6.1 Morality: A Response to God’s Love6.1 Morality: A Response to God’s Love

Chapter 6

The Virtues

©Our Sunday Visitor Curriculum Division

6.2 Chapter Overview6.2 Chapter Overview

Virtues are character strengths that we develop over time and through consistent use.

The theological virtues of faith, hope, and love are gifts from God.

The cardinal virtues are prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance.

An important aspect of the moral life is creating communities of character.

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Character (p. 102): The attributes and features that make up our individuality.

Virtues (p. 102): Good qualities, habits, or patterns of behavior that incline us to live justly; character strengths manifested on a consistent basis in decision making.

Vices (p. 102): Bad qualities, habits, or patterns of behavior that incline us to actions that are harmful to ourselves and others.

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Theological virtues (p. 104): Faith, hope, and charity; good habits, given by God, that are directed to him as their object or major focus.

Faith (p. 104): A gift from God and a human act by which we believe all that God has revealed; the theological virtue of seeking to know and to do God’s will.

Hope (p. 106): Trusting in God, in everything that Christ has promised, and in the help of the Holy Spirit. Hope focuses on obtaining eternal happiness in heaven and the help from God (grace) to achieve it.

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Charity (p. 107): (Sometimes called love) The theological virtue representing the core of the Christian life. Charity is the virtue “by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God” (Catechism, #1822). Charity is the virtue that places concern for God, manifest especially through concern for others, above everything else.

Cardinal virtues (p. 110): Prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance; permanent readiness of our will and intellect that exercise control over our actions, provide discipline for our passions and emotions, and direct our behavior to be disciples of Jesus.

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Prudence (p. 111): The virtue that helps us make a correct judgment about what to do and to choose the right way to do it.

Justice (p. 111): The virtue stating that all people have rights and should have their basic needs met; “the firm and constant will to give God and neighbor their due” (Catechism, #1836).

Fortitude (p. 111): Courage; strength when confronted with difficulties and perseverance in pursuing that which is good.

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Temperance (p. 112): Self-control and a balanced lifestyle.

Integrity (p. 113): Honest, genuineness, and consistency in behavior patterns.

Genuine (p. 114): Not hiding behind a role or image; seeking honest communication with others.

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Lived values (p. 114): Qualities and concerns that we demonstrate as being important through our actions.

Stated values (p. 114): Qualities and concerns that we claim are important to us.

Community of good character (p. 117): A community that promotes rather than obstructs the exercise of virtue; a community that is energized by the practice of values.

6.3 Review6.3 Review

1. Define the terms character and virtue.

2. What is the root meaning of the word virtue?

3. What is the relationship between good character and freedom?

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4. In what way does virtue affect behavior patterns?

5. What is authentic freedom? How is it different from license?

6. Name and define the theological virtues.

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7. Describe faith-in-action as it applies to moral decision making.

8. What is the difference between a hope and a wish?

9. What is the cornerstone of all virtues?

6.6 Review6.6 Review

10. How does Saint Thomas Aquinas define love?

11. According to Erich Fromm, what are the five characteristics of the art of loving?

12. What is the relationship between prayer and the theological virtues?

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13. Name the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

14. Name the four cardinal virtues.

15. What is the root meaning of the word cardinal? How does this root meaning explain the role of the cardinal virtues in the Christian moral life?

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16. Define prudence.

17. What does justice emphasize about virtuous living?

18. Define fortitude.

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19. What social problem did the American temperance movement address?

20. Define temperance.

21. Define integrity. What would its opposite be?

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22. Name and explain the guidelines that help us be persons of integrity.

23. What is the difference between stated values and lived values?

6.11 Review6.11 Review

24. What is the relationship between lived values and being a person of integrity?

25. What does it mean to say that a goal of the Catholic moral life is to create communities of character?