Being-as-communion Quote by John D. Zizoulas
““When man loves as a biological hypostasis, he inevitably excludes others: the family has priority in love over "strangers," the husband lays exclusive claim to the love of his wife - facts altogether understandable and "natural" for the biological hypostasis. For a man to love someone who is not a member of his family more than his own relations constitutes a transcendence of the exclusiveness which is present in the biological hypostasis. Thus a characteristic of the ecclesial hypostasis is the capacity of the person to love without exclusiveness, and to do this not out of conformity with a moral commandment ("Love thy neighbor," etc.), but out of his "hypostatic constitution," out of the fact that his new birth from the womb of the Church has made him part of a network of relationships which transcends every exclusiveness.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Theology of the Person, John D. Zizoulas, 1995
Love that transcends familial exclusivity reflects the church’s call to universal, unconditional love, rooted in spiritual rebirth rather than biological ties.
In simple terms: Church love goes beyond family ties.
Key Takeaway
Embrace inclusive love beyond family.
Themes
love
spirituality
community
exclusivity
theology
Mood
reflective
hopeful
Type
theological
inspirational
When to use this quote
- marriage counselingfamily counseling
- faith community
- interfaith dialogue
Key Concepts
Ecclesiology
hypostasis
transcendence
Questions to Reflect On
- How can one balance familial duties with universal love?
- What practices foster non‑exclusive love?
A Different Perspective
Such love may clash with innate human instincts for kinship.
