The Study of Godly Love
To what extent can emotionally powerful experiences of a "divine flame of love" move us beyond our ordinary self-interests and help us express unconditional, unlimited love for all others, especially when our human capacities seem to reach their limits?
The answer to this question requires an investigation of Godly Love, which is defined as the dynamic interaction between divine and human love that enlivens and expands benevolence. This perceived interaction provides the framework for a scholarly investigation of the Great Commandment: love God and love neighbor as self.
The Flame of Love Project is a three-year collaborative effort by researchers at the University of Akron and The Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, funded by the John Templeton Foundation, that will provide the scientific and theological foundation for a new interdisciplinary field of study: the science of Godly Love.
