The Bible and Emotions

By D. Zeidler

My studies about emotions and their placement in the Bible began many years ago partially out of self-discovery but mainly curiosity over the wide and speckled use of the emotion called "love". Perhaps you have noticed during conversations how the usage of "love" is varied enough to confound anyone when you think about what is meant when expressed. I love your hair, I love pizza, I love sports, I love my mom, I love...etc. But yet within the commonly used varied definition in society we are supposed to understand what is meant when the Bible states that God is love. How can this word which is so widely repeated possibly be defined in such a broad meaning but yet is recognizable in so many odd usages. After some consideration a solution to how to classify "love" started to take shape. Rather than focusing on a definition to "love" that is common throughout society a better approach appeared to be to look at the hearer. In society the usage of "love" is left up to the hearer to decide not the speaker to prescribe a meaning. It is the process in which "love" is heard not how it is said. This is how love's meaning becomes acceptable in both "I love my spouse." and "I love hot dogs." The hearer decides the definition within the context of the sentence, the hearer's own bias, expectations and then circumstances surrounding the spoken word. Generally, the speaker gladly acquiesce the definers role to the hearer. When was the last time you bothered to differentiate what you meant when you uttered, "I love ice cream."? But, this understanding of corporate usage and defining does not help a reader of the Bible understand what the scripture is stating.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1520308833
• ISBN13: 9781520308838
• Release Date: January 2017
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 278 Pages
• Weight: 1.07 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.7" x 6.0"