lovefeast

The tradition & historical record

An agape feast or lovefeast is a kind of communal meal shared among Christians. The name comes from the Greek word ἀγάπη (agape), which implies the highest form of love described in the New Testament. Agape feasts originated in the early Church and were a time of fellowship for believers. The Eucharist used to be also present during the lovefeasts in the earliest times, although at some point, beginning in the latter 1st century AD and 250 AD, the Eucharist was separated from it. Thus, in modern retrievalist celebrations of the agape feasts tradition, terms such as "Lovefeast" refer to meals distinct from the Eucharist. Such lovefeasts, celebrated within the Eastern Orthodox tradition and also in pietistic traditions, seek to strengthen fraternal bonds between parishioners. The practice of sharing an "agape" meal is mentioned in Jude 1:12 and has been said to be a "common meal of the early church". References to these communal meals are found in 1 Corinthians 11:17–34 and in Saint Ignatius of Antioch's Letter to the Smyrnaeans, where the term agape is used, and in a letter from Pliny the Younger to Trajan, (ca. 111 AD) in which he reported that the Christians, after having met "on a stated day" in the early morning to "address a form of prayer to Christ, as to a divinity", would "reassemble, to eat in common a harmless meal" later in the day. ¹

The earliest reference to a meal of the type referred to as agape is in Paul the Apostle's First Epistle to the Corinthians, although the term can only be inferred vaguely from its prominence in 1 Cor 13. Many New Testament scholars hold that the Christians of Corinth met in the evening and had a common meal including sacramental action over bread and wine. 1 Corinthians 11:20–34 indicates that the rite was associated with participation in a meal of a more general character. It apparently involved a full meal, with the participants bringing their own food but eating in a common room. Perhaps predictably enough, it could at times deteriorate into merely an occasion for eating and drinking, or for ostentatious displays by the wealthier members of the community, as happened in Corinth, drawing the criticisms of Paul: ¹

"I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing?" The term agape (ἀγάπη) is also used in reference to meals in Jude 1:12 and in a few manuscripts of 2 Peter 2:13. Soon after the year 100 AD, Ignatius of Antioch refers to the agape feast. In Letter 97 to Trajan in 112 AD, Pliny the Younger mentions that Christians are known to assemble for a common meal which may be the agape meal: The rescheduling of the agape meal was triggered by Corinthian selfishness and gluttony. ¹

In the medieval Georgian Orthodox Church, the term agapi referred to a commemorative meal or distribution of victuals, offered to clergymen, the poor, or passers-by, accompanying the funeral service on the anniversary of the deceased. The permanent celebration of these meals was assured by legacies and foundations. ¹

After the Protestant Reformation there was a move amongst some groups of Christians to try to return to the practices of the New Testament Church. One such group was the Schwarzenau Brethren (1708) who counted a Love Feast consisting of feet washing, the agape meal, and the Eucharist among their "outward yet sacred" ordinances. Another was the Moravians led by Count Zinzendorf who adopted a form consisting of the sharing of a simple meal, and then testimonies or a devotional address were given and letters from missionaries read. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, travelled to America in the company of Moravians and greatly admired their faith and practice. After his conversion in 1738 he introduced the Love Feast to what became known as the Methodist movement. Due to the lack of ordained ministers within Methodism, the Love Feast took on a life of its own, as there were very few opportunities to take Holy Communion. As such, the Primitive Methodists celebrated the Love Feast, before it lessened in the nineteenth century as the revival cooled. ¹

At least some of the Oriental Orthodox churches continue the tradition of this meal, including the Saint Thomas Christians of India. Their Lovefeasts are attended by individuals who travel great distances for it, and are presided over by a priest. They are often held when a new priest is ordained, and those in attendance bring gifts for him. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has also continued to celebrate the agape feast, which is held every Saturday, and many Coptic Orthodox churches celebrate it as well. ¹

The Schwarzenau Brethren groups (the largest being the Church of the Brethren) regularly practice agape feasts (called "Love Feasts"), which include feetwashing, a supper, and communion, with hymns and brief scriptural meditations interspersed throughout the worship service. Groups that descend from the Schwarzenau Brethren such as the Church of the Brethren, Brethren Church, Old German Baptist Brethren, and Dunkard Brethren regularly practice a Lovefeast based on New Testament descriptions of the Last Supper of Christ. The Grace Brethren, an offshoot of the Schwarzenau Brethren, also practices the lovefeast. The Brethren combine the Agape meal (often consisting of lamb or beef and a bowl of soup) with a service of feetwashing before the meal and communion afterward. The term "Lovefeast" in this case generally refers to all three ordinances, not just the meal. Influenced by German Radical Pietists during the early eighteenth century, the Lovefeast was instituted among Brethren before Moravians adopted the practice. ¹

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Agape feast”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. ¹

lovefeast is Pietist Christian Lord's Supper tradition involving a full meal (1708-), according to the structured record cited below. This entry was generated automatically from that record and has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. ²