Agape vs. God

Main Difference

The main difference between Agape and God is that the Agape is a in Christianity, universal, unconditional love originating from God for mankind, as well as the human reciprocal love for God, and the love of one’s fellow man; distinguished from philia (brotherly love) or eros (an affection of a sexual nature) and God is a divine entity, supreme being and principal object of faith

• Agape

  Agape (Ancient Greek ἀγάπη, agapē) is a Greco-Christian term referring to love, “the highest form of love, charity” and “the love of God for man and of man for God”. The word is not to be confused with philia, brotherly love, or philautia, self-love, as it embraces a universal, unconditional love that transcends and persists regardless of circumstance. It goes beyond just the emotions to the extent of seeking the best for others. The noun form first occurs in the Septuagint, but the verb form goes as far back as Homer, translated literally as affection, as in “greet with affection” and “show affection for the dead”. 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).

  Within Christianity, agape is considered to be the love originating from God or Christ for humankind. In the New Testament, it 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 man. Some contemporary writers have sought to extend the use of agape into non-religious contexts.The concept of agape has been widely examined within its Christian context. It has also been considered in the contexts of other religions, religious ethics, and science.

• God

  In monotheistic thought, God is conceived of as the supreme being, creator deity, and principal object of faith. The concept of God, as described by theologians, commonly includes the attributes of omniscience (all-knowing), omnipotence (all-powerful), omnipresence (all-present), and as having an eternal and necessary existence. Depending on one’s kind of theism, these attributes are used either in way of analogy, or in a literal sense as distinct properties. God is most often held to be incorporeal (immaterial). Incorporeality and corporeality of God are related to conceptions of transcendence (being outside nature) and immanence (being in nature) of God, with positions of synthesis such as the “immanent transcendence”. Psychoanalyst Carl Jung equated religious ideas of God with transcendental aspects of consciousness in his interpretation.Some religions describe God without reference to gender, while others or their translations use sex-specific terminology. Judaism attributes only a grammatical gender to God, using terms such as “Him” or “Father” for convenience.God has been conceived as either personal or impersonal. In theism, God is the creator and sustainer of the universe, while in deism, God is the creator, but not the sustainer, of the universe. In pantheism, God is the universe itself. In atheism, there is an absence of belief in God. In agnosticism, the existence of God is deemed unknown or unknowable. God has also been conceived as the source of all moral obligation, and the “greatest conceivable existent”. Many notable philosophers have developed arguments for and against the existence of God.Monotheists refer to their gods using names prescribed by their respective religions, with some of these names referring to certain cultural ideas about their god’s identity and attributes. In the ancient Egyptian era of Atenism, possibly the earliest recorded monotheistic religion, this deity was called Aten, premised on being the one “true” Supreme Being and creator of the universe. In the Hebrew Bible and Judaism, “The Existing One”, “I Am that I Am” and its initials, the tetragrammaton YHWH (Hebrew: יהוה‎, “I am who I am”) are used as names of God. Yahweh and Jehovah are used in Christianity as vocalizations of YHWH. In the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, God, coexisting in three “persons”, is called the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In the Hebrew Tanakh, God is referred to as Elohim or Adonai, in addition to other names. In Islam, the name Allah is used, while Muslims also have a multitude of titular names for God.

  In Hinduism, Brahman is often considered a monistic concept of God. In Chinese religion, Shangdi is conceived as the progenitor (first ancestor) of the universe, intrinsic to it and constantly bringing order to it. Other religions have names for the concept, for instance, Baha in the Bahá’í Faith, Waheguru in Sikhism, and Ahura Mazda in Zoroastrianism.The many different conceptions of God, and competing claims as to God’s characteristics, aims, and actions, have led to the development of ideas of omnitheism, pandeism, or a perennial philosophy, which postulates that there is one underlying theological truth, of which all religions express a partial understanding, and as to which “the devout in the various great world religions are in fact worshipping that one God, but through different, overlapping concepts”.

• Agape (adjective)

  (of a person’s mouth) wide open in surprise or wonder

  “Downes listened, mouth agape with incredulity”

• Agape (noun)

  Christian love, as distinct from erotic love or simple affection.

• Agape (noun)

  a communal meal held in Christian fellowship.