VIRTUE OF HOPE IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY: FORMATION AND CONTENTOF THE CONCEPT

Abstract

Aim. To identify the semantic content of the virtue concept of "hope" in the teachings of Augustine (354-430) - the father of the undivided Christian Church, the creation and development of which at an early stage of existence were facilitated by the international historical situation at the beginning of the German conquest of the Roman Empire. Methodology. The research methodology involved the methods of system analysis, terminological analysis and comparative-historical analysis. Results. The authors described the semantic content, subject and object of Christian hope, along with its place in the triad of theological virtues. The difference between the ancient understanding of hope and a Christian virtue was revealed, which consists in the hope for divine salvation. Research implications. The system of Christian virtues, formulated by Paul the Apostle and developed by Augustine, determined the spiritual values of the social development in the following centuries without losing relevance to the present time. The study of the triad of virtues has so far been extremely uneven: the main attention of experts is usually paid to the virtues of faith and love, while Christian hope in the teachings of Augustine has not yet been considered. The present paper is intended to fill this gap.