Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Tis double issue of INTER is investigates the unity of the Chuich, beyond fun-
damentalism and syncietism. Te ist section encompasses a few ecclesiologi-
cal fundamentals and iefeience points of intei-confessional dialogue: the image
and the denition of the Chuich in the New Testament, the ielation between ca-
tholicity, oi univeisality, and ecclesial stiuctuie, the shift in geogiaphy and think-
ing that pioduces the tiaditional ecclesiological vision of today, the contiibutions
of ceitain theologians such as von Balthasai and Stniloae to the debate about
the ieconstiuction of Chiistian unity, the iole and the iesponsibility of Oitho-
doxy in contempoiaiy oecumenism, the inteiests of the Piotestant confessions
in indentifying a viable pattein of communion, the tension between conciliaiity
and piimacy in Catholicism following Vatican II, and the ecclesiological vision of
the new confessions. Te second section biings togethei a seiies of lectuies held
in Januaiy 2006 in Lugano, as elements of a paiticulaily dynamic debate on the
possibility to foimulate an oecumenical mannei of peifoiming the papal piima-
cy. Tese contiibutions sum up the peispectives of Catholic, Piotestant (Walden-
sian) and Oithodox theologies. Te thiid and last theme section is conseciated
to commentaiies on pope Benedict XVIs gestuie of ienouncing the title of Pa-
Argunentun
inter II, 1-2 (2008) [1]
tie altele. Uimand iegulile de baz ale pieei, consistena ofeitei difei iadical
de la un ofeitant la altul. Invocat pan la exces, piincipiul toleianei ieligioase
este caiicatuiizat piin jumti de infoimaii, pseudo-cunotine i un amestec
bizai de ciedine, supeistiii, angoase, idei politice, diete cuiative i simboluii
ieinteipietate. Dac fundamentalismul este vaiianta viciat a identitii feime,
a geogiaei ieligioase locale, atunci sincietismul este vaiianta peiveitit a sin-
tezei, a deschideiii ctie univeisalitate.
Pe acest fundal puteinic polaiizat se deiuleaz i dialogul din inteiioiul maiiloi
familii ieligioase. Cat piivete dialogul intei-confesional din inteiioiul Cieti-
nismului, ciiza manifest piin caie tiece acesta de apioape dou decenii poate
mai bine ineleas i datoiit confiuntiii publice de azi dintie cele dou so-
luii extieme. Acuzaia de fundamentalism este concuiat de acuzaia de sin-
cietism. Dac piima nu este valabil, atunci este cu siguian a doua. ntie cele
dou paie s nu mai existe spaiu pentiu o a tieia soluie, cu totul distinct, ca-
pabil s nu cedeze nici absolutismului identitai, dai nici metadiscuisului ega-
lizatoi. Foimula este, tiebuie s o iecunoatem, extiem de incomod. Ea pie-
supune o cunoateie ieal, piofund i onest, fi idealizii sau simplicii,
a piopiiei identiti, dai i a celei caie denete pe ceilali, paiticipani sau nu
la dialog. Pentiu a o piactica, aceast soluie tiebuie s e capabil s accepte
puneiile in chestiune, ciiticile la adiesa tiaseului teologic i istoiic al piopii-
ei Biseiici sau confesiuni i la adiesa altoia. n ne, a tieia cale mai piesupune
ceva imposibil de invat doai din cii: asumaiea unui tiaseu spiiitual peiso-
nal in acoid cu identitatea comunitii de ciedin din caie faci paite, ins de o
maniei deschis. Pentiu a opune fundamentalismului fundamentele asuma-
te in cunotin de cauz, iai sincietismului identitatea capabil de dialog, este
nevoie in egal msui de noblee i matuiitate, geneiozitate i disceinmant,
senintate i feimitate.
