What are the theological virtues?

Answer

The theological virtues consist of faith, hope, and love, sometimes referred to as “charity.” A virtue is a specific moral excellence (www.dictionary.com/browse/virtue), and the theological virtues are considered the highest qualities that individuals can possess, originating solely from God and leading back to Him. In Catholic theology, the theological virtues are often contrasted with the cardinal virtues, such as self-control and courage, which are human virtues cultivated through knowledge and making correct choices.

Faith represents the virtue of believing in God. Hope embodies the virtue of having confidence in our eternal life in Christ. Love signifies the virtue of desiring the best for the beloved. The philosopher Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) was the first to introduce the term “theological virtues” in his work Summa Theologica (Wawrykow, J., “The Theological Virtues,” The Oxford Handbook of Aquinas, Davies and Stump, eds., Oxford University Press, 2012).

Aquinas and many subsequent thinkers base the classification of theological virtues on the apostle Paul’s renowned discourse on love in 1 Corinthians 13, culminating in verse 13: “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” In Summa Theologica, Aquinas stated, “These virtues are called Divine, not because God possesses them as virtues, but because through them God enables us to be virtuous and directs us towards Himself” (Question 62, Article 1, Reply to Objection 2).

One of the benefits of salvation through grace by faith is the possession of the gifts of faith, hope, and love. Although Peter does not explicitly mention the “theological virtues,” he does allude to the tremendous blessings of God’s gifts: “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in t

he world caused by evil desires” (1 Peter 1:3-4).

It is only by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit that we can truly possess the “theological virtues” of faith, hope, and love. These gifts indeed originate from God.

First Corinthians 13 concludes with an emphasis on the supreme theological virtue: “The greatest of these is love” (verse 13). Love represents “the pinnacle of [God’s] nature; it is the fulfillment of all duty; it is the crown and jeweled clasp of all perfection” (MacLaren, A., Expositions Of Holy Scripture). The apostle John highlights God’s love and its manifestation in our lives: “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God revealed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him” (1 John 4:7-9).

The ultimate demonstration of God’s love for us is seen in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ «Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. », (1 John 4:10). Our faith in Him provides the hope we require, leading to a love for Him that ultimately liberates us to love others.