Only True Love of God Can Set the Human Free
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Authors
Ostberg, Luke
Date of Issue
2024
Type
Presentation
Language
en_US
Subject Keywords
Other Titles
Abstract
Desiderius Erasmus’s Praise of Folly and the Song of Songs from the Old Testament show love’s capacity for filling life and giving it joyful purpose. In a theme of abandonment, Praise of Folly demonstrates that the most foolish lovers are Christians and that their foolishness makes them the most free people from worldly concerns and misery. In a different manner, the Song of Songs shows two lovers who abandon themselves to each other such that they only care for the other and lose all worries about themselves. This example of perfect abandonment in spousal love is an allegory to the love that exists between Christ and the Church and between Christ and the Christian. In these interpretations, both of these texts imply that the most joyful and free life comes from a giving over of self to the best of lovers, who is God. In giving over ourselves to God, we lose self interest and find ourselves entirely interested in God, who is a lover that does care for and provide for our self. This presentation will demonstrate that only a true and abandoning love of God allows us to be free from the burdens and misery of self-interest, free to live life in joy with God.