Semănătorul (The Sower)
September 2021, Volume 2, Number 2
Christian notions of love and theology in the context of the dialectics between individualism and collectivism
Călin-Ioan Taloș
ABSTRACT
In the context of the current dialectics between collectivism and individualism, more precisely, of the tension between, on the one hand, the claim of the preeminence of theology, in exchange for sacrificing individual freedoms, as in the case of collectivism, and on the other hand, the claim of prevalence individual liberties, at the cost of “elasticizing” theology and implicitly relaxing the ecclesial unity, as in the case of individualism, there is a critical perspective that theology would hinder individual freedom by positioning itself as a Berlin Wall between individuals that it insensibly separates them from each other. Against this dialectical background, love is valued at the expense of theology. The reason is that the former unites individuals, connecting them to each ther, while theologies irrevocably separate them and restrict their freedom of thought while also endangering their personal well-being. In this article we aim to argue that love in general is inalienable from rationality and discernment, skills that are specifically theological, and Christian theology is inseparable from love, which is its original source and inspiration. Therefore, the adoption of love presupposes the adoption of discernment, and the acceptance of Christian theology implies, at the same time, the acceptance of love that animates theology.
KEY WORDS: love, individualism, collectivism, enemy, theology.
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