Concept
Theological virtues
Overview
Theological virtues are virtues associated in Christian theology and philosophy with salvation resulting from the grace of God. Virtues are traits or qualities which dispose one to conduct oneself in a morally good manner. Traditionally the theological virtues have been named faith, hope, and charity (love). They are coupled with the four natural or cardinal virtues, and opposed to the seven deadly sins.
The medieval Catholic philosopher Thomas Aquinas explained that these virtues are called theological virtues "first, because their object is God, inasmuch as they direct us aright to God: secondly, because they are infused in us by God alone: thirdly, because these virtues are not made known to us, save by Divine revelation, contained in Holy Writ".
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
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And because good is convertible with being, as one is also; he called God the absolute good, from whom all things are called good by way of participation.
Aquinas Thomas, Summa Theologica, Part I
States what Theological virtues is; the author is tied to Theological virtues in the knowledge graph.
Therefore it is called the end, because we wish other things on account of it, but itself only for its own sake. This beatific good, therefore, according to some, comes to a man from the body, according to others, from the mind, and, according to others, from both together. For they saw that man himself consists of soul and body; and therefore they believed that from either of these two, or from both together, their…
of Hippo Augustine, The City of God, Volume I
States what Theological virtues is; the author is tied to Theological virtues in the knowledge graph.
But the theological virtues--_i.e._, faith, hope, and charity--are directly concerned with God as their proper object. And hence they are the cause--by commanding it--of the act of the virtue of religion which does certain things having relation to God. It is in this sense that S. Augustine says that "God is worshipped by faith, hope, and charity." 2. Those are called theological virtues which have God for their…
Aquinas Thomas, On prayer and the contemplative life
States what Theological virtues is; names Theological virtues several times.
Philosophers who discussed Theological virtues
Related ideas
- God in Christianity
- Christian philosophy
- Hatred
- Catechism of the Catholic Church
- Augustine of Hippo
- Thomas Aquinas
- Paul the Apostle
- Divine grace
- Gregory of Nyssa
- Cardinal virtues
Opposing perspectives
Place in the tradition
Part of Thomism.