Description

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh turn to the fourth and final love in C.S. Lewis’s taxonomy—agape, or divine charity—through the Gospel of St. John. They explore how John’s vision of love transforms an ordinary Greek term into the heartbeat of Christian revelation. Emily and Tim trace the word’s evolution from the Greek poets through the Septuagint to the New Testament, discuss the literary brilliance of John’s Gospel, and reflect on how reading Scripture well requires patience, imagination, and humility. Together, they uncover how John’s “cosmic love” invites readers not merely to study divine truth but to be transformed by it.

Episode Outline

• Opening reading from John 5:20–21: “For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing.”
• The season’s turn to agape—how John reshapes the Greek concept of love
• Etymology and evolution of agape: from Homer’s simple pleasure to covenantal and divine love
• The Septuagint’s role in transforming language and preparing for the Gospel
• The word agape as covenant faithfulness: God’s steadfast love for His people
• “A new commandment I give you”: how Jesus redefines love as self-giving, not desire
• Eros as ascent vs. Agape as descent: divine self-emptying in contrast to human striving
• The Gospel of John as “cosmic biography” rather than chronological narrative
• John’s artistry and symbolic storytelling—light, water, wine, and gardens
• Typology: Jesus as the New Adam redeeming Eden through the garden of His passion
• Reading Scripture well: avoiding interpretive “barnacles” and returning to the text itself
• Three barriers to good reading—accretion of commentary, neglect of subtext, and fragmentation by chapters and verses
• The power of reading large swaths for narrative and symbolic unity
• The wedding at Cana as literary scene: subtext, silence, and divine mystery
• The Gospel’s pace, intensity, and climax: conflict, crucifixion, and new creation
• The Gospel’s global influence—from Augustine and Aquinas to Bach and Eliot
• Closing quote from historian W.E.H. Lecky on the unmatched moral influence of Jesus’ life

Key Topics & Takeaways

• The Transformation of Agape: Once a modest Greek word, agape becomes the deepest expression of divine nature—God’s self-giving love revealed in Christ.
• The Septuagint’s Legacy: Translating Hebrew covenantal love into Greek language reshaped world history, bridging Jewish revelation and Hellenistic philosophy.
• Reading Scripture with Fresh Eyes: Tim warns that modern readers are “Bible-rich but hermeneutically poor”—too quick to interpret, too slow to attend.
• Typology and Symbol: Emily highlights John’s garden imagery as cosmic renewal—Christ as the New Adam restoring Eden.
• Subtext and Silence: John’s narrative artistry invites contemplation rather than quick conclusions; meaning emerges from what is shown, not told.
• The Gospel’s Literary Power: John fuses poetic imagination with divine revelation—“mini-biography” as cosmic drama.
• Enduring Influence: From Augustine’s theology to Bach’s St. John Passion, John’s vision of divine love continues to shape Western imagination and moral thought.

Questions & Discussion

• How does the Gospel of John redefine love compared to earlier Greek and Hebrew traditions?
  Reflect on how agape moves from satisfaction or pleasure to covenant faithfulness and divine self-giving. How does this shift change the meaning of love?
• What does it mean that “Eros is ascent but Agape is descent”?
  Discuss how divine love moves toward others in self-emptying, while human love seeks fulfillment. How might this distinction inform how we love in practice?
• Why does Emily call John’s Gospel a “cosmic biography”?
  Consider how John begins with “In the beginning” and expands the story beyond time and place. What does this reveal about his understanding of Jesus’ role in creation and redemption?
• What prevents modern readers from reading Scripture well, according to Tim?
  Examine the three barriers—accretion of commentary, loss of subtext, and over-fragmentation. How might slow, narrative reading restore our sense of wonder?
• How does John’s use of symbol and subtext enrich the story?
  Analyze examples like Nicodemus’ nighttime visit or the wedding at Cana. How do these scenes reward deeper reflection rather than quick interpretation?
• Why does the garden setting matter in John’s Gospel?
  Explore Emily’s insight that Jesus’s death and resurrection in a garden reverses Eden’s fall. How does this reinforce the theme of new creation?
• How has the Gospel of John shaped Western thought and art?
  Identify examples—from Augustine and Aquinas to Bach, Dante, or Eliot—that continue to echo John’s portrayal of divine love.
  

Suggested Reading & Viewing

• The Gospel of John 
• The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis   
• The Septuagint
• The Gospel of Mark
• Confessions by St. Augustine translated by Sarah Ruden
• SummaTheologiae by Thomas Aquinas
• Four Quartets: A Poem by T.S. Eliot
• History of European Morals by W.E.H. Lecky
• McIntosh, Timothy Andrew. My Name Is SØREN KIERKEGAARD. Directed by Frank Mihelich