Essay about Theological Virtue of Charity - 1987 Words

Saint Thomas Aquinas is one of the people accredited for having brought theology into the limelight. However, though theology existed long before the emergence of philosophers and fathers if the church, individualistic drives such as those of Aquinas brought a deeper understanding into the mysteries of theology. Modern day theology would not have gotten any bearing without the impact of philosophers and scholars who simplified the understanding of theological concepts. While it cannot be independently verified what the motivation was behind the interest in theology, it is clear that theology is what it is because of the input of the philosophers and scholars (Thomas Pegis, 1997). Aquinas, being motivated into the world of theology,†¦show more content†¦Aquinas sought to use the same writings and thoughts to further his agenda for making clear his thoughts. Aristotle based his arguments on the goodness of man. He noted that the man has to develop from within an aspect of bei ng admired based on the characters that are not as controversial. In essence, he meant that it is critical for people to leave a life that is a mirror to others and other generations to come. Aquinas borrowed this concept of the understanding of man to outline the essence of theological value of ethics. In his arguments, Aquinas noted that for one to achieve some level of charity from the perspective of theology, two things were critical. Faith and hope, according to him covered a wide area in understanding or attaining some charity and moral standards. Virtues, according to Aquinas are the driving force towards achieving some certain ‘telo’. Human beings are ever in pursuit of happiness and as such are always motivated to identify such things that bring about wellbeing. To this end, Aristotle talked about Beatitudes as a means through which human beings derive their happiness. According to Aquinas, virtues that are theological in nature drive the human race towards the supernatural while the other virtues drive people to achieve some specific ends. The theological values that include faith, hope and charity drive people to God. In essence, he sought to distinguish the theological virtues and the other virtues. The distinction was that the twoShow MoreRelatedVirtue in Telemachus’ Life946 Words   |  4 Pagesdeeper responsibility than the normal man of his age. In Telemachus’ life, he is able to mature into an adult man capable of making virtuous decisions and acting with the honor that is required of a virtuous man of the Greek world and Christian world. Virtue in the Greek world was determined mainly by how one is viewed by others. This was an important notion for the Greeks, since their society was very aggressive. 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