Te nountain of knowledge as an icon of the hierarchical
12
systen
Various levels of perception and worthiness
In the economy of the paiable
13
, the hens iepiesent the majoiity of people,
living somatically, that is exclusively conceined with this tiansitoiy life and ig-
noiing the hoiizon of highei nobility. Entiapped with the egalitaiian myth and
8
Cf. S: Bsii :nr Gvr:, Honilies on Hexaeneron 1:1 (= Nicene and Post-Nicene Fatheis
VIII), Wm.B. Eeidmans Publishing Co., Giand Rapids, 1978, pp. 52-53.
9
Cf. S: Gvroovv or Nzizus, Teological Orations 2:2-3, in On God and Christ Te
Five Teological Orations and Two Letters to Cledonius, tians., intio. and notes by F. Williams &
L. Wickham, SVS Piess, Ciestwood, NY, 2002, pp. 37-39.
10
Cf. S: Gvroovv or Nvss, Te Life of Moses II.152-161 (= Classics of Westein Spiiituality
Seiies), tians., intio. and notes by A.J. Malheibe and E. Feiguson, pief. by J. Meyendoi, Paulist
Piess, New Yoik & Ramsey & Toionto, 1978, pp. 91-94.
11
Cf. Diovsius :nr Avrovoi:r, Mystical Teology 1:3, in Psruoo-Diovsius, Te
Conplete Works (= Te Classics of Westein Spiiituality Seiies), tians. by C. Luibheid, foiewoid,
notes, and tians. collaboiation by P. Roiem, pief. by R. Roques, intio. by J. Pelikan, J. Lecleiq,
and K. Fioelich, Paulist Piess, New Yoik & Mahwah, 1987, pp. 136-137.
12
Foi a nuanced meaning of hieiaichy, see Aichbishop S:viios (Hviis), Piioiities
in Tiue Cultuie, Phronena 20 (2005), pp. 1-7.
13
Te hens, the ioostei and the eagle echo the classic thiee stages of tiaditional communities
in Late Antiquity, iespectively the sonatikoi (the somatic), the psychikoi (the psychic) and the
pneunatikoi (the spiiitual). Te NT makes allusion to the thiee categoiies: Romans 7:14, Jude
19, 1 Coiinthians 2:13 & 3:1. I am indebted to Fi Patiick McIneiney (Colunban Centre for
Christian-Muslin Relations, Sydney) who inteipieted the thiee-stages peispective in light of
his study on B. Loneigan Method in Teology (Univeisity of Toionto Piess, Toionto, 1990), pp.
81-100. Accoiding to Loneigan, theie aie foui iealms of expeiience: the woild of common sense,
the woild of theoiy, the woild of inteiioiity, the woild of tianscendence (the last two coiiespond
to the thiid stage, of the eagle).
[6o] inter II, 1-2 (2008)
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inteipieting life in mateiialistic teims, they cannot dieam of peiceiving ieali-
ty othei way than looking downwaids to the giound. Te ioosteis behavioui
is completely stiange and absuid to them: they aie altogethei unable to undei-
stand why someone would claim that ieality may be moie than eating and lay-
ing eggs In tuin, the ioostei illustiates those who question the unilateial way
of eaithly life, togethei with its naiiow peiception of ieality. Notwithstanding
he is not necessaiily situated high above the hens, existentially speaking, the
ioostei gets involved with supeiioi intellectual and spiiitual activities, at-
tempting to compiehend the meaning of life and woild. Pioviding his mind with
the necessaiy spiiitual food, and becoming awaie of himself and the ielief of
ieality, he piogiesses towaids peiceiving the sceneiy of life in a moie complex
way. It is theiefoie suipiising that whilst being unintelligible to the hens, when
confionted with the supeiioi insight of the eagle the ioostei behaves like any
othei complacent hen.
14
He cannot beai the idea of a highei and widei peicep-
tion of ieality, foi the simple ieason of not being able to follow the eagle in the
latteis upwaids jouiney. In the end, the baiiiei expeiienced by both the hens
and the ioostei is the same, although they suei it dieiently: an idiosynciat-
ic tendency to oveilook at the same time the vaiious degiees of accessing tiuth
and the obvious pie-eminence of the aiistociacy of spiiit. Yet ceitain aie two
things. Te ist: ieality is complex, and it is peiceived fiom indenite points
of view
15
, coiiesponding to the vaiious ways of living. Te second: the supeii-
oi access to tiuth iemains conditioned by the intensity of ones commitment
with the viituous life.
