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Hope () is one of the three theological virtues in the Christian tradition. Hope is a combination of the desire for something and expectation of receiving it. The Christian virtue is hoping specifically for Divine union and so eternal happiness. While faith is a function of the intellect, hope is an act of the will. As a deeply rooted aspect of human life, it also encompasses other dimensions, such as the cultural and mythical dimension of hope, the hope required to perform every action, psychological hope, and the legal aspect of hope.


Overview

Thomas Aquinas Thomas Aquinas ( ; ; – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican Order, Dominican friar and Catholic priest, priest, the foremost Scholasticism, Scholastic thinker, as well as one of the most influential philosophers and theologians in the W ...
defined hope as "...a future good, difficult but possible to attain... by means of the Divine Assistance... on Whose help it leans". Hope is always concerned with something in the future. Like the theological virtues of faith and charity, hope finds its "origin, motive, and object" in God. In Hebrews 10:23,
Paul the Apostle Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Apostles in the New Testament, Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the Ministry of Jesus, teachings of Jesus in the Christianity in the 1st century, first ...
says, "Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy." The ''Catholic Encyclopedia'' defines hope as "the desire of something together with the expectation of obtaining it." Specifically, in the Christian context, this is the hope that God will extend His help to you to "elevate and strengthen ourwill[]" as you strive to "reach eternal felicity." Like the other theological virtues, hope is an infused virtue (defined as one that is implanted in you by God, as opposed to one that you develop yourself through habit). It is not, like good habits in general, the outcome of repeated acts or the product of our own industry. Hope is bestowed by God at baptism. In the Christian tradition, ''hope in Christ'' and faith in Christ are closely linked, with hope having a connotation that means the one with hope has a firm assurance, through the witness of the Holy Spirit, that Christ has promised a better world to those who are His. The Christian sees death not just as the end of a passing life, but as the gateway to a future life without limitation and in all fullness. Pope
Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, his resignation on 28 Februar ...
states: "Whoever believes in Christ has a future. For God has no desire for what is withered, dead, artificial, and finally discarded: he wants what is fruitful and alive, he wants life in its fullness and he gives us life in its fullness" Hope can thus sustain one through trials of faith, human tragedies, or difficulties that may otherwise seem overwhelming. Hope is "an anchor of the soul" as referenced in the
Epistle to the Hebrews The Epistle to the Hebrews () is one of the books of the New Testament. The text does not mention the name of its author, but was traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle; most of the Ancient Greek manuscripts, the Old Syriac Peshitto and ...
of the
New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...
. also describes the "better hope" of the
New Covenant The New Covenant () is a biblical interpretation which was originally derived from a Book of Jeremiah#Sections of the Book, phrase which is contained in the Book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31–34), in the Hebrew Bible (or the Old Testament of the ...
in
Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...
rather than the
Old Covenant Abrahamic religions believe in the Mosaic covenant (named after Moses), also known as the Sinaitic covenant (after the biblical Mount Sinai), which refers to a covenant between the Israelite tribes and God, including their proselytes, not lim ...
of the Jewish law. Hope is opposed to the sins of despair and presumption; refraining from them is adhering to the ''negative precept'' of hope. The ''positive precept'' is required when exercising some duties, as in
prayer File:Prayers-collage.png, 300px, alt=Collage of various religionists praying – Clickable Image, Collage of various religionists praying ''(Clickable image – use cursor to identify.)'' rect 0 0 1000 1000 Shinto festivalgoer praying in front ...
or penance. Some forms of Quietism denied that a human being should desire anything whatsoever, to such an extent that they denied that hope was a virtue. Quietism was condemned as heresy by
Pope Innocent XI Pope Innocent XI (; ; 16 May 1611 – 12 August 1689), born Benedetto Odescalchi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 21 September 1676 until his death on 12 August 1689. Political and religious tensions with ...
in 1687 in the papal bull '' Coelestis Pastor''.


Quotes

* "For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees?" () *“Trust perfectly in the grace which is offered you in the revelation of Jesus Christ.” () * “I know well the plans I have in mind for you says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for woe so as to give you a future of hope” () * "The Christian who hopes seeks God for himself or herself. In technical language, the formal object of theological hope is God-as-possessed." * “Nobody can live without hope, even if it were only for the smallest things which give some satisfaction even under the words of conditions, even in poverty, sickness and social failure.”


Act of Hope

The Act of Hope is a Catholic prayer: : O my God, relying on Your almighty power and infinite mercy and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Your grace, and life everlasting through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer. Amen.
Positive psychology Positive psychology is the scientific study of conditions and processes that contribute to positive psychological states (e.g., contentment, joy), well-being, Positive psychology of relationships, positive relationships, and positive institutio ...
has studied some positive psychological attributes for a healthy mental life, such as happiness, encouragement, love, forgiveness, and hope. One of the most prominent authors developing the role of hope in psychology is Charles R. Snyder, who even has created several measures of private and social hope. According to Snyder, psychological hope consists of three fundamental components: goals, pathways, and agency. This implies that hope necessitates, firstly, an individual having a goal that is deemed desirable, feasible, yet not currently fulfilled (belief); secondly, envisioning a pathway to attain that goal; and thirdly, possessing the capability to act on that pathway toward the defined goal. A lack of agency results in mere "wishful hope," whereas elevated levels of conviction or commitment lead to an "aspirational hope."


See also


abandon hope all ye who enter here
* *


Further reading

*

See Questions 17-22


References

Christian terminology Virtue Hope {{Christian-theology-stub