A Virtue Catechism

A Rough Draft

One of my projects is to create a set of Catechisms for Classical Christian Education. Here is one that I have started working on. I would emphasize this is still in “rough draft” form, but I’d love your feedback at this point. I plan to do other kinds of catechisms as well (like a Logic catechism and a Rhetoric Catechism, etc.). I also plan to have accompanying “proof texts” from Scripture and the Great Tradition of Western Literature to support all of the answers I am giving to these questions. So, you can expect a follow up to this catechism sometime in the future with a finalized form and those proof texts. For now, I hope you find this draft edifying.

1. What is a virtue?

   1. A virtue is a kind of strength or excellence.

2. Is virtue one thing or many things?

   1. Virtue is one thing because it participates in excellence (which is one), but virtue is also many things because there are sundry ways of exhibiting excellence. 

3. From whence does the word “virtue” come?

   1. The word “virtue” is derived from the Latin word vir, meaning “man,” and it is expected of men to be strong and to show that strength when called upon in defense of what is true, good, and beautiful.

4. Does the etymology of the word “virtue” teach us that virtue cannot be practiced by women also?

   1. No. Virtue can be practiced by women also when they exhibit strength or excellence, but the word originated in the context of battle where men were expected to be strong and courageous.

5. What is a moral virtue?

   1. A moral virtue is a kind of strength or excellence, concerning the affections of the human heart and the actions of the body, which aids human happiness and flourishing.

6. Why should a person desire virtue?

   1. A person should desire virtue because it is vital to one’s own well-being and happiness and also because it is vital to the well-being and happiness of his neighbor.

7. How is the desire for virtue bestirred in the human heart?

   1. The desire for virtue is bestirred in the human heart by our observation of virtue being practiced in others, by taking note of virtue’s beneficial effects upon those practicing it, and by noting the positive effects of virtue upon our neighbors who enjoy the benefits of living alongside virtuous people.

8. How is a particular virtue obtained?

   1. A particular virtue may be obtained by first making a conscious choice to pursue it, followed by the regular practice of it, until that particular excellence or strength has become a settled habit in our life.

9. What is the relation of virtue to vice?

   1. The relation of virtue to vice is that of the relation of a healthy person to a parasite. Whereas virtue is a kind of excellence, vice is a kind of weakness. Like evil, vice has no real existence in itself, rather, is only observable by the absence of virtue.

10. What are the forms in which vice may appear?

    1. Vice is always a bastardization of virtue, a faulty imitation thereof, or a failure to obtain the real thing. Therefore vice appears as either a deficiency or as an excess related to some particular virtue.

11. What are the Cardinal Virtues?

    1. The Cardinal Virtues are those particular moral excellencies which have been recognized by all men, across all times, and in all nations. 

12. Why are these virtues called “Cardinal?”

    1. These virtues are called cardinal because of the Latin word cardo which may be translated as “hinge.” The Cardinal Virtues are those virtues upon which “the good life” turns.

13. How many Cardinal Virtues are there?

    1. There are four Cardinal Virtues, namely, Prudence, Temperance, Fortitude, and Justice.

14. What does it mean to exhibit the virtue of Prudence?

    1. The virtue of Prudence is exhibited by acting in accordance with knowledge and wisdom so as to make the right decision in the moment of action.

15. What does it mean to exhibit the virtue of Temperance?

    1. The virtue of Temperance is exhibited in the mastery of one’s own passions and desires so as only to yield to a natural appetite when it is prudent to do so and to deny those same appetites when needful.

16. What does it mean to exhibit the virtue of Fortitude?

    1. The virtue of Fortitude is exhibited by the willingness to risk one's own personal wellbeing, according to the dictates of prudence, in order to do that which is just.

17. What does it mean to exhibit the virtue of Justice?

    1. The virtue of Justice is exhibited by the fair and equitable treatment of one’s neighbor, and those under our authority, according to the moral law of God. 

18. What are the Theological Virtues?

    1. The Theological Virtues are moral and spiritual excellencies imparted to human persons by an act of divine grace, through the power of the Spirit, at the moment when God regenerates a human heart to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ.

19. How many Theological Virtues are there?

    1. There are three Theological Virtues, namely, Faith, Hope, and Love (but the greatest of these is love). 

20. What does it mean to exhibit the virtue of Faith?

    1. The virtue of faith is exhibited by having knowledge of the truth, confidently affirming the truth, and by outwardly acting in concert with the truth. Jesus Christ is the truth and the source of all truth.

21. What does it mean to exhibit the virtue of Hope?

    1. The virtue of Hope is exhibited by confidently affirming certain, yet future, events as sure realities based upon the faithful promises and infallible character of God.

22. What does it mean to exhibit the virtue of Love?

    1. The virtue of Love is exhibited by an unwavering affection for God, for all the true, good, and beautiful things he has made, and by a disinterested seeking for the well-being of other people, including our enemies.

23. How do the Theological Virtues work upon the Cardinal Virtues?

    1. The Theological Virtues infuse new life into the Cardinal Virtues by allowing men to practice them to an extent that would never be possible without divine aid, thereby making “the good life” truly possible in a way unknown among the pagan world.

24. Are there other virtues besides the Cardinal and Theological Virtues?

    1. There are many other virtues besides the Cardinal and Theological Virtues, but these are to be recognized as species of one of these seven virtues which are, ultimately, comprehensive of virtue. 

25. What does the life of virtue provide to whosoever obtains it?

    1. The life of virtue provides men with a general sense of well-being and happiness which is much to be preferred over and against the mere carnal pleasures which vice pursues. Further, it gives men a kind of sub-sovereignty, under the Lordship of Jesus, by which they can rule themselves and others well.

26. Is virtue the same or different from righteousness?

    1. Virtue, perfectly practiced, is synonymous with righteousness because it makes men walk in accordance with the good, and the good is that which obeys God’s moral law.

27. Is vice the same or different from sin?

    1. Vice and sin are one and the same, a rejection of what is good and pleasing to the Lord, they are the practice of lawlessness.

28. To whom should we look for a perfect model of virtue?

    1. The Lord Jesus Christ is the one to whom we should look for a perfect model of virtue. In his life and ministry, preserved in the Gospels, Christ provides us with the archetype example of a virtuous life. 

29. Where else may we look for examples of Virtue?

    1. We may look for examples of virtue in faithful men and women who have loved and followed Jesus Christ, we may look for virtue in stories (both historical and fictional) which tell of great deeds in the midst of great struggles, and we may look for virtues in any such place whereas God’s common or divine grace has broken through the sins of mankind to cause them to behave excellently in accordance with his moral law.

30. Can we obtain perfect virtue in this life?

    1. We both can and cannot obtain perfect virtue in this life, but in two different senses.

31. In what sense may it be said that we cannot obtain perfect virtue in this life?

    1. It may be said that we cannot obtain perfect virtue in this life because we are sinners and we fall into vice each and every day, even when we desire to do otherwise.

32. In what sense may it be said that we can obtain perfect virtue in this life?

    1. It may be said that we can obtain perfect virtue in this life because we can obtain Christ himself, by God’s grace and mercy, who is himself perfect virtue and whose perfect virtue is counted as our own through faith.Study the Great Books is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.