,' 'to be fond of, prize, desire,' and 'to be well pleased, contented.' A sepulchral inscription honors a polytheistic army officer held in 'high esteem' by his country. In the New Testament, agape refers to the covenant love of God for humans and the human reciprocal love for God, necessarily extending to love of one's fellow human beings. Jesus, when asked about the great commandment, quoted Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18: 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart... and thy neighbour as thyself.' In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught love for enemies, saying, 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.' The expression 'God is love' appears twice in 1 John. Early Christians used agape to refer to God's self-sacrificing love, built upon the Hebrew concept of chesed. Tertullian noted that Christian love attracted pagan notice: 'Look how they love one another.'

Reader's Guide

Agape's significance lies in its distinction from other Greek words for love, particularly eros (sexual affection) and philia (brotherly love). In Christian thought, it came to represent the highest form of love—selfless, unconditional, and sacrificial. C. S. Lewis described it as a selfless love passionately committed to the well-being of others. Karl Barth distinguished agape from eros based on its origin and depth of devotion without want, noting that with agape humanity transcends its nature and identifies with the neighbor's interests regardless of attractiveness or expectation of reciprocity. Anglican theologian O. C. Quick wrote that agape in human experience is a partial realization, but in its pure form is essentially divine. The term also appears in the New Testament in its plural form (agapai) to describe early Christian love feasts, still observed by some denominations. Outside Christianity, the concept has been considered in other religions and even in non-religious contexts by some contemporary writers. In Thelema, the term represents the highest form of love, associated with True Will and the principle 'Love is the law, love under will.'

Did You Know?

• The verb form of agape appears as early as Homer, meaning 'greet with affection' or 'show affection for the dead.'
• In the New Testament, the expression 'God is love' (ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν) occurs twice: 1 John 4:8 and 4:16.
• Tertullian, in his 2nd-century defense of Christians, wrote that pagan observers remarked, 'Look how they love one another.'
• The plural form agapai is used in the New Testament to describe early Christian love feasts, still observed by some denominations today.

Roots in Ancient Greek

The word agape traces its lineage to the Ancient Greek term ἀγάπη, and its verbal form appears as early as Homer, where it carries the simple sense of affection—greeting someone warmly or expressing tenderness toward the departed. Beyond poetry, other classical authors deployed various forms of the word to describe fondness for a spouse, a family member, or even a cherished activity, always in deliberate distinction from eros, which carried a specifically sexual connotation. The Liddell–Scott–Jones Lexicon catalogs numerous occurrences across polytheistic Greek literature, distilling them into three core meanings: greeting with affection, being fond of or desiring something, and feeling contented or well pleased. Bauer's Lexicon adds a striking archaeological note, citing a sepulchral inscription most likely commemorating a polytheistic army officer who was held in high esteem by his community. These early attestations reveal that agape, before it became inseparable from Christian theology, was a versatile word for warm, non-erotic regard in the everyday and ceremonial life of the ancient Greek world.

The Christian Transformation

Under the influence of later Christian writers, agape became the definitive term for the covenant love between God and humanity and the reciprocal devotion humans owe to God and one another. The New Testament declares twice that God is love, and apostolic letters frame agape as self-sacrificing, unconditional commitment rooted in the older Hebrew concept of chesed, God's steadfast loving kindness. Jesus's great commandment—love God with all heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself—became the theological anchor, while his Sermon on the Mount pushed the concept further by commanding love even for enemies. Early Christian communities practiced this as mutual self-giving, a theme scholars connect to kenosis. C. S. Lewis in The Four Loves described agape as the highest variety of love humanity knows: a selfless passion for another's well-being. Karl Barth sharpened the distinction from eros, arguing that agape transcends human nature entirely, identifying with the neighbor regardless of attractiveness and expecting no reciprocity. Yet the New Testament also turns the verb against those who love the present world, human praise, or darkness over light, revealing the term's moral edge.

The Agape Feast

In its plural form, agapai, the word appears in the New Testament—Jude 1:12 and 2 Peter 2:13—to describe a communal meal shared by early Christians, a practice that has endured for nearly two millennia. Today, the agape love feast remains a living observance in several denominations, particularly among Brethren and other Plain, Anabaptist communities. Among the Old Order River Brethren and the Old Brethren, for instance, an entire weekend is set aside twice each year for special gatherings, periods of self-examination, and a communal Love Feast that forms one element of their three-part Communion observance. This tradition transforms the abstract theological concept of selfless, sacrificial love into a tangible act of shared bread and fellowship. What began as a simple Greek word for affectionate greeting or fondness has thus been given a concrete, recurring ritual expression in which a community gathers to embody the very love the word signifies, bridging the gap between doctrinal language and lived practice across generations of believers.

Beyond the Church Walls

The concept of agape has not remained confined to Christian theology. In the early twentieth century, Aleister Crowley's new religious movement Thelema adopted the term as a cornerstone of its spiritual framework. Within Thelemic practice, agape represents the supreme expression of love and is intimately linked to the idea of True Will, the central tenet expressed in the formula: 'Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the law, love under will.' Here, agape encompasses both love directed toward others and love for the self, transcending personal desires and attachments while harmonizing individual purpose with a universal love. In Thelemic rituals, the term carries ritual significance as the expression of one's divine will. Outside organized religion, some contemporary writers have attempted to extend agape into purely secular contexts, and the concept has been examined within the frameworks of other faith traditions, religious ethics, and even science. This broadening of agape's reach—from a Homeric greeting to a Thelemic ritual principle to a subject of interdisciplinary inquiry—testifies to the word's remarkable capacity to adapt while retaining its core sense of selfless, transcendent love.

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