In the Christian religion, the theological virtues are the virtues having God for object (I Co 13,13). They adapt faculties of the man to the participation of divine nature (cf II P 1,4). They are the consequences of the grace.
They lay out the man with living in relation to God. With the Sky, only charity will remain, in the form of the direct vision of God.
The theological virtues are three:
This group draws its origin from a famous passage of the First Epistle of holy Paul with the Corinthians (I Co 13,13): “Now thus, these trois-là remains, the faith ( pistis ), the hope ( helpis ) and the love (or: charity, reunion ) but the love is largest. ”These virtues are infused by God in the heart of faithful to make them able to act like his/her children and to deserve the eternal life. They are the pledge of the presence and the action of the Saint Spirit in faculties of the human being.
Theological virtues and cardinal virtues
The human virtues are enracinent in the theological virtues, which make them more perfect.
The three theological virtues supplement the group of four cardinal, human Virtues (prudence, Tempérance, force and Justice.) Their unit is sometimes called that of the seven catholic Vertus.
The group of the four cardinal Virtues, which receives this name with the Moyen-âge, already exists among Greek philosophers, in the hellenized Judaism and at the Pères of the Church.
The human virtues are enracinent in the theological virtues because those refer directly to God. They lay out the Christians with living in relation to the Holy Trinity. They have God One and Trine for origin, reason and object.
Attributes of the theological virtues in the artistic expression
In the works of art of the the Middle Ages and Rebirth, the virtues are generally represented under the features of women.
Their respective attributes are for example:
- for the faith: deliver (containing the Christian doctrines), monstrance (containing the devoted host);
- for the hope: anchors (firmness in the storm, even invisible);
- for charity: open arms, children accommodated or nourished.
The virtues can be represented by the following symbols: tréflée cross or dove for the faith, anchors or boat for the hope, heart ignited for charity.
End of two of the virtues
According to Saint Paul:-
the Foi will not have any more a raison d'être at the end of times, this one not being necessary any more to note the existence of God which will have appeared.
- the Espérance will be any more setting, all being achieved and nothing any more thus not remaining to be hoped.
The only one of the three theological virtues which will remain will be thus, explains it, the Charité - or love.
Art and culture
The scenario writer Bernard Émond carried out a film trilogy on the theological virtues.
See too
Zh-yue: 信望愛
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