Communion

While love is a universal desire for humans it is also a word that is hard to define. How do you define love? Does that definition change when referring to different forms of love?

Throughout the book bell hooks discusses different types of love— spiritual love, romantic love, self-love, etc. How does each type of love serve the larger community?

The book discusses several barriers that society has created that prevent people from experiencing love. How has the media, capitalism, greed, sexism, materialism, and the nuclear family effected your life and ability to practice love?

Do you believe relationships from your past can affect your ability to experience true love as an adult? Are you comfortable sharing an example from your own life?

The book offers several examples of passion being confused for love. What are some reasons someone may mistake an act of passion for genuine love.

How have social conventions, gender roles, and patriarchal thinking effected your ability to find and practice a love ethic?

What power dynamics have existed in your relationships? Have you ever exchanged power for love?

Have you ever felt lovelessness in your life? What did you do to combat the feeling? What can you do to prevent feeling lovelessness in the future?