the meaning of eros within the Christian context, it is certainly opportune to distinguish the level of words from that of concepts and realities. Concerning the duplicity of eros and agape, a philologist for example, could simply suggest that the differences between the two is one of a linguistic nature; the first being more elevated and classical with the second being colloquial. We shall now embark on the reality of eros and agape as succinctly discussed in Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Deus Caritas Est. One of the most outstanding foundations of Deus Caritas Est is Benedict’s exposition of love, which the pontiff designates as a practical, pulsating way of living and existence. Love, which is understood as an act of the intellect and will, finds its richest expression in the mystery of the Incarnation. Christ is seen as an embodiment of …show more content…
For example, a commentary on the Song of Songs by Origen, portrays as a union of lover and beloved the affiliation between God and the person Eros can also be discerned in St. Teresa of Avila. The sixteenth Century mystic records in her autobiography entitled, The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus, depicting therein the role of fervent desire in her relationship with God Teresa asserts that the desire for God can ultimately lead us to union with God Himself, this is what she call the ‘spiritual marriage’ in her interior castle. It is worthy to note that individuals who have had an intimate experience of God in their lives are found throughout the history of the Church. From the foregoing, it is worth noting that Eros is the basis for passionate union with God. In the various works of Christian writers, we find the profound desire for God which in most cases leads to action for others. The passionate desire for God, (eros,) leads to a desire for the good of individuals and the world, agape. This message is therefore at the core of Benedict’s exposition of