Hope (Christianity)

An as yet unfulfilled desire which nevertheless has the expectation of being fulfilled, hope is listed by St Paul, together with faith and charity, as one of the three great abiding virtues. From the eschatological viewpoint, hope is the clear and intuitive vision of the object of belief, that is, the eternal good of a future life in the presence of God as he is in himself. Hope for temporal and perishable goods is of secondary importance, although the "theology of hope" movement looks to social and political change based on hope for a new and coming future in this world. Hopefulness here-and-now also counteracts the despair which can cripple moral activity while fostering the courage which is a prerequisite for effective moral agency. Nevertheless, not all hope is positive. Discrimination is required to distinguish between hopes which are fostered by the Christian faith and are basic to human fulfilment and moral existence, and hopes which are empty in moral terms and possibly demonic. The Lord's prayer is said to be a perfect expression of hope but all prayer is a manifestation and interpretation of hope in some sense.

One of the three supernatural or abiding virtues.