Aiiiving at this conclusion, the paiable emphasises the intimate nexus
between expeiience and knowledge. If Fiancis Bacon foimulated the ielation
between knowledge and powei in teims of piopoitionality, tantun possunus
quantun scinus (we acquiie powei accoiding to the measuie of oui knowl-
edge) oi scientia potentia est (science is powei), St Silouan unveils anothei facet
of the cognitive piocess: we know piopoitionally to oui peisonal expeiience
on the viituous path. Heie it becomes obvious the main dieience between
the outwaid oiientation of modein mind, willing to demiuigically opeiate as
ecosystemic piinciple, and iespectively the inwaid oiientation of tiaditional
mind, inteiested in the tiansfoimation of human peison.
MM: the species of to do TM: the species of to be(come)
Consequently, when it is about peisonal becoming like in the ascent fiom
the condition of hens to that of the ioostei, oi fiom that of the ioostei to that
14
Commenting on his own paiable, St Silouan obseives that when the spiiitual man meets
with his opposite, theii discouise is tedious and buidensome foi both of them. Cf. S. Snvov,
Saint Silouan the Athonite, p. 487.
15
With no emphasis on the existential dimension of the act of knowing, B. Nicoirscu (^ous,
la particule et le nonde, Rochei, Paiis, 2002, pp. 267-272) mentions indenite levels of ieality
and iespective levels of peiception. Similaily, A. Nicoiiois, Te Metaphysics of Reason, in
B. Nicoirscu & M. S:viscni (eds.), Science and Religion Antagonisn or Conplenentarity?,
XXI Te dogmatic eon, Buchaiest, 2003, pp. 235-238.
inter II, 1-2 (2008) [61]
Te Seekers of Truth...
of the eagle the iequiied knowledge can no longei be simple infoimation. In-
stead is iequiied the wisdom of the saints who have been theie and have done
that Tat is, to access the existential, tiansfoiming, tiuth necessitates spiiit-
ual guidance and a tiaditional fiamewoik.
AxoncuIo Txuiu vIiu iuv BvzniIv Fniuvxs
We will entei now anothei dimension of the tiaditional mind, that of com-
plexity of tiadition and the necessity of guidance.
Duiing the ist centuiies, the awaieness of vaiious peiceptions of Chiistian
tiuth has been expiessed by distinguishing two levels of tiadition and theii coiie-
sponding degiees of initiation.
16
In line with the complex stiuctuie of the lituigy,
with its two main sections the lituigy of the catechumens, those to be enlightened,
and iespectively of the faithful, the enlightened , St Basil the Gieat disceined the
levels of kerygnata and dognata. By kerygnata (pioclamations) he indicated the
exteinal side oi the public manifestation of the ecclesial life, wheieas by dognata
(opinions) he designated the innei side of tiadition, a sum of ciiteiia oi the eccle-
sial mindset.
17
Ceitainly the level of dognata, wheie theie is no tiue access with-
out supeiioi guidance, cast the denitive light upon the meaning and puipose of
kerygnata. Similaily, a whole seiies of 4
th
centuiy pie-baptismal and post-baptis-
mal catechisms witnessed the existence of a piocess of initiation, undei the caie-
ful guidance of a bishop oi an appointed catechist.
18
But the epitome of this com-
plex piocess iemains undoubtedly the ielations established between the eldeis and
the novices, as depicted by the famous Sayings of the Desert Fathers.
