The Four Loves

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The Four Loves is a 1960 book by C. S. Lewis in which he explores the nature of love from a Christian perspective. He starts by distinguishing Need-love (such as the love of a child for its mother) from Gift-love (epitomized by God's love for humanity), and then divides love into four categories, based on the four Greek words for love.

• Affection (storge, στοργη) is fondness through familiarity, especially between family members or people who have otherwise found themselves together by chance.
• Friendship (philia, φιλια) is a strong bond existing between people who share a common interest or activity. Lewis explicitly says that his definition of Friendship is narrower than mere Companionship; Friendship in his sense only exists if there is something for the Friendship to be about.
• Eros (ερος) is love in the sense of 'being in love'. This is distinct from sexuality, which Lewis calls Venus, although he does spend time discussing sexual activity and its spiritual significance in both a pagan and a Christian sense. He warns against the danger of elevating Eros to the status of a god, but he also praises it as an indifferent appreciation of the beloved as opposed to any pleasure that can be obtained from them.
• Charity (agape, αγαπη) is a love towards one's neighbour which does not depend on any loveable qualities that the object of love possesses. Lewis sees charity as a specifically Christian virtue, and the chapter on the subject focuses on the need of subordinating the natural loves to the love of God.

Lewis made an audio recording of the book which is still available.