The Four Loves was C.S. Lewis’s 1960 book about affection, friendship, eros, and charity. The work examines four Greek terms commonly used to describe different forms of love and considers how each can be healthy or distorted.
The book grew from a series of radio talks broadcast by the BBC in 1958. Lewis discusses storge, or affection; philia, or friendship; eros, or romantic love; and agape, represented in the book by charity. His treatment is philosophical and theological rather than a simple relationship guide.
Lewis emphasizes that natural loves can become possessive when treated as ultimate. He presents divine love as capable of transforming and ordering human loves rather than merely replacing them. The argument reflects his broader interest in Christian ethics and ordinary human experience.
The title can be confused with Mere Christianity, another work that originated in broadcast talks. Mere Christianity focuses on foundational Christian belief, while The Four Loves concentrates specifically on kinds of love and their moral and spiritual dimensions.