Department
Seminary/School of Divinity
Date
Fall 12-2020
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Theology (M.A.)
Type of Paper/Work
Thesis
Advisor
William B. Stevenson
Second Advisor
Paul Niskanen
Third Advisor
Pietro Rossotti
Abstract
This thesis formalizes an argument that Pope Benedict XVI mentions in his first encyclical Deus Caritas Est. The argument is based on an interpretation of Salvation History expressed in the Scriptures that God's love for man should be understood as eros. Benedict expresses this conclusion in the context of the development of the concept of eros starting with the works of Plato which were brought into the Christian context by Saint Augustine and ultimately rejected by Andres Nygren. Benedict proposes that an understanding of love that removes eros lacks an authentic understanding of God's love. Furthermore, throughout his pontificate, he expresses the importance of a proper understanding of love for the life of the Christian. This argument is made in three stages. The first provides the context of the history of eros. The second expresses Benedict's understanding of eros. The third provides the evidence for Benedict's conclusion.
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Recommended Citation
Reinhardt, Charles R., "Pope Benedict XVI on Divine Eros" (2020). School of Divinity Master’s Theses and Projects. 27.
https://ir.stthomas.edu/sod_mat/27
Included in
Biblical Studies Commons, Catholic Studies Commons, History of Christianity Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons