Theoerosism is a heresy named from two words in Greek, θεός and ἔρως, meaning God and love. ἔρως, however, is often used to describe an erotic type of love, and so Theoerosism is mean to mean “erotic love for God.”
Although Theoerosism is not new in terms of world religion and was common place among the Greeks and other pagan traditions, Theoerosism is relatively new among purported Christians. Theoerosists view or speak of God in terms of sensuality or eroticism, and is contained historically to the 20th and 21st Century.
Theoerosism is popularized in much of sub-Christian media, in worship songs that speak of God romantically or in literature that discusses God with erotic styling.
Modern adherents of Theoerosism include most prominently Ann Voskamp, whose book One Thousand Gifts speaks repeatedly of God in a sensual fashion, including repeatedly using the term (or variant of the term) “make love to God.” Books like Making Love to God by Tina Louise Spalding and Making Love with God by Aubrey Craft Davis (and many other less-sensationally named books) explore and promote the heresy of Theoerosism.
Hillsong takes the gross, self-infatuated, romantic love for God to a new level in a recently released single, “Where You Are.” You can watch the video below, or if you want to avoid having to floss your brain afterward and risk a potentially blasphemous ear-worm, the lyrics are also provided below.
I lived
Heart on a wire
Hand in the fire for so long
But You’ve shown me better
A new kind of love
It’s ever the one I want…
I never knew a love like this before
The kind of life that I cannot find on my own
I’ve seen the world but I have never been so sure
That I want Your heart
God, I just want to be where You are
Where You are
I just want to be where You are
Your love, like nothing I’ve seen
My wildest of dreams don’t come close
Life never no better than living like this
I cannot resist You Lord
Charisma Mag describes the song as “A love song to God.” Gross.
Those confused with a “romantic” song to God is not a good thing, probably misunderstand the bride-groom relationship metaphor provided us in the Scripture in places like John 3:29, Matthew 9:15, and Revelation 22:17. While there certainly is a God-designed correlation between the Church and Jesus (this is also seen in Ephesians 5), there are several problems with getting romantic with God, as follows:
- It is gross. Stop it. Jesus is not your boyfriend. And if you’re a guy, Jesus is not gay.
- The marriage metaphor does not imply “romance,” as that kind of love is the invention of Greco-Roman culture, foreign to the understanding of marriage in Hebrew-Jewish culture. This is not the “agape” as spoken of in the Holy Scriptures.
- The Church (as a whole and collectively) is the singular Bride of Christ. You are not individually a bride of Christ. Jesus is not a polygamist. He has one bride (the church), not a bunch of girlfriends.