19
Te piesent section of my papei will focus howevei on the contiibutions of
thiee latei fatheis, who have claiied what the innei side of tiadition consist-
ed of. Tese authois, Sts Maximus the Confessoi, Symeon the New Teologian
and Giegoiy Palamas, iepiesenting the so-called philokalic tiadition, have also
biought foith an unambiguous answei to the issue of accessing tiuth. Basical-
ly they identied the tiue mystagogues (guides into the mysteiy) not with the
iepiesentatives of the established hieiaichy but with the aiistociacy of spiiit as
iepiesented by the saints. Coiielatively they have put into ielief the existential
content of the tiaditions innei side. As a common featuie, they all emphasised
the necessaiy connection between accessing tiuth and living viituously. Living
the tiuth was ultimately foi them to paiticipate in the divine and deifying life
20
,
an expeiience impossible to iealise outside the tiadition of the saints.
16
Cf. J. Dv, Adheience to Disciplina Arcani in the Fouith Centuiy, Studia Patristica XXXV,
Peeteis, Leuven, 2001, pp. 266-270, D. Cos:cnr, Te Innei Side of the Visible: Apostolic Ciiteiia
and Spiiit in the Oithodox Tiadition, in Trooosir Pr:vrscu (ed.), Onagiu Profesorului ^icolae
V. Dura la 0 de ani [In Celebration Prof. ^icolae V. Dura at the age of 0], Edituia Aihiepiscopiei
Tomisului, Constana, 2006, pp. 387-388.
17
Cf. S: Bsii :nr Gvr:, On the Holy Spirit 66, tians. and intio. by D. Andeison, St Vladimiis
Seminaiy Piess, Ciestwood, NY, 1980, pp. 98-99.
18
See foi instance E. Mzz, Mystagogy A theology of Liturgy in the Patristic Age, tians. by M. J.
OConnell, Pueblo Publishing Co., New Yoik, 1989. Te volume exploies the catechetical piactices
of Ambiose of Milan, Teodoie of Mopsuestia, John Chiysostom and Cyiil of Jeiusalem.
19
Cf. Te Sayings of the Desert Fathers Te Alphabetical Collection (ievised edition), tiansl.,
with a foiewoid by B. Waid, SLG, pieface by Metiopolitan Anthony of Souiozh, Cisteician
Publications, Kalamazoo, 1984.
20
Cf. N. Russrii, Te Doctrine of Deication in the Greek Patristic Tradition, Oxfoid Univeisity
Piess, Oxfoid, 2004, pp. 262-295, 301-309.
[6z] inter II, 1-2 (2008)
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To intioduce his inteiesting theoiy of the ve polaiities of ieality (in his ma-
joi woik, Anbigua), St Maximus the Confessoi made mention of the mystical
succession of the saints. Accoiding to him, the saints ieceived the knowledge
of divine things in two distinct ways: by the mediation of othei saints and by
diiect expeiience
21
Staiting with the apostles, as followeis and seivants of the
Logos, this chain of saints iepiesented the uninteiiupted succession of a mysti-
cal tiadition outside which no ieal access to (Chiistian) tiuth is possible. Max-
imus was so convinced of the capital impoitance of the mystical tiadition, that
in his famous tieatise Mystagogy he intioduced a cential chaiactei, the eldei,
who appaiently initiated him in the mysteiies celebiated within the lituigy. Te
whole tieatise
22
may seive as piolegomena to the tiaditional Byzantine meth-
od of accessing tiuth. In an eailiei woik, On the Ascetic Life, St Maximus illus-
tiated how things went with the existential instiuction oi the living tiadition,
imagining a dialogue involving an eldei and a novice. Te dialogue echoes con-
veisations fiom the afoiementioned Sayings.
In tuin, St Symeon emphasised moie the antithesis between those initiated
by the saints and all othei people. In his 15
th
catechetical discouise
23
, he con-
tiasts the cainal people, living undei the dominion of daikness, on the one
hand, and the spiiitual and holy men and theii thoughts of the light on the
othei hand. He emphasises the di culties expeiienced by the foimei when
stiuck by the challenging message and the expeiiential supeiioiity of saints.
Unwilling to contemplate the spiiitual light, and because of theii ignoiance
and unbelief, cainal people feel piovoked to oppose and hate the saints. Chai-
acteiised by daikness of passions, blindness of mind, insensitivity and ig-
noiance, fai fiom paitaking in the mind of Chiist, the cainal people end by
iefusing to be taught. Unable to acknowledge otheis supeiioi spiiitual state,
out of obtuseness, they piefei to imagine they know, even though they know
nothing, iemaining away fiom the mystical expeiience. As foi the saints, they
enjoy the piivilege of ieceiving divine featuies by unfathomable paiticipation.
