Storge

Storge
Greek name
Greek	στοργή
Romanization	storgē
Strong number	G5387

Storge ("storg-ay", from the Ancient Greek word στοργή storgē) is one of four Greek words translated into English as "love." (The other three are "agape" and "philos" and "eros").

Storge is the love of community and family. Often dutiful, sometimes apparently unfeeling, or undemonstrative, but very strong nevertheless, storge love refers to natural or instinctual affection for one's own community, a natural, unforced, familial love; a primary example of storge love is the normally affectionate and protective love that a parent has for a child, which an emotionally healthy child has for the parents, and the powerful love of country expressed in genuine patriotism. It is a natural, carnal love, but powerful enough to be a real hindrance to spiritual growth, especially when family and culture are believed or felt to be more important than any other consideration, including the obligation of obedient love for God—some individuals have historically held duty toward family and country to be paramount, more important than duty toward God (deification and idolatry^[1]). Storge has sometimes been a pretext for seeking revenge on others (outsiders) who have harmed or falsely perceived to have harmed a particular race or racial heritage,^[2] harmed country, community, or members of the family or group, even to the point of exacting lethal revenge as reprisal or retribution on innocent individuals they hold responsible for causing accidental deaths, or as vigilante "punishment" of those perceived as responsible for the arrest, trial, conviction, and execution of an undeniably guilty criminal member of their family, group, community or country.

Storge is found in the New Testament in Romans 12:10 as part of the Greek word φιλόστοργοι philostorgoi, philo "love" + storgoi "family" (plural form of storge) "love of family" — εἰς ἀλλήλους φιλόστοργοι τῇ τιμῇ "toward one another devoted in honor"

Romans 12:10 GRK: τή φιλαδελφία εἰς ἀλλήλους φιλόστοργοι τῇ τιμῇ ἀλλήλους πρηγούμνοι ^[3]
Romans 12:10 KJV: Be kindly affectioned [φιλόστοργοι] one to another with brotherly love [φιλαδελφία], in honour preferring one another.

Astorgos, the opposite of storge, (Greek a "not/no" + storgos), is used twice in the New Testament: KJV "without natural affection" Romans 1:31 άστόργους (RSVCE "heartless") and KJV "without natural affection" 2 Timothy 3:3 άστόργοι (RSVCE "inhuman").

In descending order of excellence the four loves are:
Agapeo: Unconditional love; the love of God in the renewed mind coming forth in outward manifestation
Storge: Love of family; Parent/child, siblings, cousins, etc.; patriotic love of one's country and people. In a very close family, agape is felt as well
Phileo: Love between friends
Eros: The sense of being in love; romantic love; also the love of pleasant things that provide sensual enjoyment

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