The Four Loves

Clive Staples Lewis

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1991 - Religion - 141 pages

In this candid, wise and warmly personal book, C.S. Lewis describes the four basic kinds of human love -- affection, friendship, erotic love, and the love of God. He explores the possibilities and problems of the love between parents and children; the love of men for other men and women for women; the love of men and women for each other; and the love of God that enriches all love. Lewis also explores the questions of sex, possessiveness, jealousy, pride, false sentimentality, good and bad manners in loving, and the need for more laughter between lovers. There are risks that accompany the rewards of love, the author cautions, but he recommends taking them, since "hell is the only place outside of heaven where we can be safe from the dangers of love."--Back cover.

What people are saying

THE FOUR LOVES

User Review  - Kirkus

The ever-popular and highly readable C.S. Lewis has "done it again." This time with a book beginning with the premise "God is Love" and analyzing the four loves man knows well, but often understands ...

User Review  - James Corbin - Christianbook.com

I have not finished listening to these CDs, but what I have heard so far has made me appreciate C.S. Lewis even more... his spiritual insights are invaluable to any believer...

Contents

• Introduction I: 1
• Likings and Loves for the SubHuman: 10
• Charity: 116

About the author

C. S. (Clive Staples) Lewis, "Jack" to his intimates, was born on November 29, 1898 in Belfast, Ireland. His mother died when he was 10 years old and his lawyer father allowed Lewis and his brother Warren extensive freedom. The pair were extremely close and they took full advantage of this freedom, learning on their own and frequently enjoying games of make-believe. These early activities led to Lewis's lifelong attraction to fantasy and mythology, often reflected in his writing. He enjoyed writing about, and reading, literature of the past, publishing such works as the award-winning The Allegory of Love (1936), about the period of history known as the Middle Ages. Although at one time Lewis considered himself an atheist, he soon became fascinated with religion. He is probably best known for his books for young adults, such as his Chronicles of Narnia series. This fantasy series, as well as such works as The Screwtape Letters (a collection of letters written by the devil), is typical of the author's interest in mixing religion and mythology, evident in both his fictional works and nonfiction articles. Lewis served with the Somerset Light Infantry in World War I; for nearly 30 years he served as Fellow and tutor of Magdalen College at Oxford University. Later, he became Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge University. C.S. Lewis married late in life, in 1957, and his wife, writer Joy Davidman, died of cancer in 1960. He remained at Cambridge until his death on November 22, 1963.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Four Loves; A Harvest/HBJ Book; HBJ modern classic; Harcourt Brace modern classic
• Author: Clive Staples Lewis
• Edition: reprint, reissue
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1991
• ISBN: 0151329168, 9780151329168
• Length: 141 pages
• Subjects: Religion / Inspirational