Love (Agape / Charity)
The greatest commandment and the summit of every virtue: self-giving love
Agape, or charity, is self-giving love of God and neighbor, named the greatest commandment and the summit of the virtues. Jesus joins love of God and neighbor in Matthew; Paul exalts love in First Corinthians; and the First Letter of John declares that God is love. Augustine made love central to the Christian life. Across traditions this love is held to be the heart and goal of holiness.
How it traveled
- JamesJerusalem · 62explains
- 2 CorinthiansPhilippi · 67explains
- 1 CorinthiansEphesus · 67explains
- RomansCorinth · 67explains
- MarkRome · 68explains
- MatthewAntioch · 80explains
- LukeRome · 84explains
- 1 JohnEphesus · 100explains
- JohnEphesus · 100explains
- The LettersCaesarea (Cappadocia) · 379explains
- On the Duties of the ClergyMilan · 397explains
- The Homilies of St. John ChrysostomConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- Homilies on First CorinthiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and ThessaloniansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the RomansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Commentary and Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Galatians and EphesiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- A Commentary on the Acts of the ApostlesConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Timothy, Titus, and PhilemonConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. JohnConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- Homilies on Second CorinthiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the HebrewsConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Letters of St. JeromeBethlehem · 420explains
- Expositions on the Book of PsalmsHippo Regius · 430explains
- Letters of St. AugustinHippo Regius · 430explains
- The ConfessionsHippo Regius · 430explains
- Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. JohnHippo Regius · 430explains
- Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New TestamentHippo Regius · 430explains
- City of GodHippo Regius · 430explains
- On Christian DoctrineHippo Regius · 430explains
- Our Lord’s Sermon on the MountHippo Regius · 430explains
- On the Morals of the Catholic ChurchHippo Regius · 430explains
- On the Holy TrinityHippo Regius · 430explains
- The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of TheodoretCyrrhus · 458explains
- The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the GreatRome · 604explains
- Selected Epistles of Gregory the GreatRome · 604explains
- Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from ItGeneva · 1564explains
- A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three PartsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Seventeen Occasional SermonsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- A Dissertation on the Nature of True VirtueNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758redefines
- Thoughts on the Revival of Religion in New EnglandNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
Key passages(20)
Love Alone Is Credible · Hans Urs von Balthasar
Illustrissimi: Letters from Pope John Paul I · Pope John Paul I
Love and Responsibility · Pope St. John Paul II
Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux · Thérèse of Lisieux
The Meaning of Love · Vladimir Solovyov
On the Morals of the Catholic Church · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 11.—God is the One Object of Love; Therefore He is Man’s Chief Good. Nothing is Better Than God. God Cannot Be Lost Against Our Will. 18. Following after God is the desire of happiness; to re
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But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.
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If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing.
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A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three Parts · Jonathan Edwards
And that all true saints are of a loving, benevolent, and beneficent temper, the Scripture is very plain and abundant. Without it, the apostle tells us, though we should speak with the tongues of men
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Christian Charity · Jonathan Edwards
(2.) Another general rule that obliges us to the same thing, is that wherein we are commanded to love one another, as Christ hath loved us. We have it John xiii. 34. “A new commandment I give unto you
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Commentary on Galatians · Martin Luther
The words, “for all the law is fulfilled in one word,” entail a criticism of the Galatians. “You are so taken up by your superstitions and ceremonies that serve no good purpose, that you neglect the m
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Homilies on First Corinthians · John Chrysostom
Homily XX. 1 Cor. viii. 1 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth. It is necessary first to say what the meaning of th
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Homilies on First Corinthians · John Chrysostom
[Chrysostom’s view of the text is made more plain by a rendering somewhat different from that of the English translator and of both the Authorized Version and the Revised. “Desire earnestly the better
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Homilies on First Corinthians · John Chrysostom
[11.] And that ye may learn how great a work of virtue it is, let us sketch it out in word, since in deeds we see it no where appearing; and let us consider, if it were every where in abundance, how g
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Homilies on First Corinthians · John Chrysostom
Thus having said, “doth not behave itself unseemly,” he showeth also the temper of mind, on account of which she doth not behave herself unseemly. And what is that temper? That she “seeketh not her ow
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Internal Consolation · Thomas à Kempis
I BLESS You, O heavenly Father, Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, for having condescended to remember me, a poor creature. Thanks to You, O Ah, Lord God, my holy Lover, when You come into my heart, all
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Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John · Augustine of Hippo
4. Charity therefore we commend; charity this Epistle commendeth. The Lord, after His resurrection, what question put He to Peter, but, “Lovest thou me?” John xxi. 15–17. Ps. cxvi. 12, 13. Luke xxi
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Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John · Augustine of Hippo
Homily IX. 1 John IV. 17–21 “Herein is love made perfect in us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect lov
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Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John · Augustine of Hippo
Homily VII. 1 John IV. 4–12 “Now are ye of God, little children, and have overcome him: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in this world. They are of the world: therefore speak th
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The Enchiridion · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 117.—Love, Which is Greater Than Faith and Hope, is Shed Abroad in Our Hearts by the Holy Ghost. And now as to love, which the apostle declares to be greater than the other two graces, that i
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Modern teachers who discuss this idea
Modern and living teachers whose books take up Love (Agape / Charity). These works are still in copyright, so we can’t show the text here — each links out to the book.
- Vladimir SolovyovThe Meaning of Love(1894)View on Amazon→
- Thérèse of LisieuxStory of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux(1898)View on Amazon→
- Pope St. John Paul IILove and Responsibility(1960)View on Amazon→
- Hans Urs von BalthasarLove Alone Is Credible(1963)View on Amazon→
- Pope John Paul IIllustrissimi: Letters from Pope John Paul I(1976)View on Amazon→