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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 July 2010
LOVE
Love is the unity of all virtues, and they can be known only as they are seen to be joined in love. Faith, hope, repentance, fear, patience, practice, all end in the love which is their perfection. The philosopher loves the truth and becomes through love a friend and servant of that truth. His knowledge begins from wonder and ends in love (2.9.45.1–4). The believer moves from fear to faith to love. Faith may spring either from love or from fear, but finds its perfection in love (2.12.53.3). In the law, love comes in many forms, producing meekness, mildness, patience, liberality, freedom from envy and absence of hatred. It forgets injuries and its totality is indivisible. The nature of love is always to communicate or to share (2.18.87.2), and the goodness of God employs every means to communicate man's salvation (2.18.91.1).
Love is not erôs, or desire. Aphrodite, as Antisthenes said, should be shot, because she has destroyed so many good and beautiful women. Yet erôs as desire has been deified by those under its power. Love is not desire, but a relation of affection and appropriation which is found within the unity of faith and is independent of all time and place (6.9.73.3).
The summit of love is seen in the marvel of martyrdom. The martyr departs his life in love to his lord and displays the perfect work of love (4.4.14.1–3). Martyrdom, which is performed for love, brings with it hope and patience and righteousness (4.7.46.1–2).
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