“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you..." (Matthew 5:44)
"He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." (1 John 4:8)
"The Master said, 'The person of Ren loves others. The person of wisdom knows others.'" — Analects, 12:22
"Fan Chi asked about Ren. The Master said, ‘It is to love all people.’" — Analects, 12:22
"Tang prayed, saying, 'I, the child Li, presume to use a dark-colored victim, and presume to announce to Thee, O supreme God, that if I have offenses, they are not the people’s offenses; if the people have offenses, the offense rests on me alone. Let not the people perish for my sake; if I alone may be spared, I will offer myself as a sacrifice to the powers above.'" - Announcement of Tang, Book of Documents
The concepts of agape in Christian theology and jen in Confucianism provide profound insights into the nature of love, but they emerge from different cultural and philosophical contexts. Both emphasize selflessness, compassion, and a commitment to the well-being of others, yet they do so in distinct ways shaped by their respective worldviews. Agape is understood as the highest form of love in Christianity, characterized by an unconditional, self-giving love that reflects God’s love for humanity. In the New Testament, agape is described as a love that transcends personal desires and even extends to enemies (Matthew 5:44). It is a divine love, rooted in the relationship between God and human beings, and serves as the model for how Christians are called to love one another. The emphasis is on sacrifice, as seen in Jesus’ commandment to “love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34). This love is not dependent on the worthiness of the recipient, but is an outpouring of grace. In the Old Testament, God tells the Israelites “Love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10:19).
Jen in Confucianism is often translated as “benevolence” or “humaneness.” But the best literal translation that I have come across is “human-heartedness.” It is a core virtue in Confucian ethics, the idea predating Confucius and is disciples, representing the ideal relationship between individuals. Jen is not just an abstract principle but is realized through specific actions, particularly in the context of social relationships. Confucius emphasized the importance of filial piety, respect for elders, and the cultivation of virtue through proper conduct in family and societal roles. Jen involves empathy and consideration for others, reflecting a harmonious social order where each person fulfills their moral duties by seeing others as living subjects and not as objects.
Both agape and jen demand a transcendence of self-interest and are both of divine origin. Christ was one with the father (John 10:30) and Confucius knew the will of Heaven (“Heaven” is a literal word for God here). Agape and jen emphasize love as a form of spiritual obedience to God. Both forms of love call individuals to transcend selfishness and seek the good of others, whether through divine grace or through cultivating virtue in human relationships. To quote St. Thomas Aquinas, “Love is to will the good of the other.” This is agape as preached by the gospel and Confucius definitely would agree with Christ’s statement “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13).
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