基督宗教中關於「愛」的神學論述存在兩個基本的概念：agape和eros。基於新舊約聖經多以希臘語agape描述上帝與人愛的關係，agape一般被視為是神聖的，超越的，屬靈的，無限的愛。因此與eros相比，agape被視為是超越世俗的聖愛。*本文致力於回溯和探討西方教會傳統中以eros為聖愛的神學論述，尤其注意到eros之愛在靈修神學和神秘主義中，是神和人之愛（無論是上帝愛人，還是人愛上帝）的方式（means）和目的（end）。本文之針對eros為靈修神學和神秘主義中的聖愛表達，並非否定agape在基督宗教神學和倫理中的核心位置，筆者恰恰認為，兩者均是表達神和人之愛的兩個同樣重要的神學論述，尤其見於神秘主義中eros和agape的意涵並非對立，更有交融。因此，文章欲從西方教會的靈修神學和神秘主義（mysticism）的傳統中發掘eros的神聖意涵，並通過十字若望（St. John of the Cross）的《靈歌》（Spiritual Canticle）為代表說明之。eros在西方教會傳統中何以亦能成為一種表達聖愛的神聖符號？其神哲學之依據又何在？為此，文章將強調兩個視角來說明eros作為聖愛的神哲學之邏輯與傳統來源：（1）十字若望的《靈歌》所體現eros的神哲學思想是在聖經《雅歌》的釋經傳統和（2）托名狄奧尼修斯神秘神學之傳統的影響下的一個典例。

When conceptualizing love in Christianity, theologians speak of agape, typically believing that it entails special reference to the divine, so as to distinguish it from the so-called “worldly love”. Especially with the influence given by a modern Christian thinker: Anders Nygren, who in his book Agape and Eros, gives controversial arguments that agape is divine love in the sense that it is initiated by God, unconditioned, sacrificial giving to others. Anders Nygren claims that is distinctively Christian understanding of love, which is antagonistic to the notion of eros. He further argues that eros is typically Greek insertion into Christianity, which should be eliminated. In this article, I will not continue with the theme concerning a comparison between agape and eros. Rather, I endeavor to argue that eros as divine love is presented throughout the history of Christian thoughts. Eros, with its metaphysical and theological basis, is foundational to Christian spirituality and mysticism both in the western and eastern church. In the Western Christian tradition of mystical theology and erotic mysticism, eros is used by some ancient and medieval Christian thinkers not only to describe the human passion and love for God but also to ascribe eros to God’s divine attribute and loving character. St. John of the Cross, one of the remarkable erotic mystics in the western church, describes such an erotic love and ardor between God the bridegroom and the soul the bride culminating in the symbol of “spiritual marriage” in one of his mystical literature Spiritual Canticle. In order to understand such an erotic discourse and the role that eros plays in Christian mystical theology and Christian spirituality, I will trace the metaphysical and theological sources of St. John of the Cross, mainly through the allegorical exegesis tradition of the Song of the Songs and Pseudo-Dionysius’ thought of Divine Eros in his Mystical Theology. Both the sensuously erotic language of the Song of Songs and the metaphysical eroticism of Pseudo- Dionysius play a large role in the spirituality and mystical experience of divine union in Western Christendom, reaching its climax in St. John of the Cross’s spiritual marriage of the soul and God.