Christianity (7 Virtues)

Question: "What are the seven cardinal virtues?"

Answer: In the early fourth century, a monk named Evagrius Ponticus came up with a list of
cardinal sins—cardinal in the sense that these foundational sins lead to other sins. In AD 590,
Pope Gregory revised this list to form the modern concept of the “seven deadly sins”: lust,
gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. These sins are well-known today through the
Catholic Church and through famous writings and artwork, including Dante’s The Divine
Comedy, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, and Cadmus’s The Seven Deadly Sins. Accompanying the
list of the seven deadly sins is a list of seven virtues, which are seen as the inverse of the cardinal
sins. Neither list, of the seven deadly sins or of the seven cardinal virtues, is explicitly biblical.

Virtues are habitual and firm dispositions to do what is morally good. The Catholic
Church teaches that, by creating habits to do good and giving the best of ourselves, one can
become more like God and overcome the temptation of sin. The Catholic Church focuses highly
on the seven virtues as a means of combatting the seven deadly sins and thus overcoming the evil
within us.

Several versions of the list of seven cardinal virtues exist. The Vatican version includes the
following: prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance, faith, hope, and charity. The first four virtues
are categorized as “cardinal” virtues, which means that the other virtues depend on them. The
Catholic Church teaches that the cardinal virtues are acquired by education, good actions, and
perseverance in struggle. The last three virtues are known as theological virtues: faith, hope, and
charity. They are called “theological” virtues because they relate directly to God.

Here is a brief description of each of the seven cardinal virtues:

Prudence — The ability to find the good in every situation and choosing the right means of
achieving it.

Justice — The constant and firm will to give what is due to God and neighbor.

Fortitude — The demonstration of strength in difficulties and temptations; the ability to

overcome fear and other obstacles in one’s moral life.

Temperance — Balance in the use of created goods, using pleasure in moderation, and seeking
that which is good.

Faith — The virtue by which one believes in God and believes that all He has said and revealed
is true.

Hope — A desire for the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as one’s happiness, placing one’s
trust in Christ’s promises, and relying on the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Charity — Love for God above all else for His own sake and love for one’s neighbor as oneself
for the love of God.

The Vatican’s statement on charity reminds believers that all the virtues are inspired by charity,
which “binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:14, ESV).

The Bible talks about many virtues. Biblically, virtues flow from God’s character and are
produced in us through the work of the Holy Spirit. It is God’s will to conform us to the image of
Christ (Romans 8:29). Once a person puts his trust in Christ, he is a new creation (2 Corinthians
5:17) and he begins to reflect the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23). By God’s grace and
through the work of the Holy Spirit, we become more like Christ and therefore filled with virtue.
The transformation to Christlikeness is not primarily a self-help effort in which we seek to live
virtuously; rather, it depends on the work of the Holy Spirit (Philippians 2:12–13). Overcoming
sin and living a godly life of virtue is about abiding in Christ (John 15), yielding to and keeping
in step with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16–18), and trusting in God and His provision for us (1
Corinthians 10:13).

Any and all sin separates us from God (Romans 6:23). Being “virtuous” is meaningless apart
from a relationship with God, who alone is good (Isaiah 64:6; Luke 18:19). Our sin is only
overcome through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. We are commanded to “make
every effort to supplement your faith with virtue” (2 Peter 1:5), and the list of seven cardinal
virtues might help us notice areas to work on. But we remember that true virtue comes only by
the work of the Holy Spirit who indwells all who put their faith in Christ (Philippians 2:12–13).
Our salvation was begun by the Holy Spirit, and the process of sanctification will be completed
by Him as well (Galatians 3:3).