loveon existential communitas, and it represents a label for a variety of uto-
pian models of society. Spontaneous communitas is a magical feeling of
endless power that is an impermanent condition. Two good examples are
the Franciscan movement, representing an embracing of poverty based
on the model of Jesus and influenced by Joachim of Fiore’s (d. 1202)
millenarianism on its spirituality, and the Sahajīyā movement of Bengal
in the sixteenth century and its inspirational figure Caitanya (d. 1533).
Further reading: MacAloon (1984); Turner (1969); van Gennep (1960)
LOVE
Although it is primarily a Western term, there are some close Indian
equivalents with such terms in Hinduism as bhakti, prema, and kama.
The ancient Greeks make a threefold distinction between types of love:
philia (friendship), eros (an erotic and passionate type), and agape (pure,
altruistic, and selfless). These Greek types can also be found in India with
examples of friendship between Rāma and his younger brother LakãmaÏa
and the monkey-general Hanumān in the epic RāmāyaÏa. There is the
friendship between Krishna and Arjuna, a warrior, in the massive epic the
Mahābhārata. Erotic types of love are evident among Hindu Śaiva poets
and the saints associated with Krishna devotion. The selfless type of love
is expressed by numerous devotional poets and saints who are willing to
give their lives to the devotion of God.
According to the Gospel of John (15.12–13), Jesus calls for loving a
friend in a public way, and he serves as a primary example by calling his
disciples to his ministry and being friends for a period of time (Luke
34.38–39). The philia type of love is essential for humans discovering a
way to cope with the problems of life. Jesus’ call to his disciples implies
an ethical and moral injunction to assist others. The Christian apostle
Paul emphasizes necessity of mutuality (Rom. 12.10), and he encourages
the continuance of mutual love (Heb. 13.1).
Eros can be translated as desire, passion, or sensually erotic. Eros is reck-
less, wild, voluptuous, mercurial, careless, overpowering, and overwhelm-
ing. It is often metaphorically expressed as a burning fire, heat, or pain in a
sadomasochistic sense. Eros may exceed the ability to control it, and
becomes a means of transforming one into an unruly condition. But this type
of love is limited to an object, and it does not reach far enough for the
Christian who is instructed by scripture that God is love (1 John 4.16).