“Windows To Spirituality”
Virtue Of Religion This article covers the virtue of religion. Of the three proposed derivations of the word “religion”, that suggested by Lactantius and endorsed by St. Augustine seems perhaps to accord better with the idea than the others. He says it comes from religare, to bind. Thus it would mean the bond uniting man...
Punctuality Punctuality is a virtue. An opposite personality trait is a tardiness. Punctuality is the characteristic of being able to complete a required task or fulfill an obligation before or at a previously designated time. “Punctual“ is often used synonymously with “on time“. According to each culture, there is often an understanding of...
What Is Prudence? Prudence is from Latin prudentia, contracted from providentia, meaning seeing ahead. One of the four cardinal virtues. Definitions of it are plentiful from Aristotle down. His “recta ratio agibilium” has the merits of brevity and inclusiveness. Father Rickaby aptly renders it as “right reason applied to practice”. A fuller description...
Prudence: Mother of All Virtues Prudence, the “mother” of all of the virtues, is the virtue by which a person recognizes his moral duty and the good means to accomplish it. I keep hearing about the importance of virtue and being virtuous, but no one explains what virtue is. Why...
What Is Humour? Humour or humor is the tendency of experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement. The term derives from the humoral medicine of the ancient Greeks, which taught that the balance of fluids in the human body, known as humours (Latin: humor, “body fluid”), controlled human health and emotion. People of all ages and cultures respond to humour....
Piety Piety is a virtue which may include religious devotion or spirituality. A common element in most conceptions of piety is a duty of respect. In a religious context, piety may be expressed through pious activities or devotions, which may vary among countries and cultures. Etymology The word piety comes from the Latin word pietas, the noun form of...
Passion (Emotion) Passion is a feeling of intense enthusiasm towards or compelling desire for someone or something. Passion can range from eager interest in or admiration for an idea, proposal, or cause; to enthusiastic enjoyment of an interest or activity; to strong attraction, excitement, or emotion towards a person. It is...
Orderliness Orderliness is a quality that is characterized by a person’s interest in keeping their surroundings and themselves well organized, and is associated with other qualities such as cleanliness and diligence, and the desire for order and symmetry. It could be strongly related to living a well-organized life and it could be related to maintaining a disciplined life, such...
Openness Openness is an overarching concept or philosophy that is characterized by an emphasis on transparency and collaboration. That is, openness refers to “accessibility of knowledge, technology and other resources; the transparency of action; the permeability of organisational structures; and the inclusiveness of participation”. Openness can be said to be the opposite of closedness, central authority and secrecy....
What Is Obedience? Obedience, to the secular mind and more so than any other virtue seems to be a vice. By the same token, there is no more certain route to personal disaster than obeying only oneself. We are not so wise or self-sufficient that we can afford to shut...
Obedience (Human Behavior) Obedience (human behavior) is a form of “social influence in which a person yields to explicit instructions or orders from an authority figure”. Obedience is generally distinguished from compliance, which is behavior influenced by peers, and from conformity, which is behavior intended to match that of the majority. Depending on context,...
The Virtue Of Obedience The virtue of obedience presumes that rightful authority exists. And it leads us to respect and comply with those who properly exercise it. Obedience has been central to my life. We live in a turbulent time; a time that’s similar, in some ways, to the various...
Moderation In Islam Moderation in Islam, or Moderate Islam, is one of the basic terms and deliberately used topics in Islam. In the sense of shariah, it is a central characteristic of Islamic creed and has been used from the very beginning of Islam. It refers to a justly balanced way of life,...
Moderation Moderation is the process of eliminating or lessening extremes. It is used to ensure normality throughout the medium on which it is being conducted. Common uses of moderation include: Ensuring consistency and accuracy in the marking of student assessments. A moderator may remove unsuitable contributions from the website, forum or chat room they represent in accordance with their moderation system. A...
Meekness (Virtue) Why do I say that the virtue of meekness brings life? Consider the difference between someone who is ready to cavil at the least perception of a wrong done to him, and one who is, as God is, “slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy” (Ps. 103:8). We...
Majesty Majesty (His Majesty or Her Majesty, oral address Your Majesty; from the Latin maiestas, meaning “greatness”) is used as a manner of address by many monarchs, usually kings or queens. Where used, the style outranks the style of (Imperial/Royal) Highness, but was formerly inferior to the style of Imperial Majesty. It has cognates in many other languages, especially of Europe. Origin Originally, during...
Loyalty Loyalty, in general use, is a devotion and faithfulness to a nation, cause, philosophy, country, group, or person. Philosophers disagree on what can be an object of loyalty, as some argue that loyalty is strictly interpersonal and only another human being can be the object of loyalty. The definition of loyalty in law and political science...
Liberality (Virtue) To follow in the way of Jesus, then, is to be free: to be free from deadening self-service, so as to be free for love. It follows that liberality has nothing to do with what is cheap, tawdry, proud, vain, cruel, negligent, or insensible. When Jesus first sent...
Defining Knowledge This article is about Defining Knowledge. Knowledge is evaluated and organized information with implications of being true, justified, and believed. Knowledge is often distinguished from opinion. Opinion implies one’s perspective without a claim for general or universal validity. The term knowledge is also used to mean the confident understanding of a subject, potentially...
Knowledge (Virtue) Knowledge, being a primitive fact of consciousness, cannot, strictly speaking, be defined; but the direct and spontaneous consciousness of knowing may be made clearer by pointing out its essential and distinctive characteristics. It will be useful first to consider briefly the current uses of the verb “to know”. To...
