S lewis talk about the first of the four loves storge or affection. At times, other loves like eros and philia compete with one another in a relationship. While it doesnt follow the written text word for word, it is an enriching experience to hear lewis himself read his work. Lewis which explores the nature of love from a christian and philosophical perspective through thought experiments. Four loves is a 1965 taiwanese film directed by li hsing, based on chiung yaos 1964 novelette wanchuns three loves. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. It appears to have been the love most important to lewis, at least until he became a christian and for a long time afterward. He explores the possibilities and problems of the love between parents and children. The four loves was lewis look at some of the different loves described in greek thought. The four loves summarizes four kinds of human loveaffection, friendship, erotic love, and the love of god. Charity, however, the giftlove of god, is divine in its source and expression, and without the. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. The next book ive started reading is the four loves by cs lewis.
Lewis signature classic magazine acquire connection on this posting then you will lead to the totally free registration shape after the free registration you will be able to download the book in 4 format. Lewis beloved classic is the only existing reading of his own work. The four loves marriage connector eros romance storge relationships often start here comfortable and natural philia couples must be friends eros emotionally passionate. In what is love, we made the distinction between divine or giftlove so called because it demands nothing in return and is closest to love himself and the natural or needloves so called because they are earthly human loves born of a need to be loved. Lewis includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 5 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. The four kinds of love greek agape, phileo, storge, eros, 3 are in the bible duration. We must not begin with mysticism, with the creatures love for god, or with the wonderful foretastes of the fruition of god vouchsafed to some in their earthly life. Friends, he says, are not oriented primarily toward one another, as lovers are, but toward a common task or area of interest. The four loves summary and study guide supersummary. The first edition of the novel was published in 1960, and was written by c. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries. Lewis wrote a wonderful book called the four loves on this theme.
Oct 17, 2016 i wont claim to be giving a comprehensive answer, but here i will explore and develop c. Lewis november 29, 1898november 22, 1963 picks up where aristotle left off and examines the differences between the four main categories of intimate human bonds affection, the most basic and expressive. May 20, 2016 the four loves eros or the love between the sexes by c. In his book, the four loves, author and theologian c. Lewis went into a bit more detail about the importance of the different loves. Anyone looking for an insight into love should definitely pick up this book, you will learn a lot about yourself. A repackaged edition of the revered authors classic work that examines the four types of human love. A beautiful compilation of inspirational writings, featuring seven classic works in one box set. Lewis elaborates on the essence of each of these varieties of love and uses love as an entry point for understanding the christian message. Love can be divided into four different distinct types. I was not especially expecting to be engrossed by a book about four greek words, but i was wrong.
Eros, the passionate and sometimes destructive desire of lovers. Lewis writes, the natural loves are not selfsufficient. He is a british writer and held academic positions in english literature at both oxford university magdalen college, 19251954 and cambridge university magdalene college, 19541963. The audio version is available from the episcopal media center in atlanta and other booksellers. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 170 pages and is available in paperback format. Cs lewis clive staples lewis 1898 1963 is one of my favorite authors of all time. New thoughts and directions in lewis studies forthcoming how many. Nov 05, 2015 all other loves can grow tired, or they can fight to take over and become idols, especially eros. Cs lewiss the four lovesa humble summary logically. Lewis describes the four basic kinds of human love affection, friendship, erotic love, and the love of god.
With penetrating logic and winsome wit, he explores the four aspects of lovestorge affection, philia friendship, eros sexual love and agape selfless love. Lewis wrote this book was based on a set of radio talks from 1958. Study guide the four loves study guide to the four loves. He identifies these kinds of love as affection, the most basic form. A study of the four loves divides very easily into a twopart discussion, or even a four part one if you wish to look at each love separately andor to incorporate questions raised by the introduction, and the chapter on sub human loves as well. In his insightful 1960 book the four loves public library, c. Johns words god is love for a simple inroads to his topic. Tang paoyun as hsia wanchun tse lingling as hsia wanchun child chiang ming as chou pochien yan li as chou pochien child wong yung as chou chungkang. May 20, 2014 a summary of cs lewiss classic, the four loves. With penetrating logic and winsome wit, he explores the four aspects of love. The content of the examination is prefaced by lewis admission that he initially mistook st. Part 1 introduction giftlove and needlove posted on december 14, 20 by sean tan the next book ive started reading is the four loves by cs lewis.
He says his own generation was told not to say i love strawberries, but to use the work like in that instance. Eros, passionate love that can run counter to happiness and poses real danger. As lewis notes, it is always the smallness of our love for god, not the greatness of our love for man, that constitutes the inordinacy. Hilton houston post oak, houston, texas conference theme. My friend jan sent it to jody and i as it describes what happens in close friendships between 3 or more people. Clive staples lewis 18981963, one of the great writers of the twentieth century, also continues to be one of our most influential christian thinkers. Suggestions a study of the four loves divides very easily into a twopart discussion, or even a fourpart one if you wish to look at each love separately andor to incorporate questions raised by the.
