The best of the ancient Greeks and Romans held that the ideal man would possess certain virtues or perfections. In order for one to be considered good, one had to embody the ideals of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. These four were known as the cardinal virtues. The word "cardinal" means hinge, and these virtues were the hinge or doorway to all of the other virtues.
With the coming of Christ, the early Christians took up the use of this language of virtue, but shaped it in accordance with the Truth that had been revealed in Christ. Taking the language of the Apostle Paul, these Christians crowned the cardinal virtues with three more virtues; those of faith, hope, and love. These three additional virtues became known as the theological virtues.
Throughout ancient and medieval times, the seven virtues, along with humility, formed the ideal of the Christian man. In fact, many of the great Christian educators of the past believed that the true goal of education was the attainment of wisdom and virtue. Over the course of the next few weeks we'll explore each of these virtues in turn so that we might be drawn to imitate the only truly good and virtuous man - The Lord Jesus Christ.
The first in a series of articles done for Coram Deo Academy.
It is all about the Theanthropos--love the conclusion.
ReplyDelete