Amistad y amor. Una reflexión etimológica
Keywords:
friendship, Love, Florenskiy, ÁgapeAbstract
The theme of friendship, its nature, and its necessity within the Christian context was extensively studied during the Patristic period and the Middle Ages. Authors such as St. Augustine and St. Aelred of Rievaulx dedicated portions of their works to this subject, as did many other writers from those eras. The theme was also addressed in Greek Patristic literature, particularly by the Cappadocian Fathers, on which significant studies have emerged in recent decades, such as those by Carolinne White and James McEvoy, to name a few.
However, as a preliminary step to delving into this area, it is important to review the vocabulary and etymology that the Greeks used to refer to this type of love. Their language allows for a range of nuances that distinguish different types of human affections. While the theme is clear and widely known in the context of Christian Greek—i.e., the vocabulary employed by the Fathers and ecclesiastical authors—it is less so in classical Greek.
In this work, therefore, we will focus on distinguishing, following and engaging with Pavel Florensky, the four Greek terms used to denote love, the nuances and characteristics of the term appropriate for designating the love of friendship, and the Christian transformation of these words.
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