theological virtue

noun

: one of the three spiritual graces faith, hope, and charity drawing the soul to God according to scholastic theology

Examples of theological virtue in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Indeed, a popular Catholic meme portrays the last three popes as each characterizing one of the three theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity. Victor Gaetan, Foreign Affairs, 25 Sep. 2015 Finally, Home Alone demonstrates the importance of faith, and particularly the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. Gregory M. Collins, National Review, 27 Dec. 2023 The partridge in a pear tree is said to represent Jesus; the two turtle doves are supposedly The Old and New Testaments; the three French hens are purportedly Faith, Hope, and Charity, the theological virtues, and so on. Jill Gleeson, Country Living, 20 Nov. 2019 The 3 French hens are Faith, Hope, and Charity, the theological virtues. Katie Bourque, Good Housekeeping, 30 Sep. 2019 The way to avoid these wrong paths, says Francis, is by reminding ourselves of the primacy of the theological virtues, the center of which is charity. Thomas Reese, Houston Chronicle, 12 May 2018 Then the church turned demographic fact into theological virtue by embracing urban advocacy and racial justice. Marc Tracy, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2018 In September’s quake, the cathedral escaped major damage, but authorities said a statue of Hope (the theological virtue) was toppled from its spot on the clock tower. Christopher Reynolds, latimes.com, 18 Mar. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'theological virtue.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1526, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of theological virtue was in 1526

Dictionary Entries Near theological virtue

Cite this Entry

“Theological virtue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theological%20virtue. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!