Istota i cechy miłości chrześcijańskiej w biblijnym obrazie naśladowania Chrystusa. W poszukiwaniu fundamentu personalistycznej koncepcji miłości

Abstract

Catholic reflection on love is a synthesis of natural experience, philosophical – including pre-Christian – thought, and the message contained in the Bible. The Holy Scripture does not, in fact, constitute a systematic lecture on love, but in a way that is characteristic of it, using its own terminology, images and symbols, presents the essence and characteristics of love. One of such images is imitating Christ that reveals the basic elements of the personalistic conception of love. As the Biblical terminology and the context of imitating Christ show, love is born of His call and gift. Hence it has a supernatural character. It puts in order all the dimensions of human life. In its light no area of human existence is autonomous. In a fundamental way it defines human behavior. Love that is shown in the image of imitating Christ engages all the person and is based on its dynamics. It assumes involving human freedom. Also sacrifice is its expression. This love has the ability to create a community not only with God, but with other people as well. In the light of imitating Christ it is the most adequate attitude towards the recognized value of the person of the Teacher and His disciples. Hence the image of imitating Christ contains everything that contemporary personalism tries to formulate in the philosophical language.