Greco-Christian term referring to God's love, the highest form of love
For other uses, see Agape (disambiguation).
Part of a series on
Love
Types of love
Affection
Bonding
Broken heart
Compassionate love
Conjugal love
Courtly love
courtship
troubadours
Falling in love
Friendship
cross-sex
romantic
zone
Interpersonal attraction
Interpersonal relationship
Intimacy
Limerence
Love addiction
Love at first sight
Love triangle
Lovesickness
Lovestruck
Obsessive love
Passion
Platonic love
Puppy love
Queerplatonic relationship
Romance
Self-love
Amour de soi
Unconditional love
Unrequited love
Social views
Anarchist
Free love
Patriotism
Chinese
Ren
Yuanfen
French
Amour-propre
Greek
words for love
Agape
Eros
Ludus
Mania
Philautia
Philia
Philos
Pragma
Storgḗ
Xenia
Indian
Kama
Bhakti
Maitrī
Islamic
Ishq
Jewish
Chesed
Latin
Amor
Caritas
Portuguese
Saudade
Yaghan
Mamihlapinatapai
Concepts
Color wheel theory of love
Bhakti yoga
Biological basis
Love letter
Love of Christ
Love of God
in Christianity
Love magic
Valentine's Day
Philosophy
Religious views
love deities
Mere-exposure effect
Sacred Heart
Similarity
Physical attractiveness
Triangular theory of love
v
t
e
Agape (/ɑːˈɡɑːpeɪ,ˈɑːɡəˌpeɪ,ˈæɡə-/;[1] from Ancient Greek ἀγάπη (agápē)) is "the highest form of love, charity" and "the love of God for [human beings] and of [human beings] for God".[2] This is in contrast to philia, brotherly love, or philautia, self-love, as it embraces a profound sacrificial love that transcends and persists regardless of circumstance.
The verb form goes as far back as Homer, translated literally as affection, as in "greet with affection" and "show affection for the dead".[3] Other ancient authors have used forms of the word to denote love of a spouse or family, or affection for a particular activity, in contrast to eros (an affection of a sexual nature).
In the New Testament, agape refers to the covenant love of God for humans, as well as the human reciprocal love for God; the term necessarily extends to the love of one's fellow human beings.[4] Some contemporary writers have sought to extend the use of agape into non-religious contexts.[5]
The concept of agape has been widely examined within its Christian context.[6] It has also been considered in the contexts of other religions,[7] religious ethics,[8] and science.[9]
^
"agape". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021.
"agape". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d.
^Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert (1901). "ἀγάπη". A Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 6.
^Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert (1901). "ἀγaπάω". A Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 6.
^"agape". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 2011.
^
Oord, Thomas Jay (December 2005). "The love racket: Defining love and agape for the love-and-science research program" (PDF). Zygon. 40 (4): 919–938. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9744.2005.00717.x. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 September 2006.
Oord, Thomas Jay (2010). Defining Love: A Philosophical, Scientific, and Theological Engagement. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Brazos Press. ISBN 978-1-58743-257-6.
^Nygren, Anders (1953) [1938–39], Eros and Agape, translated by Watson, P.S., Harper & Row
^Templeton, John (1999). Agape Love: Tradition In Eight World Religions. Templeton Foundation Press. ISBN 978-1-890151-29-4.
^Grant, Colin (1996). "For the Love of God: Agape". Journal of Religious Ethics. 4 (10): 3–21. JSTOR 40016679.
^
Post, S.G. (2002). "The Tradition of Agape". In Post, S.G.; Underwood, L.G.; Schloss, J.P.; Hurlbut, W.B. (eds.). Altruism and Altruistic Love: Science, Philosophy, and Religion in Dialogue. Oxford University Press. pp. 51–68. ISBN 978-0-19-534944-3.
Browning, Don S. (2002). "Science and Religion on the Nature of Love". Altruism and Altruistic Love. pp. 335–45, op cit.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
Agape (/ɑːˈɡɑːpeɪ, ˈɑːɡəˌpeɪ, ˈæɡə-/; from Ancient Greek ἀγάπη (agápē)) is "the highest form of love, charity" and "the love of God for [human beings]...
An agape feast or lovefeast (also spelled love feast or love-feast, sometimes capitalized) is a term used for various communal meals shared among Christians...
Agapion (Russian: Агапио́н) is an old and rare Russian male first name. It is derived from the Greek verb agapaō, meaning to love. The patronymics derived...
Agape Europe is the Western European ministry of Cru, an interdenominational movement that was founded in 1951 in the United States of America. "Agape"...
Agape and Eros (Swedish: Eros och Agape) is the shorthand English name given to the treatise written by the Swedish Protestant theologian Anders Nygren...
The Agape International Spiritual Center is a transdenominational congregation currently holding Sunday services at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills...
concepts is: Agápe (ἀγάπη, agápē) means "love: esp. unconditional love, charity; the love of God for person and of person for God". Agape is used in ancient...
The Mouth Agape (French: La gueule ouverte) is a 1974 French drama film directed by Maurice Pialat. It depicts, in a cinematic realist fashion, a woman...
The Agape Lodge was an American chapter of Ordo Templi Orientis founded in California in 1935 by Wilfred Talbot Smith. Following World War II, it was...
Agape Baptist Academy was a Christian boarding school located near the city of Stockton, Missouri, that functioned from 1990 until 2023. Agape Baptist...
Ludus, and Storge, and the three secondary types are Mania, Pragma, and Agape. Eros is the Greek term for romantic, passionate, or sexual love, from which...
and publisher. She served as Priestess of Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica at Agape Lodge of Ordo Templi Orientis in Pasadena, California, during the 1940s...
AgapeFest, formerly known as Agape Music Festival, was an annual, Christian music festival in Greenville, Illinois. It featured many Christian musicians...
$370–413 million Ponzi scheme. Cosmo conducted the scheme using his company Agape World Inc. in Hauppauge, New York, which claimed to make its profits via...
Tomi Agape is a Nigerian Afro-fusion, neo-soul, and alternative R&B singer, and songwriter. She is part of the Nigerian Alté scene. Her breakthrough single...
The Agape League is a high school athletic league affiliated with the CIF Southern Section. Most of its members are independent, Christian schools located...
The Agape Foundation Fund for Nonviolent Social Change was a non-profit, public foundation which funded "nonviolent social change organizations committed...
11°15′30.76″E / 43.7543500°N 11.2585444°E / 43.7543500; 11.2585444 Villa Agape, previously named Villa Arrighetti, is a villa in Tuscany, Italy, situated...
director of the Agape International Spiritual Center in Beverly Hills, California. Beckwith is the founder and spiritual director of the Agape International...
self-emptying or divine love (agape). Modern authors have distinguished further varieties of romantic love. Agape (ἀγάπη agápē) Agape, often a Christian term...