Theological Virtues: The theological virtues can be defined as gifts from God that empower us to be good so that we may do good. The three theological virtues are faith, hope, and charity. These enable us to live in relationship to the Blessed Trinity. These virtues serve as a basis of a Christian moral life. Faith- this theological virtue enables us to believe in God and all that God has revealed to us.
Christians must cultivate their faith but must also proclaim it, bear witness to it, and spread it to others. Charity- this virtue is the greatest of virtues. It empowers us to "love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbors as ourselves for the love of God. Cardinal Virtues- the cardinal virtues are the source of all other good habits. We gain these virtues through education and repeated practice in using them. Prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance are the cardinal virtues.
Prudence- Prudence is practical wisdom, the virtue of responsible decision-making. Prudence uses memory, foresight, imagination, and openness to learning to help our intellects discover what is good in every situation. Prudence permeates all other cardinal virtues, giving them direction and control as we make conscientious decisions.
Fortitude- Fortitude gives us the strength and courage to stand firm with our own convictions and to do the right and moral thing. By Robert Verrill O. A Godzdogz reader asks about the connections between the theological and the cardinal virtues. The traditional Catholic view sees the moral life as the quest for human happiness and the virtues are seen as the best way to attain this happiness.
From a purely philosophical point of view, virtues can be understood to be good habits which enable a person to perform excellent actions. As children grow up into adults, they form various habits which enable them to behave in certain ways. For example, the ability to speak, the capacity to enjoy certain foods, or the tendency to be considerate to other people are all examples of habits which govern the way a person acts.
For a child, the corresponding activities may be very difficult to perform to begin with, but with enough encouragement and support, these habits become like a second nature. Because of habits, the child grows up into an adult who is able to easily perform and find pleasure in many different sorts of activity. So where do the theological virtues fit in?
So the nature of the cardinal virtues will depend on who or what is most loved. Therefore, if the cardinal virtues are to help us attain perfect happiness, we need to know what we should love most of all. At this point, faith comes to the help of reason: we should love God with all our hearts.
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