Four Loves, The

Lewis writes with a style that demands focus. His depth of thinking and reasoning on the four loves shows so clearly. But be careful not to skim or ‘halfway attend’ the text or you will fall off the horse. I paused and reread several times only to see the strength in the thread of thought. How refreshing to find friendship his most thorough topic. That it is a true love is profoundly biblical, commanded (John 15) and exemplified in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is clear. What Lewis does is to give us a view of friendship that we can use to test our motives and realities. He talks about how friends look at the world together, as though standing side by side. They share an appreciation of things. How friendship includes freely others who share values. But most importantly that friendship is love, and thus among the few greatest pleasures given among men and women. He acknowledges that it has been lost in our age. Whereas in antiquity the poetics held friendship as a source of frequent expression, we hardly ever see much attention given it now. This is a tragedy of our age. How has it come to be this way? Perhaps some of it is the mad race to ‘hedonistic self fulfillment’ in work or education, in social networking and financial enrichment. Maybe we don’t take pleasure in authentic friendship because we don’t see it or experience it. In the evening before the crucifixion Christ makes the startling comment that he no longer calls his disciples slaves, but friends (philos) as found here. Why? Because of his full revelation of the relationship He has had with the Father. It’s as if to say “You have heard and seen the friendship I have with the Father, now we are to share a measure of the same.” I have found friendship as Lewis describes to really require a lot of effort, and to be incredibly rewarding and satisfying. But at the same time, it often can feel like people around me are put off by the idea. Transactional interchange for mutual benefit has become the norm. But Lewis helps me to see how this love like the other two ‘natural’ loves are only fulfilled in and by the Agape Love of God. Such a thoughtful work. Worth every word.

This is one of the most profound studies I have read. It will change your life and make you wiser in regard to the things that matter most.

Quality book!! In great condition and a great price!

I read a lot of C S Lewis books. While they are extremely challenging at times, it makes me stay focused on what and why I am reading. Lewis was a former atheist who intellectually reasoned the evidence of a good and powerful Creator must exist to have formed all that we see and don't see in the universe. This book explores and explains the different types of love discussed in the Bible. He has a level of understanding that brings you up to a higher level than before. It makes me feel a little embarrassed that I have not done more in depth study on my own. I highly recommend this for a greater awareness of what our Lord desires for us who believe.

I heard about The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis from one of the Marion E. Wade Center podcasts and purchased the book and the audiobook. I had plenty of Sunday School classes that taught about the Greek words in the Bible that relate to God’s glorious love for people—Christian or not. But I never understood the various categories of love until listening to Lewis explain them in his persuasive introduction and essays titled “Likings and Loves for The Sub-Human, Affection, Friendship, Eros, and Charity.” I loved learning how we employ the word “love” in various dialogues, such as loving strawberries, but in “affection,” he differentiates and explains love from the perspective of a parent, dog, and cat nursing and nuzzling their offspring. Through images, Lewis pulled me into the narrative, where I could imagine a mother loving a baby with ears sticking out or face squished into a mass of redness. But not all mothers or animals have a God-given maternal instinct, and their children are not quite so lucky. Lewis included this problematic state for newborns to my satisfaction by the end of the book. If you thrive on learning more about the gifts from God, you will appreciate this book. If you enjoy The Great Divorce, Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, and The Problem of Pain, I think you’ll relish The Four Loves.

Very, very good book. Read it with his Till We Have Faces!

CS Lewis has a unique way and breaking down all the four loves. This can be used as a group study or by yourself.

Such a great continuation of these quality edition books, of a classic and brilliant author. I want to thank the publisher for a beautiful consistency with these publications, and the look.

C. S. Lewis himself reading The Four Loves. Good to be able to hear the author himself reading his own work.

Il libro e' buono e vale la pena acquistare.

Foi o primeiro livro do CS Lewis que comprei e nao gostei, bem chatinho nao me captivo nem um pouco.

I wanted to learn more about love, and read this book with those close to me. And it’s been a great joy to explore the contents with them. Need love in charity is the closest complete answer I’ve gotten to one of my long time personal questions in life.

C.S. Lewis Four Loves is a wonderful book and a must read for everyone because we are all made for love, and the better we understand it the better we practice it well to God’s glory and to our self realization in Him, our Beloved.