God being light, to those who have enteied into union with him he impaits of
his own biightness to the extent that they have been puiied. Tose who ap-
pioach God by way of puiication aie gianted to become gods by adoption,
sons of the Most High accoiding to the image of the Most High and accoiding
to his likeness. Without piomoting the idea of a gnostic elite, St Symeon ulti-
mately desciibes the expeiience of the saints foi pedagogical ieasons, to ieveal
the icon of tiue Chiistian life and to invite all to puisue it: by oui discouise
21
Cf. Anbigua, 41, PG 91, 1304.
22
Cf. Te Churchs Mystagogy, in Maxinus Confessor Selected Writings (= Classics of Westein
Spiiituality Seiies), tians. and notes by G.C. Beithold, intio. by J. Pelikan, pief. by I.H. Dalmais,
Paulist Piess, New Yoik & Mahwah, 1985, pp. 183-214.
23
Cf. S: Svrro :nr Nr Tnroiooi, Te Discourses (= Te Classics of Westein
Spiiituality Seiies), tians. by C.J. de Cantazaio, intio. by G. Maloney S.J., pief. by B. Kiivocheine,
SPCK, London, 1980, pp. 193-197. Similaily, St Silouan obseives: The spiiitual man meditates
day and night on the law of the Loid, and in piayei iises towaids God, wheieas the mind of
the indieient man is tied to the eaith, oi engaged in idle thoughts. Te soul of the spiiitual
man delights in peace, wheieas the otheis soul iemains empty and distiacted. Like the eagle,
the spiiitual man soais in the heights, and with his soul feels God, and beholds the whole
woild, though he be piaying in the daikness of night, wheieas the soul of man who is not
spiiitual delights in vaingloiy oi in iiches, oi seeks the pleasuies of the esh (S. Snvov,
Saint Silouan the Athonite, p. 487).
inter II, 1-2 (2008) [6]
Te Seekers of Truth...
we have shown, as on a pillai, who aie Chiistians and what is theii natuie, that
those men may compaie themselves to the model and nd out how fai they fall
shoit of those who aie tiuly Chiistians. Although a minoiity, the saints make
visible the innei nobility of all those who want to become, like them, sons and
daughteis of God. Indiiectly they teach us how, having equal chances in fiont
of God, we make dieiently use of them.
Dichotomies
in St Symeon the New Teologians 15
th
Catechetical discourse
Svu:un vvovv Cnun vvovv
thoughts of the light
the mind of Chiist
puiied
they have enteied into union with God
gods by adoption
sons of the Most High accoiding
to the image of the Most High
and accoiding to his likeness
living undei the dominion of daikness
ignoiance and unbelief
daikness of passions
blindness of mind
insensitivity and ignoiance
they know nothing
they iefuse to be taught
St Giegoiy Palamas, in the Declaration of the Holy Mountain
24
, continues
this tiend, synthesising the majoi ideas of pievious fatheis. In line with St Bas-
il, he distinguishes within the Chiistian doctiines those openly pioclaimed
and iespectively those mystically and piophetically ievealed by the Spiiit to
the saints. Accessing the mystical teachings is not an easy thing and it is a mat-
tei of fact that foi many these teachings iepiesent nonsense if not blasphemy.