This was the first ever film based on chiung yaos fiction. The book was based on a set of radio talks from 1958 which had been criticised in the u. Lewis, the author of the four loves, says some people are glad the english language uses both the words love and like. However, most people still use the word love in that. Dec 02, 2012 i recently read a book called the 4 loves by c.
S lewis talk about the second of the four loves philia or friendship. Several years ago, harperone published preparing for easter, a collection of readings from c. The publisher describes this as a repackaged edition of the revered authors classic work that examines the four types of human love. Jesus uses a variant of agape in the first two questions to peter and then changes to a variant of phileo. Again, herein is love, not that we loved god but that he loved us i john 4. Throughout this compassionate and reasoned study, he encourages readers to open themselves to all forms of lovethe key to understanding that brings us. Lewis this study guide consists of approximately 35 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the four loves. Masterful without being magisterial, this books wise. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In his books, i find myself reading really slowly as i find it so deep, and it is imperative to be able to follow lewis line of thoughtargument. Lewiss famous work on the nature of love divides love into four categories. May 16, 2007 this quote is from the four loves by c. So lets look at the four types of love found in the bible, and that lewis helps to draw out in the four loves, published in 1960, and based on a radio series he did with the bbc a few years prior to the books release. I love this quote and i hope it will augment your idea of friendship.
Lewis 18981963 was a british literary scholar and novelist. Though it is probably impossible to love any human being too much, we must. A study of the four loves divides very easily into a twopart discussion, or even a fourpart one if you wish to look at each love separately andor to incorporate questions raised by the introduction, and the chapter on sub human loves as well. Most popularly known as the author of the childrens classic the chronicles of narnia, c. The book was based on a set of radio talks from 1958. The four loves is among his most celebrated achievements, as are out of the silent planet, the chronicles of narnia, the screwtape letters, and surprised by joy. Lewis recorded an audio version of the last four chapters of the the four loves. Notes below originally the four loves series was recorded by lewis in london in 1957, prepared as 10 talks to air on the protestant hour on american radio.
Sep 23, 2014 love can be divided into four different distinct types. Lewis s works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year, appealing to those seeking wisdom and calm in a hectic and. The four loves eros or the love between the sexes by c. The main characters of this christian, non fiction story are. What sets this book apart is that lewis not only presents a compelling case for christianity, but also offers ways for christians themselves to grow. I wont claim to be giving a comprehensive answer, but here i will explore and develop c. Lewis explores the four kinds of human love in one of his most famous works of nonfiction. This was one of the better books that i have ever read. Lewiss famous inspirational work on the nature of love. I dont know what the theological suggestion there might be, but i would suspect you are right to think there is one. All our ebooks are free to download, but first you must sign in or create an account.
Lewis introduction the four loves was lewis look at some of the different loves described in greek thought. The chapter on charity love of god may be the best thing lewis ever wrote about christianity. Purchase includes a downloadable mp3 file of the following recording. Lewis talks about loves in terms of affection, friendship, eros, and charity. Of the three chapters that follow, friendship is the longest and the most difficult for me to follow. Lewiss contribution to this question of divine love in his 1960 classic the four loves. Free download or read online the four loves pdf epub book. But how do we understand its work in our lives, its perils and rewards. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
Sep 08, 2014 in his insightful 1960 book the four loves public library, c. Charity, however, the giftlove of god, is divine in its source and expression, and without the sweetening grace of this supernatural love, the natural loves. But the single english word love is used for several quite different things, as professor lewis demonstrates with his. Masterful without being magisterial, this books wise, gentle, candid reflections on the virtues and dangers of love draw on sources from jane austen to st. However, most people still use the word love in that context. In the book the four loves, lewis will take the reader on a quest to discover and explore the various types of love felt, given, and received by humans.
In the last chapter of the last gospel jn 21, there is something strange going on. All four loves will have their inherent pleasures of need and appreciation. It doesnt take away from other loves, but only adds to them and makes them more truly themselves. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Surprised by joy the four loves cs lewis surprised by joy the four recognizing the showing off ways to acquire this book surprised by joy the four loves cs lewis is additionally useful. Study guide the four loves study guide to the four. The first three are loves which come naturally to the human race. The four loves deserves to become a minor classic as a modern mirror of our souls, a mirror of the virtues and failings of human loving. As we know, scripture tells us that love is the highest attribute. In some ways, this book is a companion to till we have faces, which illustrates through fiction many of the lewiss concepts regarding the nature of love. My own favorite passage in this book is in the friendship section. Lewis beloved classic is the only existing recording of lewis reading his own work. Im a big narnia fan, but id not read any of lewis nonfiction books before. Nearly every page scintillates with observations which are illuminating, provocative and original.
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