Term

Agape/Love Feast

Also known as Agape · Love Feast

A common meal with semi-liturgical features held by early Christians, which later became distinct from the Eucharist.

Filed underEcclesiologyChurch History

Definition

A common meal with at least semi-liturgical features was held by Christians shortly after the death of Jesus which was later separated to become on the one hand the agape or love feast and on the other the eucharist or holy communion. The technical term eventually reserved for the Greek-speaking Christians was agape, literally 'a love'.

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Contrasted with

Last revised August 14, 2026