Palamas obseives, like St Symeon befoie him, the symmetiy between the Jews
who aie unable to inteipiet Chiistologically the Old Testament and the Chiis-
tians who, depiived of piopei ieveience, ieject out of ignoiance the mystei-
ies of the Spiiit. Oi, these mysteiies oi the blessings of the age to come, be-
ing piomised to the saints, aie alieady disclosed piophetically to those whom
the Spiiit accounts woithy. Accessing tiuth iequiies peisonal tiansfoimation
and it is obvious that not many aie ieady to ienounce theii idiosynciasies foi
the sake of a supeiioi life. Te saints, made woithy by the Holy Spiiit, aie pei-
sons who have been initiated by actual expeiience, who have ienounced pos-
sessions, human gloiy and the ugly pleasuies of the body foi the sake of the
evangelical life. Heie the inuence of St Maximus becomes visible. Although
they have theii own expeiience as individuals, the saints aie not isolated. Tey
all live and giow within tiadition: they have also stiengthened theii ienuncia-
tion by submitting themselves to those who have attained spiiitual matuiity in
24
Te Declaration of the Holy Mountain in defense of those who devoutly practice a life of
stillness, piologue, in Te Philokalia 4, tians. fiom the Gieek and edited by G.E.H. Palmei, Ph.
Sheiiaid, K. Waie, Fabei & Fabei, London, 1994, pp. 418-419.
[6] inter II, 1-2 (2008)
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Chiist. Even in this iespect theie aie vaiious levels to be distinguished. If not all
those stiiving foi a supeiioi life manage to ieach the climax of peifection and
the mystical knowledge, they have nonetheless the possibility to leain about
these things thiough theii ieveience, faith and love foi the saints.
Foi the Byzantines tiadition iepiesents a complex fiamewoik, wheie the-
oietical piinciples and ciiteiia expiessions of the ecclesial mindset meet
the life of the Chuich, excellently manifested by the expeiience of the saints. A
new meaning of hieiaichy and aiistociacy emeiges: having nothing to do with
an unjust social establishment, the saints coming fiom all walks of life ie-
veal with compassion, giadually and exemplaiily the innei nobility of eveiy
human being. Consequently they incainate the actual landmaiks necessaiy to
any spiiitual puisuit. Rathei than being the gatekeepeis, they illustiate a living
path in seeking tiuth and the accomplishment of this endeavoui in the foim
of a way of living.
CocIusIvv xvmnxs
Seeking tiuth is not a maiginal endeavoui, even if we aie fai fiom ieaching
tiuth, ultimately this quest denes who we aie. But seeking tiuth is a piocess
to be accomplished within an aiistociatic system (in the sense of aiistociacy
depicted in the above). Seeking tiuth the existential tiuth becomes possible
in wisdom and by following in the footsteps of those who being guided by otheis
went theie befoie us, alieady expeiiencing what we all need to expeiience.
To the Byzantine tiadition, like foi St Silouan, it is ceitain thing that accessing
tiuth and acquiiing highei peisonal nobility go hand in hand. Without both
the peisonal endeavoui to iealise innei tiansfoimation and the guidelines of
tiadition, no ielevant tiuth can be found at least not a tiuth able to signicantly
eniich and give consistency to oui life. Reinstating the aiistociacy of spiiit oi
the tiadition of the saints as a decisive epistemological ciiteiion does not mean
to ietuin to a medieval-like stiatication. It iepiesents instead a ne chance
to iegain noimality, a possibility to open to people a matuie way of ieshaping
theii lives and to acquiie full humanity.
One question iemains yet unansweied: aie we ieady to give up oui piejudices
and stait ying upwaids, with the eagle?
inter II, 1-2 (2008) [6]
Te Biblical and Classical
Greek Terminology of Love
Fiovi-CX1Xii Cni|
Abstract
Tis text is an analysis on the semantics of the woid love in ancient Gieek (eros, agape,
philia, storge), consideiing fundamental texts of the pie-Chiistian Gieek philosophy, the
Septuagint and the New Testament. A special stiess has been made on a couple of these
woids, eros and agape, to emphasize thiough abundant classical souices the iich eld of
signications and chionologic metamoiphosis, deteimined by two types of context in
which they aie used philosophical and Chiistian. Te authoi stiesses on the impoi-
tance of piecise usage of such woid as love, aected today by a seiies of misundeistand-
ings and ieductions.
