The Lure of a Proposition: The Erotic Nature of the Lord’s Prayer as a Contradiction to Coercive Power

The vision of the kingdom of God (basileia) outlined in Matthew’s version of the Lord’s Prayer is a proposition meant to lure us into greater relationship and more harmonious feeling. The Christian idea that God is love must move beyond simple agapic language and embrace an erotic understanding as well. The desire to be in deeper relationship—the core of erōs—is at the core of the Christian message.