Cardinal and Theological Virtues

Restraint is the keystone of the seven holy virtues. The other holy virtues are created through selfless pursuits:

• Valour — Pursuit of Courage and Knowledge
• Generosity — Pursuit of Will
• Diligence — Pursuit of Ethics
• Patience — Pursuit of Peace
• Kindness — Pursuit of Charity
• Humility — Pursuit of Modesty

Several of these virtues interlink, and various attempts at causal hierarchy have been made. For example, restraint is implied in patience, as well as patience, humility, and most of the others. Each sin is a particular way of applying heroic attributes. The Scholastic theologians developed schema of attribute and substance of will to explain these virtues.

Another list of the Seven Virtues consists of a combination of the four Cardinal Virtues and the three Theological Virtues:

• Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude
• Faith, Hope, and Love (charity)

This formulation shows clearly the combination of Greek virtues (the Cardinal Virtues, found in Plato, for example) with Christian virtues (found in 1 Corinthians 13). These virtues do not line up so nicely as opposites to the Seven Deadly Sins, but are commonly referenced as the Seven Virtues.

This allowed non-Christians to base their behaviour on moral tenets other than those prescribed to Christians. In medieval ideology, only a Christian would have faith in God, look forward to a life after death and caritas, be able to carry out acts of charity towards fellow men based solely on love of God.