Keywords: eros, agape, philia, love, communion
I
: is oirricui: :o c:cn the iich nuances of an old teims meanings at
a ceitain point of its evolution in a living language thioughout the centu-
iies. It will, of couise, keep its fundamental meaning, tiansfoimed, ieoii-
ented, changed, and iathei enlaiged than denitely deteimined.
In theii iemaikable tianslation into Gieek of the Hebiew holy texts, the tians-
latois of the Septuagint used the colloquial Gieek language, and at the same
time they took advantage of the depth of the ancient Gieek language, which
was alieady extiemely nuanced and iened thiough its development in classi-
cal Gieek philology and philosophy. Te authois of the New Testament weie
subsequently inuenced, to a ceitain extent, by the vocabulaiy of the Gieek
veision of the Hebiew Sciiptuies.
Te tianslatois of the Septuagint used foui teims which appeai in pievious
Gieek texts in oidei to assimilate the Hebiew noun connoting love,
ah
a
bh,
and the analogous veib
hb
1
: , , and , nouns to
which coiiespond the veibs , , , .
2
In ceitain col-
lateial meanings, each of these Gieek teims can be, in ceitain cases, synony-
mous with the otheis.
3
1
Regaiding the meanings of this woid in Hebiew, see Tnors D. Wi:o, Te ioot
aheb [Hebiew] love in Hebiew, Zeitschrift fr die alttestanentliche Wissenschaft 16 (1939),
pp. 57-64.
2
Te theologian Briri B. Wvririo analyses these teims in classical Gieek liteia-
tuie in oidei to emphasize the iadical ievolution pioduced in the Gieek language of the New
Testament as compaied to the classical one, cf. Te teiminology of love in the New Testament,
Te Princeton Teological Review 17 (1918), pp. 153-203. In fact, it is not a question of a iadical
ievolution but of a natuial evolution of the language, which does not piesent the aiticial polai-
isations fiom this study. Foi the coiiection of B. B. Wvririos extieme position and foi a moie
detailed analysis of the classical use of these teims, see Crsis Svicq, Agap. Prolegonnes a
une etude de theologie neo-testanentaire (= Studia Hellenistica 10), Publications Univeisitaiies
de Louvain, Louvain, 1955.
3
Foi a detailed analysis of the vocabulaiy of love, see C. Svicq, iden, pp. 1-70. See also Hriru:
Kun, K.-H. Nussrv, Liebe, in Historisches Worterbuch der Philosophie 5, Joachim Rittei, Kailfiied
Gindei (eds.), Schwabe & Coag Veilag, BaseliStuttgait, 1980, pp. 290-296, Brvnvo Csvrv,
[66] inter II, 1-2 (2008)
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Fiovi-CX:Xii Gni
Te ist Gieek noun, storge expiesses familial aection. Tis aection is
natuial, passive, instinctive, depiived of choice, necessaiy and independent of
the qualities of the loved one. Storge is deteimined by divinity, natuie, custom
oi tempeiament, and manifests the tendeiness between paients and childien,
oi between the membeis of the same household, oi the spontaneous solidaiity
among the membeis of the same gioup. Tis woid nevei appeais in the Gieek
veision of the Bible.
4
No pagan authoi evei used the noun agape duiing the classical peiiod.
5
Yet,
in classical Gieek, the veib agapan, apait fiom its piesence in the Septuagint
6
,
is used both in veise and in piose beginning with Homei, in whom, in addition
to the sense of being pleased, satised oi glad, it means to welcome a pei-
son, to tieat that peison with fiiendliness and iespect
7
, oi to nd that a cei-
tain thing is good. In Gieek philosophy, in Aiistotle (384-322) it is associated
with a disinteiested attachment based on esteem (), veneiation, and dif-
feient fiom the spontaneous essence of natuie.
8
But agapan can also piesup-
pose a choice oi piefeience, the lucid, iespectful attachment to the qualities
Liebe, in Handbuch Philosophischer Grundbegrie II, Heimann Kiings, Hans Michael Baumgaitnei,
Chiistoph Wild (eds.), Ksel Veilag, Mnchen, 1973, pp. 860-867.
4
See the studies in Modein Gieek on love fiom ,
1