Divine and Human Love: Religious Foundations of Mo Zi's Universal Love and Christian Agape

Abstract

This study examines the theological foundations and ethical implications of Mo Zi's concept of “universal love” (jian ai) and Christian “agape,” exploring their religious dimensions, ontological bases, and contemporary significance. While existing scholarship has often emphasized the ethical similarities between these two traditions, this research provides a more nuanced theological analysis that reveals their distinctive religious foundations. Through systematic examination of Mohist writings and New Testament sources, particularly the Gospels and Johannine literature, this study demonstrates that these love concepts emerge from fundamentally different religious worldviews: Mo Zi's universal love flows from Heaven's impartial concern for human welfare and seeks sociopolitical harmony, while Christian agape emerges from God's self-giving nature and aims at divine-human communion. Despite these theological differences, both traditions establish love as a religious imperative with radical implications for social ethics, transcending conventional boundaries of moral concern. This comparative theological analysis offers resources for contemporary interreligious dialogue and cross-cultural ethical engagement, suggesting how these complementary religious visions might address shared global challenges while respecting their distinctive spiritual foundations.